Rosatom proposed to Gazprom to pump gas with electricity from nuclear power plants

Rosatom plans to transfer gas pumping to Europe to nuclear energy. This is a way to reduce Gazprom's noticeably rising carbon footprint and promote Nord Stream as an environmentally friendly project.

What's happening

Rosatom, which entered into a cooperation agreement with Gazprom, last fall offered to transfer the monopoly's main gas pumping units to an electric drive, learned Kommersant . Energy for this could be taken from a new nuclear power plant in Western Siberia.

The plans relate to the medium and long term - both companies have not yet commented on the idea. In addition, experts point out that Western Siberia is energy surplus even without a new nuclear power plant, and additional power grid capacities will also need to be provided for the project.

Why is this needed?

The nuclear pumping project makes sense for Gazprom because it can reduce its carbon footprint. The most obvious candidate for switching to an electric drive is just the northern gas transmission corridor from the Yamal wells to the Nord Stream gas pipeline system to Europe.

Now gas turbines are used as pumps at Gazprom's gas pumping stations, consuming the same gas that they pump. Their total capacity in Russia is very high - about 40 GW. This is comparable to the total installed capacity of Russian NPPs, although a direct comparison is not possible here. The transfer of capacities to electricity from nuclear power plants will theoretically reduce the carbon footprint of gas transmission by 99%, experts say.

The cross-border carbon tax, which the EU introduces from 2026, does not yet apply to natural gas, but given the power of the "green" lobby in the union, this is not excluded. CO2 emissions from own generation or third-party electricity supplies are already included in the carbon footprint, and their price in Europe is already approaching 100 euros per tonne.

The key question is whether the EU recognizes nuclear energy as "green", and whether Rosatom will be able to prove that the entire nuclear fuel cycle from uranium mining to waste disposal complies with EU requirements. So far, the pendulum has swung in favor of nuclear power plants, which the European Commission last week classified as transitional energy sources. They will become "green" only if the disposal of waste is recognized as safe. However, this definition may not stand up in the European Parliament, especially given the accusations by environmental activists of “greenwashing” and “protecting the interests of gas workers and nuclear workers.”

What do I get from this?

The fact that Rosatom offers Gazprom to pump gas with electricity shows once again that the energy transition has become an important factor for the Russian economy already in the medium term. Losses from cross-border carbon regulation are currently estimated at $1.8-$3.4 billion per year, about a tenth of which will come from electricity. But when gas and oil are included, they can rise significantly. About what else awaits the Russian economy in the process of energy transition, The Bell told here .