– Sosnovy Bor Administration is doing everything local authorities should do for starting the design and building of new units at Leningrad NPP

The head of the Sosnovy Bor administration of Leningrad region Dmitry Pulyaevsky comments on the results of the past year for the nuclear power complex.

2006 has become a really historic year for Russia’s nuclear power engineering. The main thing that happened in the past year — due to Russian President Vladimir Putin — was the change of an attitude towards the nuclear power sector.

In 2006 the NPP towns commemorated the Chernobyl tragedy: they remembered how 20 years ago the best specialists of the sector did their best to liquidate the accident. Logically, this date was supposed to boost anti-nuclear moods in Russia and abroad. The development rate of the nuclear power sector (3 reactors in the last 15 years) was considered as sufficient and the tendency for reducing nuclear power production as well compliant with the global practice.

However, the dim forecasts did not come true. The year started with the Jan 31 directive of the President not only to preserve the share of the nuclear power sector in the country’s energy balance but to increase it to the European level. It was a courageous  step. As a result, Russia has taken a number of substantial  steps for returning to the world market of nuclear technologies.

The message of the President to the Federal Assembly set a specific goal — to increase the share of peaceful nucleus in the total energy production to 25% by 2030.

On Oct 6 the Government approved the Federal Target Program «Development of the Nuclear Power Complex of Russia in 2007–2010 and till 2015.»

The program says that in 2007–2015 Russia should build 2 GW units a year and by 2015 it should have 10 new reactors with a total capacity of 11 GW and 10 more ongoing projects. A total of 1,471,400,000,000 RUR will be spent on the program: unprecedented financing in the last 20 years.

The development of the nuclear power sector in Russia implies not only creating a strong nuclear shield and producing billions of KWh, but also giving a new life to 20 NPP towns, forming a whole scientific cluster and attaining leading positions on the world market of nuclear technologies.

Speaking of the deficiencies, we should keep in mind that the successful implementation of the Federal Target Program requires clarity: how the host towns will be developed, where the constructors and operators will live. There is no such clarity yet.

The municipalities of the NPP towns have sent a request to Prime Minister M. Fradkov to provide them with compensation for the shortfall in their incomes in 2006 following the changes in the tax legislation — in line with articles 69, 84 and 133 of the Budgetary Code of the Russian Federation. The Finance Ministry declined the request. Hence, it is not clear yet who will provide the funds necessary for the development of the towns hosting newly build nuclear reactors.
 
Still, the Sosnovy Bor administration and the whole population of the town are enthusiastic about the project for building replacement capacities at Leningrad NPP: for local nuclear specialists and constructors this projects means new jobs, for the town a new stimulus for development. And so, we are doing our best to make necessary preparations for the start of  the project.

Nuclear power engineering is considered as a key basis for economy restructuring and a key component of Russia’s energy sector. It is a systematizing and stabilizing factor in Russia’s fuel and energy balance. Now that Russia’s is carrying out energy reforms, the nuclear power industry is turning into a security belt for the whole energy sector of the country.