Valentin Ivanov, member of State Duma Committee on Energy, Transport and Communication

— Higher nuclear energy tariffs will ensure construction of new reactors

Of almost 1.5 trl RUR to be invested in the construction of NPPs till 2015, 47% will be allocated from the budget, while the rest are to be provided by he nuclear power sector, particularly by Rosenergoatom. That’s why, according to the member of the State Duma Committee on Energy Valentin Ivanov (United Russia parliamentary group), Rosatom wants to set «fair» tariffs on nuclear power.

Commenting on the Dec 13 speech of the head of Rosatom Sergey Kiriyekno about the development of the sector, Ivanov says that the existing tariffs «are naturally impeding development: the bigger the profit, the more money can be invested in development.» «This is a matter of state tariff regulation rather than market,» says Ivanov.

«So, we have to urge the Government to allow us to raise the tariffs. Otherwise, how are we going to collect 53% of 1.5 trl RUR in 15 years? Only tariffs can help us do it. But since this is a government structure, the tariff policy should be transparent: the nuclear power engineers should show their whole macro economy so the people can understand how the tariffs are formed,» says Ivanov.

He says that the participant in the closed-door discussion of the present state and future restructuring of the sector also spoke about the launch of the 5th unit of the Kursk NPP. The unit is almost ready but its launch «unfortunately, depends not on Rosatom but on the governmental structures who are wavering between the positions of RAO UES and Rosatom.» During the briefing, Kiriyenko told journalists that there are many other projects curbed by the current state of the networks or their lack. In his turn, Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko said that by 2015 the state will allocate almost 2 trl RUR for network building.

Ivanov says that the Soviet-time centralized PTL network is effective only under centralized administrative-planned economy.
«We need to have regional networks. Today we lack PTLs even inside regions.»