14.04.2008 // RIA Novosti

Elected President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev and Director General of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation have discussed Rosatom’s development prospects

Elected President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev and Director General of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation have discussed Rosatom’s development prospects and the preparations for the coming meeting of the State Council.

Medvedev asked Kiriyenko to inform him of the process of formation of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation and the use of innovations in the sphere of nuclear power engineering.

Kiriyenko said that last year the nuclear power plants of Russia produced record 155bln KWh. This is due to the active measures to enhance the efficiency of the plants – but certainly not at the expense of safety. Now, after a 15-year pause, the industry is starting to build new NPPs.

No single incident has been registered at the plants in the last five years. “But we also try to prevent any types of deviation in the work,” Kiriyenko said.

He said that in Jan-Mar 2008 the nuclear power plants of Russia produced 5.9% more than in Jan-Mar 2007.

Kiriyenko told Medvedev that the corporization process is well underway. Presently, Rosatom is embracing productions that have not belonged to it before, for example, nuclear icebreakers. Their incorporation is quite a difficult process.

“But by Aug we are planning to incorporate the whole icebreaker fleet,” Kiriyenko said. “Here we should work out special tariffs and decide who is responsible for what: we should delimit the responsibilities of the corporation and the business.”

As regards innovative projects, Rosatom suggests seven key projects. “First of all, we should create a reactor of new generation. Then, we should develop fuel production and uranium enrichment technologies,” Kiriyenko said. The next two projects are aimed to create superconductors and an experimental thermonuclear reactor. This experiment is expected to give results by 2025.

“By investing big money in this experiment, the state will simultaneously develop science and manufacturing of superconductors and other innovative products,” Kiriyenko said.

The next project is nuclear medicine, particularly, the use of isotopes in oncology.

The “Pure Water” project is based on the over 60-year experience of operation of WWER (pressurized water reactors). “We have a big experience in handling water and we can take an active part in the “Pure Water” project proposed by the “Untied Russia” party,” Kiriyenko said.

And the last project is the creation of new high-strength materials.

Medvedev said that all the project were very interesting: “They are not only interesting but they also can bring big profit to the state and I think that they must be implemented.”