05.06.2008 // Interfax

In 2007 the nuclear industry of Russia transferred 57bln RUR to the national budget

In 2007 the nuclear industry of Russia transferred 57bln RUR to the national budget – 30% more than a year before, Director General of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation Sergey Kiriyenko said during a press-conference on June 4.

Earlier the same day he appeared in the State Duma with a report on the work of the sector under ongoing reforms. He said that in 2007 the nuclear power plants of Russia generated 157bln KWh – more than ever before.

Kiriyenko told the MPs about the program to develop the nuclear weapons complex and the measures to ensure its high competitiveness and defending capacity.

Presently, Russia is implementing a large-scale program to develop its nuclear power industry: if in the last 15 years the country has built just three reactors, for the moment it is building five reactors and is planning to start two more projects.

The major achievements of the last year was the successful launch of Tianwan NPP in China, the victory of Atomstroyexport in the tender for the construction of Belene NPP in Bulgaria and the return of TVEL to Eastern Europe.

In 2008 Rosatom has adopted several important decisions to avoid discriminatory restrictions on Russian nuclear products on the world market. Particularly, in Feb Rosatom and US Department of Energy signed an agreement for gradual lifting of antidumping restrictions on Russian enriched uranium on the market. On May 6 Russia and the United States signed an agreement for cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Earlier Russia concluded similar agreements with Canada and Australia thereby gaining access to uranium deposits in those countries.

Kiriyenko said that in 2007 Russia increased the financing of uranium prospecting projects by 10 times and got into the world’s top ten in the field. 

One of the key results of the reforms in the nuclear power sector is the modernization of the wholesale electricity market. The point is that in the future the sector will have to switch to self-financing. This can be done only by means of market liberalization.

Kiriyenko said that Roatom was interested in attracting private investments in uranium mining and machine building projects. He pointed out that 100% of shares of Atomenergoprom were owned by the state but in some projects private investors might be given 49% stakes.