Sergey Kiriyenko: Russia has restored its status of supplier to all NPPs of Soviet design

25.06.2007 // Interfax

Russia has restored its status of supplier to all Soviet-design NPPs in Europe

Russia has fully restored its former positions on the European electricity supply markets, Head of Rosatom Sergey Kiriyenko said during a press-conference. “We have restored our status of supplier to all Soviet-design NPPs in Europe. The last example is TVEL’s victory in a tender for the supply of fuel to Czech NPPs.”

Kiriyenko is satisfied with the work of Russian companies in Bulgaria: modernization of the 5th and 6th WWER-1000 reactors and decommissioning of the 1st and 2nd WWER-400 reactors of Kozloduy NPP.

One more important achievement is the victory of Atomstroyexport in a tender for the construction of two units of Belene NPP. “That NPP will have “3+” generation reactors, which meet the highest existing standards in Europe,” Kiriyenko said.

The preliminary contract was made in Nov 2006. The Bulgarian side has already allocated 190mln EUR for the project. “The basic contract will be signed by the end of this year. The Bulgarian Government has announced an international tender for attracting necessary investments in the project. Atomstroyexport is ready to fulfill its obligations to the Bulgarian side under any investor,” Kiriyenko said.

Concerning the situation in the Russian nuclear power industry, Kiriyenko said that, today, the Russian NPPs produce 16% of the total energy in the country. “The President of Russia has instructed us to raise this figure to 25%-30%. By 2020 we are planning to have 25% and to start launching two new constructions a year.”