Tenam
| Company type | State-owned enterprise |
|---|---|
| Industry | Nuclear fuel cycle, foreign trade |
| Founded | 17 July 1963 |
| Headquarters | Russia |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Enriched uranium, uranium enrichment services, nuclear fuel cycle products, spent nuclear fuel storage and transportation systems, radioactive waste management equipment |
| Owner | Rosatom |
| Parent | Rosatom |
Techsnabexport (), widely recognized internationally as TENEX, operates as a foreign trade company under the ownership of the Russian state corporation Rosatom. TENEX specializes in exporting enriched uranium and providing products related to the nuclear fuel cycle.
History
The origins of TENEX trace back to 1949 when the Soviet export organization Technoexport formed a team dedicated to delivering equipment to uranium mining operations across Eastern Europe. This initiative transformed into the Technical Supply Office within Technoexport by 1952, catering to clients such as the Soviet-German joint venture Wismut, alongside mines located in Czechoslovakia, Romania, Poland, and Bulgaria. In 1955, responsibility for this office shifted to Mashinoexport.
On 17 July 1963, Techsnabexport was founded as an export-import bureau tasked with supplying equipment to uranium mining enterprises in Eastern Europe and managing payments related to uranium imports. Additionally, it handled exports of rare earth elements, rare and refractory metals, radioactive and stable isotopes, ionizing radiation sources, control instruments, accelerators, and X-ray apparatus. By 1975, the entity had become an autonomous company concentrating on uranium enrichment services for international customers.
The landmark contract for uranium enrichment was secured in May 1971 with the Atomic Energy Commission of France, marking the introduction of Russian uranium products into European and global markets. During the 1970s and 1980s, TENEX expanded its contractual relationships to include countries such as Italy, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Finland, the UK, Belgium, and South Korea.
In 1988, Techsnabexport was incorporated into the Soviet Ministry of Medium Machine Building—the predecessor of Rosatom. It later merged with Atomenergoprom in 2007, a fully Rosatom-owned corporation. Amid reforms in Russia’s nuclear sector between 2002 and 2007, TENEX consolidated assets spanning uranium mining, engineering, and chemical industries. Assets not central to its core business were subsequently transferred to other Rosatom subsidiaries including TVEL, Composite (UMATEX Group), and ARMZ Uranium Holding.
In October 1992, an agreement known as the Suspension Agreement was signed between the Russian Federal Agency on Atomic Energy and the US Department of Commerce to halt anti-dumping investigations on uranium. This accord permitted restricted commercial exports of enriched uranium under quota systems until 2002. In 1994, TENEX entered into a contract with United States Enrichment Corporation to supply low-enriched uranium (LEU) derived from downblending 500 tons of highly enriched uranium removed from Russian nuclear warheads until 2013. A revision in 2008 further broadened access for Russian uranium products within the US market.
TENEX strengthened its cooperative ties with China National Nuclear Corporation in 2008 by securing agreements for technical assistance and enriched uranium deliveries extending through 2020. In 2012, it finalized a contract with Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation to provide LEU supplies for the Barakah nuclear power facility until 2029.
Since 2016, TENEX has partnered with Japanese organizations on recovery efforts following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. After winning a competitive bidding process in 2017 conducted by Mitsubishi Research Institute, TENEX along with FSUE RosRAO developed neutron detection technology aimed at locating fuel debris inside the damaged reactor.
In February 2017, TENEX was designated as the exclusive authorized operator for foreign trade involving imports of irradiated nuclear fuel assemblies into Russia. Additionally, Rosatom authorized TENEX to manage transportation of LEU domestically within Russia for the IAEA LEU Bank project situated in Kazakhstan.
By February 2018, TENEX collaborated with FSUE RosRAO and various research institutes on a Japan-funded initiative focused on advancing technologies that assess aging characteristics of fuel debris from both Fukushima Daiichi and Chernobyl nuclear accidents. Following completion of preliminary research in 2019 that developed predictive models for corium aging, TENEX was selected to continue this work by enhancing these technologies for application in post-accident remediation activities at Fukushima.
Operations
TENEX specializes in the development and provision of systems for the storage and transportation of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), delivers equipment dedicated to radioactive waste management, constructs SNF management infrastructure at client facilities, and processes uranium-containing materials. Additionally, the company offers comprehensive transportation and logistics solutions while actively pursuing growth into emerging business sectors.
In 2019, TENEX finalized 28 agreements with eighteen clients spanning eight countries, including contract renewals, amounting to a total value near $3 billion.
Nuclear fuel cycle and uranium products
Techsnabexport markets uranium products sourced from Russian nuclear fuel cycle enterprises, including natural and enriched uranium, uranium conversion and enrichment services, as well as the handling of recycled uranium and other atypical uranium materials. These offerings serve as fuel for nuclear power plants and research reactors worldwide.
TENEX provides a substantial share of uranium enrichment services for reactors designed abroad. Its long-term contract portfolio is valued at approximately US$16 billion.
The company holds exclusive authorization to conduct foreign trade operations involving the importation of irradiated fuel assemblies into Russia for reprocessing purposes.
Other activities
TENEX is broadening its product portfolio to support companies engaged in the production and utilization of renewable energy sources. In 2019, it initiated shipments of wood pellets used as biofuel to international markets, with supply chain operations certified according to global FSC and SBP standards.
Furthermore, the company is conducting assessments of lithium deposits with a view toward potential exploitation.