Vladimir Zhidkikh, member of Sub-Committee on Nuclear Energy of Federation Council

– Today, we are witnessing serious changes in global nuclear energy sector

Just a few years ago only highly developed countries could afford to speak about the need to develop nuclear energy. Today, the situation has changed. Lots of small countries with small national budgets have decided to build nuclear power plants and to start developing own nuclear industries. Belarus is not the only country in the region that wants to build a nuclear power plant. In fact, all the states of the Baltic region have similar plants: this year Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland are planning to start the construction of a new nuclear power plant in the territory of Lithuania; in 2006 Poland decided to build own NPP and to launch is first unit after 2020; Estonia has ready to take part in the construction of NPP in the territory of Finland; this spring Finland will consider two NPP construction projects. To remind, Finland is already building one more NPP in Olkiluoto. Sweden, who rejected nuclear energy in the 1990s, is now serious considering its revival. 54% of the Swedes support the construction of new NPPs. In Jan 2008 the Liberal Party of Sweden said that, if Sweden failed to build 14 new nuclear power units within a short period of time, it would fail to reduce CO2 emissions.

There are two major reasons for such a movement. First, even small countries realize that oil and gas will not save them. They are very expensive and will end in some 30 years. Second, today, all western countries, including Russia, are faced with tough restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions. The example of Sweden shows that without nuclear energy they will not be able to stay within those limits.

As regards Belarus and our chances to win the tender for the construction of an NPP in that country, I think that we have very good chances. We are not just friends. We have highly competitive reactors: just remember our victory in the tender for the construction of Belene NPP in Bulgaria, the last agreement with India for the construction of four more units in that country and the recent launch of the first two units of Tianwan NPP in China.

Belarus has lots of specialists in the sphere. So, they will have no problems with personnel.