Rafael Arutiunian, first deputy director of Nuclear Safety Institute

– In the last two years our nuclear industry has been drastically reformed

In the last two years our nuclear industry has been drastically reformed. We have set clear and specific tasks and have achieved good results.

The first achievement is the adoption of the federal target program for the development of the nuclear industry of Russia in 2007–2010 and -2015.

The second achievement is the adoption of the federal target program for nuclear and radiation safety 2008–2015 – an instrument for solving the global problem of nuclear legacy. Our Government has allocated 140bln RUR for this program. It is just the first step towards resolving our urgent problems. What we need urgently is infrastructure for treatment of spent nuclear fuel (of both military and civil origin) and radioactive waste. This is the key goal of the program – to solve the problem of nuclear legacy.

As regards reforms, I think we have found an optimal way to reform our nuclear industry: on the one hand, it is fully controlled by the state, on the other, the structure of Atomenergoprom and Rosatom State Corporation meet modern economic realities.

Formerly, commercialization of nuclear industry seemed impossible and contrary to nuclear and radiation safety. Today, we have created mechanisms that will help us to effectively apply modern economic instruments in the nuclear industry. The management system of the new structure is vertically integrated and preserves the unity of the civil and military sectors. In fact, we have achieved great results within a fantastically short period. We have done really huge work.

We must understand that it is unreal to develop nuclear industry within national framework only. In order to actively develop we need to get involved in international cooperation. And we do have necessary basis. We have quite good positions in the world: uranium enrichment, fuel production, NPP construction, where we have lots of contracts. But we not only export technologies, we also adopt the best international experience. While building NPPs abroad we learn much from our foreign partners.
 
To remind, President of Russia Vladimir Putin is going to appoint Sergey Kiriyenko as head of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation as he believes that Kiriyenko is the best candidate for the post of the head of the corporation.