06.02.2007 // Information and PR Center of Leningrad NPP

Public hearings of the materials on the ecological impacts of the construction and the operation of LNPP-2 are scheduled for Feb 7 2007

Public hearings of the materials on the ecological impacts of the construction and the operation of Leningrad NPP-2 will be held at the “Constructor” Culture Palace of Sosnovy Bor (Leningrad region) on Feb 7 2007 2:00 PM.

The public hearings are supposed to promote the measures for preventing and reducing the possible unfavorable ecological, social, economic and other consequences of the LNPP-2 project.

LNPP-2 will have two WWER-1200 reactors and will be built near the existing LNPP under the NPP-2006 project.

LNPP-2 is a revolutionary project. It is based on the best experience acquired by Russian nuclear power engineers when operating WWER-1000 reactors and building them abroad.

WWER-1000 is Water-Water Energetic Reactor (1000 MW). Presently, Rosenergoatom operates 9 WWER reactors. 1 such reactor is being launched at Tianwan NPP in China, 2 more at Kudankulam NPP in India.

The LNPP-2 units will be stronger and more efficient than the LNPP units. They will have both active and passive security elements and will be very safe.

The new units will serve for 50 years and will produce 16.844bln KWh and 1.350mln Gcal a year with the average readiness factor being 0.92%.

The project is part of the Federal Target Program “The Development of the Nuclear Power Complex of Russia in 2007–2010 and Till 2015” and is aimed at preserving and developing electricity and heat production and gradually replacing the existing capacities of LNPP upon their exhaustion.

Presently, Leningrad region and St. Petersburg consume more electricity than they did in 1991 and this figure will be growing by 3% a year.

The many-year technical-economic and marketing studies have proved the expediency of the construction of big NPPs for covering the electricity demand in the North-Western region of Russia.
 
On May 31 2006 the Governor of Leningrad region approved a declaration on the intentions of Rosenergoatom to finance the construction of the 1st and 2nd units of LNPP-2. The declaration has been coordinated with the inter-department commission for production capacities deployment in the territory of Leningrad region.

The materials to be presented for the public hearings contain assessments of the present ecological situation in the area, the possible impacts of the LNPP-2 project and proposals for organizing an ecological monitoring of the site.

The materials say that the project will cause no inadmissible changes in the structure and functioning of the local natural complexes. The WWER-1200 reactors will have no significant chemical and radioactive impacts on the area.

The qualitative and some quantitative parameters of the forecast of the ecological and social situation in the area show that LNPP-2 will be ecological safe.

Attending the hearings will be all concerned parties: residents of Sosnovy Bor, Leningrad region and St. Petersburg, representatives of NGOs and mass media, legislators of different levels, state and municipal officials, heads of local companies and departments.

Representatives of the consulates of the US, Finland, Sweden and Estonia are also willing to attend the event.

The organizers are Rosenergoatom and the Sosnovy Bor authorities.

The materials have been provided by the St. Petersburg Research and Development Institute Atomenergoproject. For information about the materials you may visit the library of the Sosnovy Bor administration and the St. Petersburg Public Information Center of the Federal Nuclear Energy Agency or see http://www.graph.runnet.ru/.