History

Today’s leading supplier of Russian uranium products to the global market, TENEX has a history dating back to 1949, when a special working group comprised of ten people was set up within the All-Union Association Technoexport under the Soviet Union’s Foreign Trade Ministry (USSR MFT) to supply equipment and materials to the uranium-mining businesses created by the Soviet Union in Eastern European countries. In 1952, the group was used as the platform for creation of the Technical Supply Office, which served for interaction with rapidly developing Eastern European mining companies.

An expansion in the range and volume of products supplied, together with continued growth in the scale of uranium imports prompted a decision to enlarge the Office and grant it the status of an independent foreign-trade organization. Executive Order No. 1477-rs, dated 17 July 1963, by the Soviet Union’s Council of Ministers established the All-Union Export & Import Bureau Techsnabexport to carry out — in addition to supplying equipment to Eastern Europe’s uranium-mining companies and clearing payments for uranium imports into the USSR — foreign-trade operations involving rare-earth, rare and refractory metals, radioactive and stable isotopes, sources of ionizing radiation, instrumentation devices, and accelerator and X-ray equipment.

In 1975, the Export & Import Bureau Techsnabexport was transformed into the All-Union Association (AUA) Techsnabexport, which was primarily engaged in the supply of uranium products abroad. In 1988, AUA Techsnabexport was transferred to the Soviet Union’s Ministry of Medium Machine-Building (today — ROSATOM State Corporation).

In 1994, AUA Techsnabexport becomes an open foreign trade joint-stock company, retaining succession to all previously made contracts and agreements, and in 2001 — a company with 100% of its share capital owned by the state.

In 2007, 100% of OJSC Techsnabexport’s share capital — which is Russia’s federal state property — were contributed into the share capital of OJSC Atomenergoprom, a company founded as part of a campaign aimed at restructuring Russia’s nuclear energy industry to preserve and develop its research and production capabilities and to strengthen the Russian Federation’s competitive position in the global market for nuclear fuel cycle products and services.

In 2014, the title “OJSC Techsnabexport” was changed to Joint Stock Company “TENEX”.