Atomic scientists respond to sanctions
The Russian automotive industry was among the sectors of the economy most affected by the sanctions. There was a need to fill the shortage of auto parts, which arose with the cessation of operations in the country, with foreign suppliers. Today, up to 1,500 assembly parts, around 30,000 parts are needed to assemble a passenger car, for example, and reliable supplies are key to the trouble-free operation of conveyors.
The manufacture of vehicle components has become a new business for TVEL, the fuel division of Rosatom State Corporation. Although this activity in the company has been developing since 1994, for a long time these were local projects. In 2020 they became part of a separate business area: “Special Chemistry”. This area is responsible for the development and marketing of chemical enterprises of the nuclear industry, which historically gave up the production of nuclear fuel and other products.
There are two companies engaged in the production of auto parts – Ecoalliance in Novouralsk and Tochmash-auto in Vladimir.
Since 2021, TVEL has increased its share of the automotive parts market from an average of 30% in 2021 to 79% this year.
As TVEL’s constructs, Ecoalliance and Tochmash-auto have a unique foundation for production, research and testing. The company’s capabilities make it possible to obtain highly pure metals and materials, complex chemical compounds for innovative developments.
space standards
As you know, an autocatalyst (exhaust catalytic converter) is the most important component of the exhaust gas treatment system for internal combustion engines. This device reduces air pollution by significantly reducing the emission of toxic substances.
Today TVEL owns Ecoalliance, the only full-cycle industrial enterprise producing automotive and motor vehicle catalysts in Russia. Rosatom emphasizes that autocatalyst production has become another contribution the company makes to sustainable development with the aim of improving people’s quality of life.
Following the departure of foreign competitors from Russia, Ecoalliance has become a leader in the market for catalytic exhaust gas aftertreatment systems for gasoline, diesel and gas powered vehicles in Russia. Its share increased from 32% in 2021 to 79% in 2023 and is expected to exceed 80% by the end of the year.
TVEL’s by-products are used in one out of every four cars produced in Russia today. It also acts as a supplier of AURUS vehicles. The company plans to produce up to 470,000 autocatalysts in 2023, of which 400,000 are for AvtoVAZ. The company’s products are certified in accordance with Euro 5, Euro 5+ and Euro 6 international standards.
Their production capacity allows to produce up to 1 million products per year.
Ecoalliance offers the automotive industry a wide range of services, from scientific research to mass production. Products are developed separately for each vehicle model. The developments are based on fundamental experience in the development and manufacture of catalysts for fuel cells in space objects. Innovative research allows the creation of new materials to improve the efficiency of catalysts, for example, to increase thermal stability and increase resource.
Ecoalliance CEO Taras Pekarsky said that, based on the revival of the automotive industry in Russia by 2025, TVEL is considering the possibility of increasing its production capacity by more than 2 times, up to 2.5 million units per year. There are also plans to cooperate with Moskvich and the Russian automobile plant Haval.
Spare parts on request
Tochmash-auto supplies about 70% of steering wheel-controlled derailleurs, as well as other products for the production of cars, buses, tractors and combines in Russia. More than 60 Russian vehicle manufacturers act as counterparties to the business.
The company’s product range includes more than 120 products belonging to various groups, such as electronic and electromechanical relays, fuses, sensors, switches, switches, buttons, breakers, switching elements. The nomenclature is constantly expanding and evolving to meet the needs of the market. Here, too, each product is developed on individual request.
Our own design office and production facilities allow us to specialize in the production of all kinds of components of electrical equipment for automotive vehicles and to put them on the market in series.
The “tochmash-auto” localization is about 90%.
Tochmash-auto’s latest developments include a set of steering column switches, keyless engine start button, disc engine mode switch, trunk unlock button and brake signal clutch pedal position switches.
Kirill Danilov, Tochmash-auto manager, said that this year the production volume of the enterprise increased by 30%, and next year it is planned to increase it by 25-30%. According to him, the company expects a 2.5-fold increase in revenues by 2025.