Representatives of Rosatom took part in the 51st
annual World Nuclear Association (WNA) Symposium, which concluded in London,
UK, on September 11. Held under the theme “From Ambition to Action,” this
year’s event focused on the practical steps needed to accelerate the
development of nuclear energy worldwide. Rosatom was represented by Polina
Lion, Chief Sustainability Officer at Rosatom, and Ruan Nunes de Souza, Vice
Director of Rosatom’s Regional Center in Latin America.
Polina Lion delivered a presentation titled “Scaling Nuclear Energy: Priorities for Joint Action.” Drawing on the experience of Rosatom’s projects, she identified four key elements requiring particular attention in the context of the global goal to triple nuclear capacity: joint efforts by the customer country, the regulator and the technology supplier throughout project delivery; strengthening supply chains and localisation; training personnel and increasing the appeal of nuclear careers among young people; and engaging financial institutions including international development banks and major energy consumers with a potential interest in investing in nuclear power generation.
“The more nuclear professionals, policymakers, universities, financial institutions and climate experts speak to each other, the faster we will find practical solutions for tripling nuclear capacity. At the end of the day, Rosatom’s experience confirms one clear point: global nuclear ambitions cannot be achieved without partnership, mutual trust and open dialogue,” she said.
Ruan Nunes de Souza, Vice Director of Rosatom’s Regional Center in Latin America, took part in an End Energy User Q&A Session focused on large electricity consumers that are creating a new segment of customers for nuclear energy.
“Rosatom works actively with a range of companies in Brazil. We are ready to offer our partners the best available technology option for each specific situation. A floating nuclear power plant can certainly be the right solution for a number of projects. We have already assessed the potential deployment of a floating power unit in remote areas of the Amazon, and we also see potential for floating NPPs to support offshore oil exploration and production,” said Ruan Nunes de Souza.
Elsie Pule, Head Coordinator of the BRICS
Nuclear Energy Platform, took part in the “Taking a System-Wide View” session.
She spoke about the key areas of cooperation in nuclear energy among BRICS
countries, which account for more than 70% of nuclear capacity currently under
construction.
Financing for new nuclear projects was another
key focus of the Symposium. The World Nuclear Association presented the World
Nuclear Investment Guide, a practical guide designed to help governments,
developers and financial institutions structure nuclear projects more
effectively, assess their investment attractiveness and create the conditions
needed to mobilise capital.
Irina Skvortsova, Head of the International Business Projects Department at Rosatom, contributed to the preparation of the guide. The document brings together recommendations on project investment readiness, delivery models and cooperation between governments, industry and the financial community. According to the WNA, financing requirements for scaling up nuclear energy could exceed $250 billion a year by the mid-2030s.
The World Nuclear Association (WNA) is an international industry
organisation representing companies and organisations across the nuclear energy
value chain. Its activities focus on supporting the development of the global
nuclear industry, strengthening cooperation among its members, representing the
industry’s interests at key international forums and promoting reliable
information about nuclear energy.
The organisation was established in 1976 as the
Uranium Institute and became the World Nuclear Association in 2001. Its
headquarters are in London, UK. The WNA currently has 275 member companies and
organisations from 44 countries.
In 2026, the World Nuclear
Association marks 25 years since it adopted its current name. To mark the
anniversary, the organisation launched a special “25 Everyday Heroes of
Nuclear” project, recognising professionals whose expertise and personal
contributions are helping advance nuclear energy worldwide. Two Rosatom
representatives were included among the project’s honorees: Alexander
Kormishin, Director of the International Partnerships Centre at the Rosatom
Corporate Academy, and Alexander Boytsov, Advisor to the First Deputy CEO of
Techsnabexport. Alexander Kormishin was recognised for his efforts to promote
international youth cooperation in the nuclear sector, while Alexander Boytsov
was recognised for his long-standing contribution to the development of the
uranium industry.
The World Nuclear Association Symposium is a global platform bringing together industry leaders, industrial and commercial companies, and regulatory authorities. The event supports technology development, the exchange of best practices and stronger international cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The 51st annual Symposium was held in 2026.
The BRICS Nuclear Energy Platform is an organisation established in 2024 to develop and roll out advanced practices and innovative approaches for the energy and non-energy peaceful uses of nuclear technology in the markets of BRICS countries and beyond, and to design incentive mechanisms and business models for the nuclear industry that support closer cooperation between states and companies. Its current members are Rosatom State Corporation (Russia), CNNC (China), NECSA (South Africa), Eskom (South Africa), NPPD (Iran), ABDAN (Brazil), ABEN (Bolivia), the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (Ethiopia), NPPA (Egypt) and NBEPar (Brazil).
