Yes, Russia could produce fuel for any western reactor, not vice versa, and that fuel is cheaper and better than anything that could be made by West, that's why even US still buys Russian nuclear fuel.
But that is not main thing.
Russia already runs BN-800 reactors on mixed oxide fuel made from nuclear waste. That means nuclear waste of regular power plants and charges from old nuclear bombs is a fuel for new Russian nuclear power plants. And nuclear waste from that fast neutron reactors could be processed to fuel regular ones again. And so on. It named "closed cycle". And West is willing to pay to get rid of their nuclear waste.
So, the pucture is now looks like now West will fuel Russian power plants not even for free, but will pay for it.
Also, closed cycle of nuclear fuel means that it is possible to extract up to 30% of stored energy from uranium ore, in comparison to 3% of usual fuel cycle.
Interesting, that West abandoned fast-neutron reactors, even sometimes dropped building after investing billions.
Only China is now trying to get hands on close cycle. Russia already have it working. West even don't really try at all. That does not make any sense. Especially now, during energy war.
Yes, Russia could produce fuel for any western reactor, not vice versa, and that fuel is cheaper and better than anything that could be made by West, that's why even US still buys Russian nuclear fuel.
But that is not main thing.
Russia already runs BN-800 reactors on mixed oxide fuel made from nuclear waste. That means nuclear waste of regular power plants and charges from old nuclear bombs is a fuel for new Russian nuclear power plants. And nuclear waste from that fast neutron reactors could be processed to fuel regular ones again. And so on. It named "closed cycle". And West is willing to pay to get rid of their nuclear waste.
So, the pucture is now looks like now West will fuel Russian power plants not even for free, but will pay for it.
Also, closed cycle of nuclear fuel means that it is possible to extract up to 30% of energy from uranium ore, in comparison to 3% of usual fuel cycle.
Interesting, that West abandoned fast-neutron reactors, even sometimes dropped building after investing billions.
Only China is now trying to get hands on close cycle. Russia already have it working. West even don't really try at all. That does not make any sense. Especially now, during energy war.