18.01.2008 // Information Department of Leningrad NPP

The managers of Leningrad NPP and Leningrad NPP-2 told journalists about the results of 2007 and plans for 2008

During a press-conference today, Jan 18 2008, the managers of Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant and Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant-2 (under construction) told journalists about the results of their work in 2007 and plans for 2008. LNPP was represented by the director the plant Valery Lebedev, his deputy for personnel management Nikolay Kirillov and the deputy chief engineer for safety Konstantin Kudryavtsev; LNPP-2 – by the acting director Oleg Lebedev.

Valery Lebedev said that in 2007 LNPP produced 24.6bln KWh – 101.7% of the plan. Since its launch the plant has generated a total of 738bln KWh (against 23.177bln KWh (108.7% of the plan) in 2006).

In 2007 LNPP continued active work to enhance its safety and to extend the lives of its units. “So, we hope that we will fulfill our electricity production plan for 2008 – 29.4bln KWh. Modernization has allowed us to exceed our design production capacity of 28bln KWh a year. As soon as we complete the modernization of unit 3 by 2009 and unit 4 by 2011, we will be able to generate more than 29bln KWh a year,” Lebedev said.

Oleg Lebedev said that they continue receiving applications for participation in the tender for selection of the general contractor of the LNPP-2 project. The deadline is Jan 28 2008/ The winner will be named on Feb 28 2008.

“In 2008 we are planning to get Rostekhnadzor’s license. Presently, we are carrying out preparatory work. We are preparing the site: digging the foundation pit, cutting down the trees, building access roads.”

“In 2008 we are planning to spend some 7.9bln RUR on the project (5.9bln from the federal budget).”

“We are a bit behind the schedule but in Oct 2008 we are planning to start concreting the foundations of the future plant,” Lebedev said.

Kirillov told the journalists about the personnel problems at both plants and the plans to exchange specialists. Today, almost 90% of the personnel working at LNPP-2 are former employees of the capital construction department of Leningrad NPP.

Almost 330 people, 150 vehicles and 50–60 special mechanisms are involved in the construction of LNPP-2.

In 2008 the staff of the directorate for the construction of LNPP-2 will be increased from 36 to 100 people.

The journalists showed interests in the parameters of the RBMK reactors of Leningrad NPP and the WWER reactors of LNPP-2.

Lebedev said that Rosatom and the administration of Leningrad NPP have already agreed to prepare a declaration of intention to build the 3rd and 4th units of LNPP-2 and are preparing for public hearings of the project.

Note

Since Apr 1 2002 Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant has been branch of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Russian State Concern for the Production of Electric and Thermal Power at Nuclear Power Plants” (“Rosenergoatom” Concern). The plant operates 4 units with RBMK reactors 1000 MW each.

The units of Leningrad NPP with their RBMK reactors were built in the early 1970s and are close to exhausting their resources: 1 st unit in 2003, 2nd in 2005, 3rd in 2009 and 4 th in 2011.

The Program for the Development of the Nuclear Power Industry of the Russian Federation in 1998–2005 and -2010 stipulates that the lives of the 1 st. 2nd and 3rd units of Leningrad NPP should be extended till 2008, 2010 and 2014, respectively.,

The plant employs 5,977 people: 5,635 industrial employees and 342 non-industrial employees and pays them 26,695 RUR a month: 27,306 RUR to industrial personnel and 11,380 RUR to non-industrial personnel.

The construction of LNPP-2 is part of the federal target program for the development of the energy industry of Russia 2007–2015 approved by the Government of the Russian Federation on Oct 5 2006.

On Aug 30 the speaker of the State Duma Boris Gryzlov, the head of Rosatom Sergey Kiriyenko and the governor of Leningrad region Valery Serdukov officially launched the LNPP-2 project.

On Sept 12 Rostekhnadzor granted licenses for deployment of the 1st and 2nd units of Leningrad NPP-2.

In 2008 the Government is planning to allocate 6bln RUR for the project. The total cost of the project is almost 70bln RUR.

The project was approved by the public and is presently being considered by the Chief State Inspection.

The project is analogous to the units built by Russian specialists at Tianwan NPP in China – WWER-1000.

The 1st unit is to be launched in 2013.