Third All-Russian Conference “Electrochemistry in Distributed and Nuclear Energy” at KBSU

In the Elbrus educational and scientific complex of the Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh.M. Berbekov, the All-Russian conference “Electrochemistry in distributed and nuclear energy” started.

The geography of the major forum, where global topics on nuclear energy are raised against the backdrop of picturesque mountains, has expanded significantly since 2022. The composition of participants also became more significant. Here are presented Rosatom enterprises that, as part of the Breakthrough project, are developing new technologies for the transition from hydrocarbon fuel to nuclear fuel, creating a new generation of energy technologies based on a closed nuclear fuel cycle using fast neutron reactors.

The co-organizers were academic institutes and universities that have serious scientific developments in the field of nuclear and hydrogen energy, such as the Institute of High Temperature Electrochemistry of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, National Research Center «Kurchatov Institute», All-Russian Research Institute of Automation named after. N. L. Dukhova, Institute of Organic and Physical Chemistry named after. A. E. Arbuzova, Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B. N. Yeltsin, Kuban State University, Siberian Chemical Plant and many others.

Conference topics: nuclear and hydrogen energy, plasma technologies for reprocessing spent nuclear fuel, technologies for producing light metals and their compounds, hydrogen energy. In these areas, scientists from Russia have achieved significant results.

The conference was opened by Svetlana Khashirova, vice-rector for research at KBSU. She emphasized the need to accelerate the introduction of scientific developments into industrial production so as not to depend on Western technologies under sanctions.

The forum moderator, Director of the Institute of High-Temperature Electrochemistry of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yuri Zaikov, presented a project to create new energy based on a closed nuclear fuel cycle of fast neutron reactors. Today, such a reactor operates only at the Beloyarsk NPP. This is where Russia has a competitive advantage.

In 2026, we must issue a technical assignment according to which a nuclear fuel reprocessing module will be designed in the city of Seversk, at the Siberian Chemical Plant. The solution to this problem will determine the future of the energy market and the competitiveness of our nuclear technologies,

— says Zaikov.

Under the leadership of Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Professor Hasbi Kushkhov, a serious scientific school in electrochemistry has been formed at KBSU, which is engaged in extracting valuable components from radioactive substances and returning them to production. Today, when there is a shortage of rare earth metals in the world, this work is especially important.

The delegates also discussed hydrogen energy issues.

KBSU has a good scientific and technical background in the field of hydrogen energy — the development of electrolytes and new catalysts for the production of pure hydrogen, which is called “green fuel”.

The Third All-Russian Conference “Electrochemistry in Distributed and Nuclear Energy” will last until June 30.