A Russian state-owned nuclear firm is attempting to break into the UK market with direct approaches to British firms, it has been reported.
Atomenergoprom is thought to have made contact with British Gas owner Centrica and manufacturing giant Rolls-Royce as it looks to become a major player in the UK and beyond, according to the Observer.
The firm has already signed a joint venture with Toshiba, whose Westinghouse subsidiary runs the UK's main nuclear manufacturing site, Springfields, near Preston.
It is understood that the group, which has access to Russia's uranium mines, has already provided some fuel to the Sizewell plant in Suffolk.
Atomenergoprom executive director Kirill Komarov told The Observer: "There are some negotiations, or rather contracts, with British companies but nothing specific has been arranged now. We can do everything (from providing nuclear fuel to operating plants) if one compares us with other players, such as Areva, so we are not limiting our options."
The report said the firm's ambitions could be hampered by the bad publicity surrounding another Russian state-owned energy firm, Gazprom, whose rows with Ukraine have ended in gas supply shutdowns to large swathes of Europe.
Another difficulty may come from nervousness over safety as a result of the damage done to the reputation of nuclear power worldwide after the catastrophic Chernobyl accident in 1986 - the world's worst civil nuclear disaster. But Mr Komarov said it was unfair to make any connections between Atomenergoprom and Chernobyl as his organisation did not exist when the Ukrainian reactor was destroyed. He also insisted that his firm was not interested in politics.
The Observer said Atomenergoprom was unlikely to put forward its own reactor designs for assessment by the British authorities but Westinghouse is one of the main contenders along with Areva of France.
Centrica is in the process of acquiring a 20% stake in nuclear power firm British Energy from French energy giant EDF. Rolls-Royce boasts a 50-year involvement in developing and supporting nuclear plants for the Royal Navy's submarine programme and also makes controls systems for reactors.
Both firms declined to comment on the report, while Atomenergoprom could not be reached for comment.
