Russia: Nuclear Power Developments

3/22/2004: NUCLEAR ENERGY NOT TO BE PRIVATIZED
A 22 March 2004 Interfax report cited Minister of Atomic Energy Aleksandr Rumyantsev as saying that Rosenergoatom will not be privatized in 2004. Similarly, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko had stated a year previously that nuclear power should not be privatized. However, in the past Rumyantsev has stated that privatization of the nuclear industry would be a step forward, due to the need for additional investment in the sector. He has said that Rosenergoatom privatization is inevitable. According to Rumyantsev, 20-24% of Rosenergoatom could be sold to a private investor for $10 billion. He argues that 100% of the joint-stock company belong to the state at the first privatization stage. As of April 2004, Rosenergoatom was taking on 11 billion rubles (about $381 million as of 22 April 2004) in loans annually. As of November 2003, there were two joint stock companies in Russia in the nuclear field: TVEL and Tekhsnabeksport; 100% of the shares in these companies belong to the Russian government. Rumyantsev has noted that Russian legislation to date prohibits privatization of nuclear and radioactive facilities. Nonetheless, some heads of Minatom departments have spoken of the possible partial privatization of NPPs.[1,2,3,4,5]
Sources:
[1] "Kontsern Rosenergoatom v 2004 godu aktsionirovatsya ne budet," Interfax, 22 March 2004.
[2] "Khristenko says, nuclear power is not for privatization," Nuclear.ru, 6 October 2003.
[3] "Glava Minatoma RF schitayet neizbezhnym aktsionirovaniye 'Rosenergoatoma'," Interfax, 21 November 2003.
[4] "Aktsionirovaniye v atomnoy otrasli bylo by shagom vpered, schitayet glava Minatoma RF," Interfax, 7 February 2003.
[5] "Glava Federalnogo agentstva po atomnoy energiyi dopuskayet vozmozhnost prodazhi aktsiyi 'Rosenergoatoma' chastnomu investoru," Interfax, 22 April 2004. {Entered 5/7/2004 AV}

3/19/2004:  BILIBINO NPP TO RECEIVE 15 YEAR LIFETIME EXTENSION
The service lifetime of Bilibino NPP was recently extended for 15 additional years.  Reportedly, this is the final extension, after which the plant should be taken out of operation.  Rosenergoatom will reportedly cover the plant's operational expenses, including $20 million for plant safety as well as equipment replacement.  Rosenergoatom will also receive assistance in the sum of $700,000 from the Russian federal program "Nuclear and radiation safety of Russia."
["Lifetime of Bilibino NPP extended for 15 years more," Bellona Web Site, http://www.bellona.no,19 March 2003.] {Updated 4/4/2004 WDP}

2/2/2004: 27 NPP SAFETY PROJECTS TO BE IMPLEMENTED BY ROSENERGOATOM AND FRAMATOM IN 2004
On 2 February 2004, Interfax reported that Rosenergoatom and France's Framatom plan to implement 27 projects in 2004, at a cost of several million Euro, to increase NPP safety.[1] In 2003, Rosenergoatom implemented $17 million in international projects.[2] Another measure to increase NPP safety involves a December 2004 agreement between the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Defense aimed at creating a special task force to protect NPPs.[3] Despite these measures, according to Gosatomnadzor the level of physical protection of NPPs is unsatisfactory. In 2003, the 299 inspections at NPPs revealed 175 violations. In 2002, 324 violations were discovered during 256 inspections.[4]
Sources:
[1] Rosenergoatom i Framatom v 2004 godu realizuyut 27 proyektov po povysheniyu bezopasnosti rossiyskikh AES," Interfax, 2 February 2004.
[2] "Rosenergoatom v 2003 godu realizoval 25 mezhdunarodnykh proyektov po yadernoy bezopasnosti na $17 mln." Interfax, 13 February 2004.
[3] Sergey Ovsiyenko, "V dekabre etogo goda budet sozdano spetspodrazdeleniye po okhrane rossiyskikh AES," ITAR-TASS, 28 November 2003; in Yadernyy Kontrol, No. 44, 26 November - 3 December, 2003.
[4] "Gosatomnadzor priznayet neudovletvoritelnoy fizicheskuyu zashchitu yadernykh obektov v Rossii," Interfax, 27 February 2004. {Entered 4/29/2004 AV}

1/19/2004: NEW VK-300 REACTOR TO BE BUILT FOR ARKHANGELSK NPP
According to a 19 January 2004 Interfax report, Rosenergoatom will send a request to Gosatomnadzor in 2004 to obtain a license to build a new VK-300 reactor in Arkhangelsk oblast. The agreement to build the new Arkhangelsk NPP was signed in late November 2001. According to Rosenergoatom, the 20 billion rubles (about $695 million as of 19 January 2004) NPP construction project will begin in 2-3 years, and the NPP will be put into operation after 2010. In 2004, the decision will be made on a final NPP construction site. The new Arkhangelsk NPP will operate on four reactors with the total power of 1,200 MW and provide three major cities in the region (Arkhangelsk, Severodvinsk, and Novodvinsk) with power. For earlier information on the Arkhangelsk NPP see the 5/8/2002 entry, below.
["Rosenergoatom napravit v Gosatomnadzor zayavku na provedeniye proyektnykh rabot po novomu reaktoru dlya Arkhangelskoy ATETs," Interfax, 19 January 2004.] {Entered 04/16/2004 AV}

1/16/2004: GOSATOMNADZOR EXTENDS NPP SERVICE LIVES
On 16 January 2004, Interfax reported that Rosenergoatom had received a license from Gosatomnadzor to extend the service life of Bilibino NPP Unit 1 for a year. In 2001-2002, licenses were issued to extend the service lives of Novovoronezh NPP Units 3 and 4, and in 2003 a similar license was issued to Unit 1 at Kola NPP. As of January 2004, work was under way to upgrade the equipment at Leningrad NPP Unit 1 and Kola NPP Unit 2. Requests to extend the service lives of both units will be submitted to Gosatomnadzor in 2004.
["Gosatomnadzor prodlil ekspluatatsiyu 1-go bloka Bilibinskoy AES na god," Interfax, 16 January 2004.] {Entered 03/25/2004 AV}

10/22-29/2003: FRAMATOM TO BUILD LIQUID RADWASTE STORAGE FACILITY AT KURSK NPP
On 27 October 2003, ITAR-TASS reported that France's Framatom would participate in building a liquid radioactive waste storage facility at Kursk NPP. Plans call for construction to be completed by 2005. The project must first be assessed by oversight agencies and obtain a license from Gosatomnadzor.
[German Solomatin, "Franko-germanskaya firma primet uchastiye v stroitelstve kompleksa khraneniya zhidkikh radioaktivnykh otkhodov na Kurskoy AES," ITAR-TASS, 27 October 2003; in Yadernyy Kontrol, No. 40, 22-29 October 2003.] {Entered 03/25/2004 AV}

12/8/2003: LARGE-SCALE CONSTRUCTION OF FAST NEUTRON REACTORS TO BEGIN AFTER 2030
In a 1 December 2003 interview with Interfax, Minatom Intergovernmental Cooperation and Information Policy Directorate Head Nikolay Shingarev stated that large-scale construction of fast neutron reactors would begin after 2030. Minatom First Deputy Minister Mikhail Solonin, however, said that the decision would depend on the financial resources of the electricity industry and the cost of uranium. In 2002, the cost of construction and technical maintenance for the BN-800 reactor was 400 million rubles (about $13.5 million as of 8 December 2003), while in 2003 the cost reached 900 million rubles (about $30.4 million). Plans call for allocating over 1 billion rubles (about $33.8 million) for BN-800 in 2004; the reactor is supposed to be completed by 2010. As of January 2003, Beloyarsk NPP has one operating fast neutron reactor, the BN-600. Neither the BN-600 nor the BN-800 reactors are serial reactors. Shingarev also mentioned other fast neutron reactor projects, the Brest-300 and Brest-1200, thyat Russia has already developed.[1,2]
Sources:
[1] "Masshtabnoye stroitelstvo reaktorov na bystrykh neytronakh nachnetsya posle 2030 goda - Minatom RF," Interfax, 1 December 2003.
[2] "Minatom RF nameren postroit seriynyy reaktor na bystrykh neytronakh," Interfax, 8 December 2003. {Entered 12/12/2003 AV}

11/4/2003: ROSENERGOATOM TO EQUIP RUSSIAN NPPs WITH RADWASTE PROCESSING UNITS BY 2007
On 4 November 2003, Interfax reported that Rosenergoatom plans to build radioactive waste processing units at all Russian NPPs by 2007. One unit has already been built at Balakovo NPP. Most are supposed to be built by 2004-2005, with the final one to be constructed at Beloyarsk NPP in 2007. Each NPP will have 5-7 such units to process different kinds of radioactive waste (liquid, solid, intermediate-level, high-level, etc.). The project is being implemented under a Rosenergoatom program aimed at enhancing the safety of nuclear fuel and radioactive waste treatment. About 8 billion rubles (nearly $267 million as of 4 November 2003) are planned for this project in 2003 alone.
["Rosenergoatom planiruyet k 2007 godu zavershit stroitelstvo na AES ustanovok po pererabotke radioaktivnykh otkhodov," Interfax, 4 November 2003.] {Entered 11/13/2003 AV}

10/3/2003: ROSENERGOATOM TO ALLOCATE ABOUT $197 MILLION IN 2004 FOR KURSK NPP UNIT 5 CONSTRUCTION
On 3 October 2003, Interfax reported that Rosenergoatom plans to allocate 6 billion rubles (about $197 million as of 3 October 2003) in 2004 to complete Unit 5 at Kursk NPP. Earlier, Minatom Deputy Minister Andrey Malyshev stated that only 1.5 billion rubles (about $49.3 million), instead of the planned 5 billion rubles (about $164.2 million) had been spent in 2003 on Unit 5. Malyshev also added that $13 billion rubles (about $426.9 million) would have to be invested in 2004 for Unit 5 to begin operating in 2006. For more information on Unit 5 see the 7/17/2003 entry, below.
["Rosenergoatom v 2004 godu nameren vydelit na dostroyku 5-go energobloka Kurskoy AES 6 mlrd. rubley," Interfax, 3 October 2003.] {Entered 11/6/2003 AV}

9/29/2003: ROSENERGOATOM TO PROVIDE MORE THAN $131.1 MILLION BY 2005 FOR NPP SAFETY
According to a 29 September 2003 Interfax report, Rosenergoatom will allot more than 4 billion rubles (over $131 million as of 29 September 2003) by 2005 to improve safety at Russian NPPs. This money will fund the upgrading of existing systems as well as the introduction of new technologies. In 2002, Rosenergoatom spent 2 billion rubles (about $65.6 million) on its safety program.
["Rosenergoatom do 2005 goda napravit boleye 4 mlrd rubley na sovershenstvovaniye sistem bezopasnosti AES," Interfax, 29 September 2003.] {Entered 11/14/2003 AV}

8/4/2003: ROSENERGOATOM TO INVEST $509.9 MILLION TO FINISH KALININ NPP UNIT 3
According to a 4 August 2003 Interfax report, Rosenergoatom plans call for investing 15.5 billion rubles (nearly $510 million as of 4 August 2003) in 2002-2003 to complete the construction of the VVER-1,000 reactor at Kalinin NPP Unit 3. In 2002, 4.5 billion rubles were spent, while in 2003 more than 11 billion rubles are to be expended. Ten percent of the total investment will be on social services in the region, according to an agreement reached between Rosenergoatom, Minatom and the Tverskaya Oblast administration. Commencement of Unit 3 operation is planned for 6 December 2003, and connection to the regional energy system is planned for 2004.[1,2,3] Earlier, the NPP operation date was set for March 2003.[4] Unit 3 will operate on a new TBCA fuel, which will be loaded into the reactor at the end of 2003. Unlike other fuel assemblies, with service lives of 3-4 years, the new fuel will enable the unit to operate 4-5 years.[5,6] Unit 3, which is 90% complete, needs just over 100 million rubles (about $3.2 million as of 26 March 2003) more to begin operations.[1,6]
Sources:
[1] "Rosenergoatom investiruyet v dostroyku 3-go energobloka Kalininskoy AES 15.5 mlrd. rubley," Interfax, 4 August 2003.
[2] "Ekologi dali polozhitelnoye zaklyucheniye na proyekt stroitelstva novogo bloka Kalininskoy AES," Interfax, 13 July 2003.
[3] "Energoblok No. 3 Kalininskoy AES budet pushchen v dekabre 2003 goda," Atom Pressa, No. 1-2 (528-529), January 2003.
[4] "New unit for Kalinin," Nuclear Engineering International, No. 576, Vol. 47, July 2002.
[5] "Minatom i administratsiya Tverskoy oblasti zaklyuchili soglasheniye o sotrudnichestve," Interfax, 16 July 2003.
[6] "Zagruzka topliva v novyy blok Kalininskoy AES mozhet proizoyti v kontse 2003 goda - Minatom," Interfax, 26 March 2003. {Entered 10/3/2003 AV}

7/22/2003: ROSENERGOATOM TO INVEST NEARLY $2 BILLION IN CONSTRUCTION OF BALAKOVO NPP UNITS 5 AND 6
On 22 July 2003, Interfax reported that Rosenergoatom will invest nearly $2 billion in the construction of VVER-1,000 reactors at Balakovo NPP Units 5 and 6. Up to 10% of the promised funds will be spent on developing infrastructure and social services for the nearby residential area. The beginning of Unit 5 construction is planned for 2004. It is scheduled to begin operations in 2008. Unit 6 is scheduled to be put into operation in 2010.
["'Rosenergoatom' vlozhit v sooruzheniye vtoroy ocheredi Balakovskoy AES 58 mlrd. rubley," Interfax, 22 July 2003.] {Entered 9/30/2003 AV}

6/26/2003: NPP CONSTRUCTION AT ENERGY COMPANY EXPENSE UNLIKELY
According to a 26 June 2003 Interfax report, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Trade has deemed Minatom's proposal to withhold payment of dividends to the Unified Energy System (RAO YeES Rossii), and use the released funds to pay for NPP and other state construction projects, imprudent. First Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade Andrey Sharonov said that he believes that any joint stock company that does not pay dividends will cause its decapitalization, making it unattractive to shareholders and potential investors.
["Minekonomrazvitiya schitayet netselesoobraznym dostraivat AES za schet sredstv RAO YeES," Interfax, 26 June 2003.] {Entered 11/26/2003 AV}

6/17/2003: ROSENERGOATOM BUILDS SATELLITE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM TO INCREASE NPP SAFETY
On 17 June 2003, Interfax reported that Rosenergoatom is building its own satellite communication system to increase the safety of Russian NPPs. The system will allow the constant monitoring of NPPs. The Central Satellite Communication Station is located at the Rosenergoatom Crisis Center, while satellite communication stations have been buiklt at nine of ten existing NPPs (Novovoronezh, Balakovo, Kalinin, Smolensk, Kursk, Beloyarsk, Kola, Volgodonsk, and Leningrad). These stations still have to receive operating licenses, a procedure that was underway as of June 2003. Plans call for construction of a similar station at Bilibino NPP by 2004 and the upgrading of NPP telephone data terminal equipment. At present, Bilibino NPP is connected through several types of communication equipment: tropospheric, satellite (with the use of low-altitude satellites), and wire, which cannot be used for data transmission or holding video conferences.
["Rosenergoatom razvivayet sistemu sputnikovoy svyazi dlya povysheniya urovnya bezopasnosti AES," Interfax, 17 June 2003.] {Entered 12/1/2003 AV}

6/11/2003: VORONEZHSKAYA NPP NOT TO BE COMPLETED
According to Russian Minister of Atomic Energy Alexander Rumyantsev in a 11 July 2003 Interfax report, Voronezheskaya NPP will not be completed because it is cheaper to build a new NPP at a new site. Construction of Voronezhskaya NPP began in the late 1980s. A 1990 referendum resulted in the mothballing of the NPP.
["Minatom rasschityvayet postroit shestoy energoblok Novovoronezhskoy AES," Interfax, 11 July 2003.] {Entered 11/4/2003 AV}

6/11/2003: MINATOM TO BUILD NOVOVORONEZH NPP UNIT 6
According to Russian Minister of Atomic Energy Alexander Rumyantsev, Novovoronezh NPP Unit 6 will be built, reported Interfax on 11 July 2003. Rumyantsev added that the reactor project had been prepared, the license for reactor construction had been issued, and the only remaining hurdly was obtaining the necessary funding. As of July 2003, the cost of Unit 6 construction was estimated at $1-1.2 billion. According to Rumyantsev, Rosenergoatom and the Voronezhskaya Oblast administration plan to request that the Russian government assist in financing construction of the reactor.
["Minatom rasschityvayet postroit shestoy energoblok Novovoronezhskoy AES," Interfax, 11 July 2003.] {Entered 11/3/2003 AV}

6/2003: RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT RESOLUTION TO BUILD MORE POWER REACTORS DEEMED LEGAL
On 3 April 2003, the Byuro Pravovoy Informatsii information agency reported that the Russian Supreme Court's board of cassation had upheld a court decision dismissing a case brought by Greenpeace against the 29 December 2001 decision of the Russian government to increase the number of nuclear power reactors from 16 to 50 under the federally targeted program "Energy Efficient Economy." Greenpeace had argued that the increase in the number of power reactors could damage Russian national security. Greenpeace also stated that according to Article No. 8 of the law On the Use of Energy, the development of targeted programs for energy is within the competence of the Federal Assembly and not the Russian government. Furthermore, such legal acts should undergo an environmental assessment according to Article No. 11 of the law On Environmental Assessment. Representatives from Minatom, the Ministry of Nature and the Ministry of Economic Development argued that the resolution had been adopted according to the 1998 federally targeted program, which had received a positive assessment from environmental specialists and permits the construction of new power facilities.
["Rossiya. Postanovleniye pravitelstva ob uvelichenii kolichestva yadernykh reaktorov zakonno," IA Byuro pravovoy informatsii, 3 April 2003; in Byulleten po atomnoy energii, June 2003.] {Entered 12/17/2003 ne 2003 issue of Byulleten po atomnoy energii reported that physicists from Rostov State University had joined a research group at Volgodonsk NPP. At the result of the joint work, a portable diagnostic vibration-measuring unit was developed and employed at the NPP. This is the first time that the NPP's thermal circuits, which ensure the reactor's stability and safety, have been thoroughly tested. The new tool will allow NPP personnel to analyze corrosion and detect flaws before it is too late to repair them without shutting down the NPP.
[G. Belotserkovskiy, "Rossiya. Teper AES rzha ne sest," Parlamentskaya gazeta, 2 April 2003; in Byulleten po atomnoy energii, June 2003.] {Entered 12/17/2003 AV}

3/17/2003: $8 MILLION INVESTED BY NORWAY IN KOLA NPP SAFETY
On 17 March 2003, Interfax reported that according to Rosenergoatom, Russia and Norway had implemented 29 projects worth a total of $8 million during 1989-2002 at the Kola NPP. The projects were aimed at enhancing facility safety. Another ten projects are currently under way. On 13 March 2003, the Kola NPP was visited by a delegation from the Norwegian Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy and the Environment, which provided NPP staff with free technical assistance to enhance safety and protect the Barents Sea from pollution.
["Russia, Norway invested over $8 mln in safety enhancement at nuclear plant," Interfax, 17 March 2003.] {Entered 8/20/2003 AV}

3/14/2003: KOLA NPP SAFETY UPDATE
According to the Kola NPP press service, 160 projects to increase the safety of the NPP were implemented in 1989-2002, at a cost of roughly $195 million. Nearly $34 million was provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), TACIS, the United States, Finland, and Sweden. Norway contributed over $8 million.
Earlier, in November 2002, Murmansk Oblast and the Norwegian province of Finnmark signed an agreement on reconstructing the Radon radioactive waste storage facility. The project will cost NKr 8 million (about $1.1 million as of 14 March 2003).[1,2]
Sources:
[1] "Norvezhskiye deputaty otsenivali uroven bezopasnosti Kolskoy AES," Interfax, 14 March 2003.
[2] "A zori i pravda zdes tikhiye," Rossiyskaya Federatsiya Segodnya, 12 May 2003; in Integrum Techno, http://integrum.ru. {Entered 10/16/2003 AV}

2/20/2003: RUSSIAN NPP SAFETY IMPROVED IN 2002
According to Gosatomnadzor Director Yuriy Vishnevsky in a 20 February 2003 Interfax report, radiation safety in Russia in 2002 showed improvement over 2001. In 2002, Gosatomnadzor conducted 11,449 on-site inspections, resulting in 12,294 citations; 157 violations were not eliminated by set deadlines. In 2002, Gosatomnadzor withdrew two licenses (as compared to nine in 2001), suspended 47 licenses (29 in 2001), issued 53 warnings to officials (137 in 2001), fined 44 officials in the amount of 57,960 rubles (about $1,800 as of 20 February 2003) and 13 organizations in the amount of 420,000 rubles (over $13,300), and submitted seven documents to investigative agencies, two of which are currently under consideration. According to a 2002 Gosatomnadzor report, 2,647 inspections were carried out at Russian NPPs. There were 41 accidents registered at NPPs in 2002, which is 18 accidents less than in 2001.

According to Nikolay Sorokin, Rosenergoatom technical director, one third of the NPP accidents were the fault of NPP personnel. In 2001, Russia was third after Japan and Germany in the number of emergency shutdowns per reactor. In 2002, the number of shutdowns decreased by almost five times and accounted for 0.4 shutdowns per reactor. Furthermore, the number of accidents not related to safety went down from 67 in 2001 to 38 in 2002. The number of accidents at research reactors in 2002 totaled 41. According to Gosatomnadzor, automatic protection systems went off 12 times in 2002. All accidents were of a zero level on the INES scale. An accident at Bilibino NPP in August 2002, when the Unit 2 reactor was stopped when a fuel element lost its air-tightness, was rated INES 1. Most of the accidents were registered at Leningrad (8) and Kursk (7) NPPs. The radiation exposure of NPP personnel also decreased. There were no cases of high radiation exposures registered among NPP personnel in 2002. Minatom Security and Emergency Situations Department Head Aleksandr Agapov also mentioned a dramatic decrease in the pollution level at sites near nuclear plants. The amount of the discharged contaminated wastewater in 2002 was only 3.1% of the amount registered in 2001.[1,2,3,4]
Sources:
[1] "Gosatomnadzor zayavlyayet ob uluchshenii sostoyaniya radiatsionnoy bezopasnosti v RF," Interfax, 20 February 2003.
[2] "Oshibki personala sostavlyayut okolo treti narusheniy na AES, sooruzhenykh po sovetskim proyektam," Interfax, 19 February 2003.
[3] "V 2002 godu na rossiyskikh AES bylo zafiksirovano 38 narusheniy - Minatom," Interfax, 27 November 2003.
[4] R. Serebrennikov, ITAR-TASS, 5 March 2003; in "Rossiya. Opasnosti povtoreniya chernobylskoy katastrophy na AES Rossii net," Bulleten po atomnoy energii, May 2003. {Entered 12/1/2003 AV}

2/5/2003: ROSENERGOATOM LIKELY TO DECLINE EUROPEAN COMMISSION LOAN TO COMPLETE KURSK NPP UNIT 5
According to a 5 February 2003 Interfax report, Rosenergoatom most likely will decline the offer of a European Commission loan to finish the construction of Kursk NPP Unit 5. NPP experts estimate roughly $200 million is needed to complete Unit 5, which is 85% complete. According to Interfax, construction of this type of reactor usually costs about $1 billion. The reason Russia's nuclear company intends to decline to accept the loan is the European Commission's condition that old Russian RBMK-type power reactors be shut down in return for the loan. According to Rosenergoatom, all operating RBMK reactors have Gosatomnadzor licenses, and do not need to be closed. As of February 2003, 11 of Russia's 30 operating power reactors were RBMK reactors.
["'Rosenergoatom' ne ustraivayut usloviya kredita Evrokomissii na dostroyku bloka Kurskoy AES," Interfax, 5 February 2003.] {Entered 10/17/2003 AV}

2/2003: NPP CONSTRUCTION IN TATARSTAN DISCUSSED
According to the February 2003 issue of Atompressa, the Tatarstan government is considering the resumption of NPP construction in the village of Kamskiye Polyany. A decision will be made after the conclusion of a geological assessment, which must show that there are no tectonic fractures under the construction site if the project is to move forward. This assessment can be conducted only with the permission of Tatarstan's parliament. Tatarstan Prime Minister Rustam Minnikhanov believes that an NPP would allow the republic to eliminate its power deficit and solve social problems. Kamskiye Polyany was specifically built for the future NPP. As of December 2002 , its population is 16,000 people, and unemployment rate is 6.7%.

NPP construction originally began in 1985. It was halted in 1989 due to pressure from the public and the scientific community, who opposed building the NPP in the area after prospecting revealed limestone cavern breaks under the site. NPP facilities were therefore mothballed. Unit 1 was 70% complete at the time.
Sources:
[1] "Budet li AES v Tatarstane," Atompressa, No. 7 (534), February 2003.
[2] "Vlasti Tatarstana izuchayut vozmozhnost dostroyki AES v poselke Kamskiye Polyany," Interfax, 9 December 2002.
[3] "Tatarstan Media Highlights 1-4 Dec." in FBIS Document CEP20021208000035, 4 December 2002.{Entered 11/14/2003 AV}

1/28/2003: ROSENERGOATOM INVESTMENTS TO TOTAL ABOUT $692 MILLION IN 2003
On 28 January 2003, Interfax reported that Rosenergoatom's total investment in 2003 will total 22.2 billion rubles (about $692 million as of 28 January 2003). According to Rosenergoatom Director General Oleg Sarayev, initial plans called for an investment of 30.7 billion rubles (nearly $966 million). However, this amount was but by the Federal Energy Commission. Rosenergoatom plans to complete the construction of Kalinin NPP Unit 3 in 2003. According to Mikhail Rogov, assistant to the Rosenergoatom director general, 11 billion rubles (about $346 million) of the total investment have been already reserved for this project. In addition, plans call for upgrading Unit 1 at Leningrad NPP, which has an uranium-graphite reactor, as well as two reactors at Kola NPP. Rosenergoatom also plans to put new generating facilities into operation.
["Investitsiyi Rosenergoatoma v 2003 godu sostavit 22,2 mlrd rubley," Interfax, 28 January 2003.] {Entered 10/24/2003 AV}

12/27/2002: ROSENERGOATOM COMPLETING KURSK UNIT 1 MODERNIZATION
On 27 December 2002 Interfax reported that Rosenergoatom is completing modernization of Kursk NPP Unit 1. As of December 2002, tests of the RBMK-1000 reactor at the nominal power level of 1,000MW, which began on 4 August 2002, were nearing completion. A Rosenergoatom press release stated that electricity generated by the refurbished reactor will cost $200/KW. In contrast, construction of a new reactor would cost more than $1 billion. As of 27 December 2002, Kursk NPP had four functioning power units with a total load of 3,770MW. Rosenergoatom planned to modernize the remaining three units by 2010.
["Rosenergoatom zavershayet modernizatsiyu pervogo energobloka Kurskoy AES," Interfax, 27 December 2002.] {Entered 1/3/2003 AV}

12/26/2002: FUTURE PRIMORSKAYA AND DALNEVOSTOCHNAYA NPP OFFICES CLOSED
On 26 December 2002, Vladivostok News reported the Minatom decision to close two offices for future NPPs in the Russian Far East: Primorskaya and Dalnevostochnaya. The decision to disband the Dalnevostochnaya NPP office was made by a Minatom representative, whereas the Primorskaya NPP office was closed by the decision of its director, Gennadiy Lipatnikov. The main reason to postpone the construction of the NPPs is the lack of funding. Environmental specialists also doubt that foreign investment can be attracted for construction of Primorskaya NPP. For earlier information on the Primorskaya NPP see the 2/2001 entry, below.
["Atomy -  net... deneg," Vladivostok, No. 1287, 26 December 2002; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.ru.] {Entered 12/18/2003 AV}

12/9/2002: PARTIAL PRIVATIZATION OF NPPs MOOTED
In an interview on 9 December 2002, Rosenergoatom Director Oleg Sarayev said that the partial privatization of NPP equipment would increase efficiency due to the profit motive. According to him, the 50-55% of NPP equipment that is related to safety will remain state-owned. The rest could be privatized. The earnings from privatization would be used to build new NPPs or finish NPPs under construction, which are 65-75% complete.[1,2]
Sources:
[1] Interview with Rosenergoatom Director Oleg Sarayev, Radio Station Ekho Moskvy, http://www.echo.msk.ru/interview/interview/10567.html, 9 December 2002.
[2] Informatsionnoye Agenstvo Ekho Moskvy, 9 December 2002; in "Russia: Nuclear boss says partial privatization would raise efficiency of plants," in FBIS Document CEP20021212000041.{Entered 12/31/2002 AV}

11/26-12/2/2002: MORE THAN $33 TRILLION TO BE INVESTED IN RUSSIA'S NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY THROUGH 2020
According to Minatom Head Alexander Rumyantsev, more than 1 trillion rubles (about $33 trillion as of 2 December 2002) of investment will be needed in addition to budget funds to develop Russia's nuclear power industry through 2020. Rumyantsev stated that 162 billion rubles (about $5 billion) are needed to upgrade equipment at existing NPPs, while 152 billion rubles (about $4.8 billion) are needed for infrastructure construction and up to 750-760 billion rubles (about $23.5-23.9 billion) to develop the nuclear power industry. According to Rumyantsev, the key tasks of the nuclear power industry include increasing NPP safety, extending the service lives of existing power units through upgrades, and exploring new technologies in power production by developing new thermonuclear reactors, which he said were environmentally safe.
["Glava Minatoma schitayet, chto dlya razvitiya atomnoy energetiki do 2020 goda krome byudzhetnykh sredstv ponadobitsya boleye 1 trln rubley investitsiyi," Unian, No. 047 (239), 26 November-2 December 2002.] {Entered 10/24/2003 AV}

11/24/2002: NIZHEGORODSKAYA NPP WILL NOT BE COMPLETED
According to Minatom Head Alexander Rumyantsev in a 24 November 2002 Regions.Ru report, the construction of Nizhegorodskaya NPP will not be completed. Its construction was halted more than a decade ago. The sale of the mothballed NPP equipment is being considered. Seversk (Tomsk-7) and Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk Oblast) have been mentioned as possible purchasers. The decision will depend on if a new NPP will be built in these locations. Rumyantsev stated that the plan to build an NPP in Tomsk-7 is likely to be halted. Priority will instead be given to reconstruction of a coal-fired heating plant. In Severodvinsk, the primary plan is to build a floating NPP.
["Nizhegorodskaya oblast. Oborudovaniye nedostroyennoy AES budet prodano," Regions.Ru, 24 November 2002.] {Entered 11/4/2003 AV}

11/22/2002: ROSENERGOATOM RECEIVES LICENSE FOR VOLGODONSKAYA UNIT 2
On 22 November 2002 Rosenergoatom received a license from Gosatomnadzor to build a second reactor at Volgodonskaya NPP. The license will expire on 1 December 2007. According to Gosatomnadzor experts, the new VVER-1,000 reactor meets the requirements of all current regulatory documents. The conclusions of 67 experts were solicited to determine the safety of the second reactor, which is 45% complete and is scheduled to become operational in November 2005. The cost of the second reactor is about 25% less than the first one because the NPP will share many facilities with the other reactor. Moreover, the upper reactor block, steam generators, turbine, generator and accumulator to cool down the reactor core in case of emergency are ready and in storage at the manufacturing plants. Some of the equipment will need parts and reconstruction. A container for the emergency supply of boric acid was assembled and installed in the second reactor compartment in October 2002. Unit 1 became operational at the end of 2001 and has produced 6,773 billion MW since the beginning of 2002.[1,2]
Sources:
[1] "Rosenergoatom poluchil litsenziyu na sooruzheniye 2-go energobloka Volgodonskoy AES," Interfax, 2 December 2002.
[2] "Poluchena litsenziya Gosatomnadzora Rossii na sooruzheniye energobloka No. 2 na Volgodonskoy AES," Nuclear.ru. 28 November 2002 {Entered 12/12/2002 AV; updated 10/3/2003 AV}

11/4/2002: NUCLEAR FACILITY SECURITY QUESTIONED
According to Sverdlovsk Oblast governor Eduard Rossel, nuclear facilities in the Urals lack proper security. If they were to be seized by terrorists, there would be millions of hostages, he points out. He has instructed several analysts to prepare a report on the level of security at sensitive facilities in the Oblast. Vladimir Slivyak, co-chairman of the environmental group "Ekozashchita"  (Ecodefense) has also stated that Minatom nuclear facility security is not effective. This contradicts Minatom's assertion that the security level is high enough. However, Novaya gazeta recently received a letter from Igor Karpov, chief engineer of one of Kursk NPP's reactors, in which he stated that it would be no surprise to find Kursk NPP employees with faked diplomas. In order to get a job at the NPP, one just needs to pay about $2,000, he added.
[Yekaterina Ignatova, "Okhrana yadernykh obyektov nenadezhna," 4 November 2002; in Novaya gazeta online edition.] {Entered 12/3/2003 AV}

11/1/2002: BILIBINO NPP SERVICE LIFE TO BE EXTENDED
A meeting on extending the service life of Bilibino's reactors was held on 1 November 2002 at the NPP under the leadership of Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Andrey Malyshev. An autonomous diesel power plant is to be built to provide the industrial site with power during the eventual decommissioning of Bilibino. In addition, a program of social and economic assistance for NPP personnel is foreseen. As of November 2002, Units 1 and 4 are operating with a total load of 19MW. Units 2 and 3 are being repaired.
["Bilibinskaya AES gotovitsya k prodleniyu sroka ekspluatatsii," Vostok-Media, 1 November 2002.] {Entered 12/19/2002 AV}

10/25/2002: MINATOM STRENGTHENS NPP PROTECTION
Minatom has decided to implement new measures aimed at strengthening the security of facilities that handle nuclear, chemical and radioactive materials, Interfax reported on 25 October 2002. Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Anatoliy Kotelnikov will head a new staff charged with the prompt implementation of these measures.[1]

Earlier measures include the federal target program "Remediation of the Consequences of Radiation Accidents Until 2010," decreed by the Russian government in September 2001.[2] The same month, a training exercise was held at Volgodonskaya (Rostovskaya) NPP. The purpose of the training was to improve emergency response of special services together with police, Ministry of Internal Affairs troops and Russian Emergency Ministry subdivisions to terrorist acts at NPPs. As a result of the training, specific measures to improve anti-terrorist activity were developed.[4,5]

Interfax also reported that Russia participated in an international training exercise on reacting to nuclear accidents, called JINEX 1, in May 2001. The purpose of the training was to test new ways of  reporting emergency situations, emergency measures and the ability of international and national organizations to promptly provide mass media with information. The Minatom Situational and Crisis Center took part in the training, which was led by the IAEA.[5]
Sources:
[1] "Minatom usilivayet mery zashchity yadernykh obyektov," Interfax, 25 October 2002.
[2] "Pravitelstvo Rossii postanovilo utverdit federalnuyu programmu po preodoleniyu radiatsionnykh avariy," Interfax, 13 September 2001.
[3] "Na yuge Rossii prokhodyat ucheniya FSB po preduprezhdeniyu teraktov na atomnykh obyektakh," Interfax, 12 September 2001.
[4] "Na Volgodonskoy AES proshli ucheniya 'Atom-2001'," Interfax, 14 September 2001.
[5] "Minatom RF izveshchayet ob okonchanii mezhdunarodnykh ucheniy po reagirovaniyu na yadernyye avarii," Interfax, 23 May 2001.{Entered 1/3/2003 AV}

10/22/2002: KALININSKAYA UNIT 4 MEMORANDUM OF INTENT SIGNED
On 22 October 2002 Russian Minister of Atomic Energy Aleksandr Rumyantsev and Tver oblast governor Vladimir Platov signed a Memorandum of Intent to Build a Fourth Reactor at Kalininskaya NPP.[1,2] The construction of the 1,000MW reactor is part of Russia's Strategy for Nuclear Power Development in the first half of the 21st century. According to RIA Novosti, it should be completed by 2009.[2] According to Nuclear.ru, it will be completed by 2008.[1]

As of October 2001, Kalininskaya Unit 3 was under construction and will be commissioned in 2003.[2,3] According to Rumyantsev, power generation at Kalininskaya NPP will double after the commissioning of the two reactors, with a total capacity of 2,070MW.[2] As of October 2001, 1 billion rubles (nearly $34 million as of 1 October 2001) had already been allotted and another 3.1 billion rubles (about $105 million as of 1 October 2001) are to be provided by the end of 2001 to complete the construction of the third reactor.[3]

As of October 2001, Kalininskaya Unit 2 was in operation; it has a capacity of 1,025MW. Unit 1 was undergoing scheduled repairs, which were to be completed by the end of August 2001. As of August 2001, the irradiated nuclear fuel had been unloaded and the reactor was prepared for assembly.[4]
Sources:[1] "Ministr RF po atomnoy energii A. Rumyantsev i gubernator Tverskoy oblasti V. Platov podpisali 'Deklaratsiyu o namereniyakh po sooruzheniyu energobloka No. 4 na Kalininskoy AES', Nuclear.ru, http://www.nuclear.ru, 22 October 2002.
[2] RIA-Novosti, 22 October 2002; in "Another power unit to be built at Russian nuclear plant," FBIS Document CEP20021022000053.
[3] "Na tretyem energobloke Kalininskoy AES uvelichilis tempy finansirovaniya stroitelnykh rabot," Atompressa, No. 38 (465), October 2001, p. 3.
[4] "Vvod v promyshlennuyu ekspluatatsiyu energobloka No. 3 Kalininskoy AES namechen na 2003 god," Atompressa, No. 33 (460), August 2001. {Entered 12/13/2002 AV}

10/17/2002: NUCLEAR ENERGY WORKERS JOIN FEDERATION OF INDEPENDENT TRADE UNION STRIKE
According to Atompressa, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions together with craft unions organized a protest action on 17 October 2002. The protest decision was supported by the Russian Trade Union of Workers of Nuclear Energy and Industry who staged a strike in front of the State Duma. They demanded the restoration of the mandatory medical insurance system, abolishment of the uniform tax, support for children's sports programs, and financing of children's recreational programs.
Sources:["Atomshchiki prinyali uchastiye v aktsii FNPR," Atompressa, No. 38 (515), October 2002. {Entered 12/18/2002 AV}

9/19/2002: CONSTRUCTION OF NPPs IN THE FAR EAST UNLIKELY
On 19 September 2002, RIA Novosti reported that construction of NPPs in the Far East is unlikely according to participants of the 16-20 September 2002 conference entitled "Ecological Problems in Nuclear-Powered Submarine Dismantlement and the Development of Nuclear Power in the Region," held in Vladivostok. While Minatom experts argued in favor of an NPP, most conference participants concluded that the southern Far East, Yakutiya and Kolyma will no longer face a power deficit after the completion of the Bureyskaya, Vilyuyskaya and Sredne-Kanskaya hydroelectric plants. In fact, discussions of possible exports of excess power to China, Northern and Southern Korea are already under way.
[Anatoliy Ilyukhov, "Veroyatnost stroitelstva atomnykh elektrostantsiy na rossiyskom Dalnem vostoke slishkom mala, schitayut uchastniki Vladivostokskoy konferentsiyi po atomnoy energetike," RIA Novosti, 19 September 2002; in "Na Dalnem Vostoke ne budut stroit AES," Yadernaya Rossiya Segodnya on-line edition, http://www.pircenter.org/
russian/nrt/article.htm, 20 September 2002.] {Entered 11/25/2002 AV}

9/12/2002: VOLGODONSKAYA NPP EXPECTS LICENSE FOR SECOND REACTOR
Volgodonskaya NPP (Rostovskaya NPP until 4 September 2002) expects to receive a license from Gosatomnadzor in November 2002 to build a second reactor, said Andrey Platonov, NPP chief engineer, during an International Atomic Energy Agency seminar in Volgodonsk on 9-13 September 2002.[1,5] According to Interfax, about $600 million are needed to assemble and modify the second reactor, which is 45% complete.[1] Rosenergoatom estimates the construction of the second reactor will cost 6 billion rubles (about $188 million as of 16 November 2001). Energostroy, the prime contractor, estimates costs at 300 million rubles a month (about $9 million a month) for construction and assembly work in the next year.[2]

Construction of the second reactor, with a capacity of 1,000MW, is to be completed in 2005, said Aleksandr Polushkin, a Rosenergoatom assistant executive director, on 16 November 2001.[1,2,3] Earlier plans called for Unit 2 to be put into trial operation in 2004.[2,4,5] Although the initial plan was to build four reactors, an environmental assessment restricted it to two reactors only.[5] Polushkin also added that "the look of the reactor compartment could be changed" to take advantage of the newest technical designs. A decision to build a cooling tower may be also made. The construction of a cooling tower would increase the cost of the reactor. The estimated capacity of the current water-cooling pond is enough to handle a load of 3,700MW. It can handle four reactors in simultaneous operation if the load of one of the reactors is decreased 30% during the summer heat.[2] According to Polushkin, radionuclide contamination of the area around the NPP during the launch of the reactors may be much higher than experts predict. Nevertheless, the contamination will not extend beyond the 5km zone around the NPP.[4]

Volgodonskaya NPP construction began in October 1979. It was ceased and mothballed on 29 August 1990. In February 2000 a government environmental impact assessment concluded that the NPP project met the requirements of Russia's environmental legislation. In May Gosatomnadzor issued a license to continue the construction of the first VVER-1,000 reactor, which was put into 100% operation at the end of 2001.[1,2,5] Since 6 November 2001, when it was connected to the Unified Energy System, Volgodonskaya NPP produced more than 3.3 billion MW/hr. According to Informcenter Deputy Director Vladimir Khozhakov, the 15 day full-scale testing of the first reactor was successfully completed on 26 November 2001. NPP production should exceed 4 billion MW/hr by the end of 2002.[3] Rosenergoatom plans to build two more reactors if granted a license. If there is no negative impact on the environment during the operation of the first two reactors, Volgodonskaya NPP Assistant Director Gennadiy Salov expects to receive such a license.[5]
Sources:
[1] "Volgodonskaya AES rasschityvayet v noyabre poluchit litsenziyu Gosatomnadzora na stroitelstvo 2-go energobloka," Interfax, 12 September 2002.
[2] "Stroitelstvo vtorogo bloka Volgodonskoy AES planiruyetsya zavershit v 2005 godu," Interfax, 16 November 2002.
[3] "Zaversheny ispytaniya Volgodonskoy AES v rezhime opytno-promyshlennoy ekspluatatsii," Interfax, 26 November 2002.
[4] "Rosenergoatom prinyal resheniye o stroitelstve dvukh energoblokov Volgodonskoy AES," Interfax, 16 November 2002.
[5] "Stroitelstvo dvukh energoblokov Volgodonskoy AES zavisit ot ekologocheskoy ekspertizy," Interfax, 25 September 2002.{Entered 11/14/2002 AV}

9/10/2002: NPP TO BE BUILT IN ULYANOVSKAYA REGION
On 10 September 2002, Ulyanovsk Deputy Governor Evgeniy Nikiforov officially announced that an NPP may be built in Ulyanovskaya oblast. The statement was made at a meeting of the working group, which was preparing a joint declaration with Minatom on construction of the NPP. The regional administration considers the NPP construction a "highly attractive" project. Currently the region has to buy up to 70% of its power at the expensive federal wholesale power market.

Nikolay Shingarev, head of Minatom's Administration and Ministry Protocol Directorate, says that the project is in the discussion stage. Minatom favors the idea of building a new NPP, but all the funds available in the near future have already been allotted to other projects. According to Minatom, the construction of one power reactor costs $800 million on average. An NPP only becomes profitable after two or more power units are operational.
[Shikur Shabayev, "Ulyanovskaya administratsiya vystupayet za stroitelstvo na territorii oblasti AES," ITAR-TASS, 10 September 2002; in "V Ulyanovskoy oblasti budet postroyena AES," Yadernaya Rossiya Segodnya, 10 September 2002.] {Entered 11/20/2002 AV}

9/10/2002: SAFETY AT RUSSIAN NPPs
On 5 September 2002, Rosenergoatom president Oleg Sarayev said that IAEA experts had found Russian nuclear energy to be one of the safest in the world after Japan and Germany.[1] According to Vladimir Vorobyev of the Central Scientific Research Radiotechnical Institute (TsNIRTI), Russia has created a unique alarm system for NPPs. The system instantly reacts when coolant overheats. The sensitive sensors are not located inside the pipes, something he said foreign firms have yet to achieve. The system also provides constant monitoring of other cooling systems, pipes and materials as well as pressure, temperature, humidity and pipeline fractures in emergencies.[2]

Rosenergoatom plans to invest a total of 2 billion rubles (about $63.2 million as of 5 September 2002) into the safety of Russian NPPs, said Rosenergoatom technical director Nikolay Sorokin. Minatom is in charge of distributing these funds. However, according to the Rosenergoatom press service, 4.3 billion rubles (about $136 million as of 5 September 2002) are to be invested in NPP safety in the next two years.[3,4] According to Rosenergoatom head Sarayev, Russia's 10 nuclear power plants produced 120 billion MW in 1992, 135 billion MW in 2001, and planned to produce 144 billion MW in 2002.[1]
Sources:
[1] Elena Fedorova, "Po otsenke ekspertov MAGATE, rossiyskaya atomnaya energetika vkhodit v 'troyku' naiboleye bezopasnykh v mire," RIA Novosti, 5 September 2002; in "Rossiyskaya atomnaya energetika priznana odnoy iz samykh bezopasnykh," Yadernaya Rossiya segodnya online edition http://www.pircenter.org/
Russian/nrt/article.htm, 6 September 2002.
[2] Anatoliy Yurkin, "V Rossii sozdana unikalnaya sistema mgnovennoy podachi signala trevogi pri vozniknovenii neshtatnykh situatsiy v atomnykh reaktorakh," ITAR-TASS, 6 September 2002; in Yadernaya Rossiya segodnya online edition http://www.pircenter.org/
Russian/nrt/article.htm, 10 September 2002.
[3] "'Rosenergoatom' planiruyet vlozhit v bezopasnost AES 2 mlrd. rubley," Interfax, 5 September 2002.
[4] Vladimir Golovchanskiy, "V blizhayshiye dva goda na sovershenstvovaniye sistemy zashchity rossiyskikh AES budet napravleno svyshe chetyrekh milliardov rubley," ITAR-TASS, 6 September 2002; in "Bezopasnost AES budet sovershenstvovatsya," Yadernaya Rossiya segodnya online edition http://www.pircenter.org/
Russian/nrt/article.htm, 10 September 2002. {Entered 12/23/2002 AV}

7/1/2002: KOLA CONSTRUCTION PUT ON HOLD UNTIL 2010
On 1 July 2002, Rosenergoatom halted construction on the second phase of the Kola nuclear power plant. The decision was justified on the grounds that the region's electricity needs are being met and no increase in demand for electricity is predicted until 2010-2015. Furthermore, Finland's decision to build its own power plant will cut into the demand for power from the Kola plant. The regional administration's press service also cited an economic crisis at Minatom and Rosenergoatom as a reason for the halting of construction.
[Interfax, 18 July 2002; in "Second Stage of Murmansk nuclear plant construction put on hold," FBIS Document CEP20020718000269.] {Entered 7/30/2002 TM}
 
5/17/2002: CONSTRUCTION OF RUSSIA'S LARGEST NPP TO RESUME IN BASHKIRIYA
According to a 17 May 2002 article in Trud, in Spring 2002 the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy and the government of Bashkiriya agreed to resume and complete the construction of a nuclear power plant in Agidel, in northwest Bashkiriya, by 2020.[1,2,3] It is expected to be the largest NPP in Russia after it becomes operational.[2] According to Interfax, the NPP will have four new 1,000MW VVER power reactors.[4] According to Izvestiya, however, there will be two 1,000MW and two 1,500MW reactors.[5] These third-generation reactors feature a defense-in-depth protection system. Robert Nigmatulin, a State Duma deputy from Bashkiriya, explained that there are several systems to prevent decay heat from building up in the reactor, including an emergency core cooling mechanism whereby excessive heat would "flood the plant with water," causing reactor function to cease.[1,4] The first reactor will be put into operation in 2010 at a cost of $750 million.[5] According to Trud, it is cheaper to complete the unfinished power plant than build a new one. The building of a new reactor would cost $1 billion; completion of the old one is half as expensive.[1]

The completed NPP will provide jobs for 14,000 people, the entire adult population of Agidel. The first reactor alone will provide 5,000 jobs.[1] The NPP will also increase local taxes, help Bashkiriya eliminate the power deficit it would otherwise face in 2010, and provide Udmurtiya, Chelyabinsk and other neighboring regions with cheap electricity.[1,4,6] The local government has promised residents who live close to the NPP a 50% reduction in heat and electricity rates.[5]

The construction of Bashkirskaya NPP was ceased 10 years ago because of the Chernobyl accident and environmental protests.[2,4] Then, in 1998, the State Assembly of Bashikiriya denounced the ten-year old Supreme Council of Bashkiriya resolution halting construction.  This denunciation caused the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy and Unified Energy System of Russia to renew their interest in the NPP.[1]  During the 1980s, $800 million were spent on construction of the plant. Of that sum, $550 million were spent on building a new city, Agidel, for future NPP employees.[5] Most of the funds to cover the cost of NPP construction will be provided by the federal budget.[1] The government of Bashkiriya also intends to invest $500 million into the completion and launching of the first power reactor. It has already invested $500 million to lay down the foundation for the first and third reactors.[3]
Sources:
[1] Sergey Kudryashov and Shamil Valeyev, "Vtoraya zhizn goroda bezrabotnykh," Trud, No. 82 (24040), 17 May 2002, p. 3.
[2] "Vozobnovlyayetsya stroitelstvo Bashkirskoy AES," Ural Press Inform, http://www.uralpress.ru, 29 August 2001.
[3] "Bashkiriya namerena vlozhit $500 mln. v dostroyku i pusk pervogo bloka AES," Interfax, 2 October 2001.
[4] "Dostroyka bloka Bashkirskoy AES budet stoit poryadka polumilliarda dollarov," Interfax, 12 February 2002.
[5] Irina Bobkova and Indira Kvyatkovskaya, "Desyat let spustya. V Bashkirii vozobnovlyayetsya stroitelstvo AES," Izvestiya, No. 021, 6 February 2002, p. 6.
[6] "V Ufe obsuzhdeny voprosy vozobnovleniya stroitelstva Bashkirskoy AES," Ural Press Inform, 10 May 2001. {Entered 11/13/2002 AV}

5/8/2002: PLANS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NPP IN ARKHANGELSK REGION
The 15th issue of Yadernyye materialy describes plans to build an NPP in Arkhangelsk region, according to which the first power reactor will be launched by 2010.[1,7] This would be the eleventh NPP in Russia.[5] Yadernyye materialy also states that a low-power nuclear heating and power plant will be built in Severodvinsk by 2006.[1,7]

On 30 November 2001, Minister of Atomic Energy Aleksandr Rumyantsev and Arkhangelsk Governor Anatoliy Yefremov signed a declaration of intend regarding construction of the central heating and power plant in Arkhangelsk region.[2,3] The project will cost some $668 million and the date of completion is 2010 at the earliest; the Russian government has already included the project in its 50-year program for the strategic development of nuclear energy.[2] Specialists from NIKIET and Minatom will proceed to develop technical and economic studies related to the project; about $15.1 million have already been spent on design and exploration work.[3]

No decisions have been made on a number of reactors at the new heating and power plant. The plant will probably have two 300MW reactors but their number may increase to four.[2] According to Pravda Severa, they are likely to be four VK-300 reactors. A prototype VK-300 has been employed in Dmitrovgrad in Ulyanovsk region for 35 years. According to Yuriy Kuznetsov, spokesman of the Scientific and Research and Construction Institute of Engineering Technology, the reactors are absolutely safe and can produce enough heat and electricity for Arkhangelsk, Severodvinsk and Novodvinsk and export power as well.[3,4] If the project is approved, the first Arkhangelsk NPP reactor will be launched in 2007, and the second in 2008. The first reactor of the Severodvinsk heating and power plant will be launched in 2011 and the second in 2013. The construction site has yet to be chosen . Likely locations are Zharovikha, a site prepared for nuclear plant construction in the 1980s, or the village of Rikasikha, 20km from Arkhangelsk.[3,4]

Ten years ago there was an attempt to build a NPP in Arkhangelsk. However, work was halted due to environmental protests.[4,5,6] Yefremov says that power supply in the region has reached a critical stage, due to the 80% depreciation of much of the equipment of the three existing heating and power plants (one in Arkhangelsk and two in Severodvinsk). In addition, the two main heating and power plants use fuel oil, which is increasingly expensive.[2,6]

According to Izvestiya, the estimated cost of the NPP project is $1.6 billion. [4] About $8 billion have been earmarked in the federal budget to support the development of new power plants, including Arkhangelskaya and Severodvinskaya NPPs.[1,7]
Sources:
[1] Nikolay Gavrilov, "Yadernyy lizing v massy," Yadernyye materialy, No. 15, 8 May 2002, p. 8.
[2] Ivan Moseyev, "Minatom uteshil Arkhangelsk," Delovoy Peterburg, 4 December 2001.
[3] Nadezhda Breshkovskaya, "Arkhangelsk pomenyal gaz na atom," Pravda Severa, 1 December 2001.
[4] Viktor Filippov, "Smirnyy atom. Sorvano reshenie o sozdanii novoy atomnoy stantsii," Izvestiya, No. 215, 21 November 2001, p. 2.
[5] "Minatom planiruet postroit AES v Arkhangelskoy oblasti," Yadernaya Rossiya segodnya, 24 October 2001.
[6] "V Arkhangelske resheno vozobnovit stroitelstvo atomnoy elektrostantsii," Interfax, 21 October 2001.
[7] "Pervuy energoblok Arkhangelskoy AES budet postroen k 2010 godu," Interfax, 23 April 2001. {Entered 11/29/2002 AV}

2/21/2002: KARELIYA PROTESTS DECISION TO BUILD NPP THERE
The inclusion of Kareliya in federal NPP construction plans has aroused indignation both from public organizations and the local government, Interfax reported on 21 February 2002.[1,2]. In December 2001 the Russian government adopted the decree "Introduction of Changes and Addendums to the Federal Energy-Efficient Economy Program for 2002-2005 and up to 2010," which included a plan to build 4 reactors with a capacity of 700MW each in Kareliya. The first reactor was scheduled to begin operation in 2007.[1,2] Earlier work on technical and economic feasibility studies was cancelled in 1990 by a decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of Kareliya based in accord with public opinion.[1]

According to Kareliyan Governor Sergey Katanandov, this decision was not discussed or coordinated with the government of Kareliya. He expressed readiness to organize a referendum on the matter.[1] The Russian government should have presented the project concept to the public, researched public opinion and discussed it with executive and legislative bodies, as well as provided guarantees for public safety, said Vladimir Lavrentev, deputy chairman of the legislative assembly of Kareliya.[3] In the opinion of Karelenergo Director Vladimir Semenov, the region already has the powerful Leningrad and Kola NPPs nearby. Instead, new hydroelectric power plants should be built.[1] The Karelian Greens Association, a local environmentalist group, also protested against NPP construction.[2]
Sources:
[1] "Gendirektor Karelenergo vystupayet protiv stroitelstva v Karelii atomnoy elektrostantsii," Interfax, 21 February 2002.
[2] "'Assotsiatsiya zelenykh Karelii' protiv stroitelstva v respublike atomnoy elektrostantsii," Interfax, 21 February 2002.
[3] "Karelskiye deputaty vozmushcheny resheniyem o stroitelstve AES na territorii respubliki," Interfax, 13 February 2002. {Entered 11/12/2002 AV}

2/13/2002: EUROPEAN COMMISSION PROMISES €10 MILLION FOR KOLA NPP
On 13 February 2002 Interfax reported that the European Commission was prepared to grant €10 million ($8.8 million as of 2/13/2002) in order to continue construction of a facility to process liquid radioactive waste at the Kola nuclear power plant. The contract is due to be signed in March 2002 with the Finnish subcontractor Teollisuuden Voima Oy (TVO), and the complex is due to open in 2005.
["EC To Grant Kola Nuclear Power Plant EUR 10 Mln," Interfax, 13 February 2002.] {Entered 7/30/2002 TM}

1/29/2002: CONSTRUCTION OF BALAKOVSKAYA NPP UNITS 5 AND 6 TO GO AHEAD
On 29 January 2002 Interfax reported that a declaration on the installation of Balakovskaya NPP units 5 and 6, with a capacity of 2 million MW, had been signed. According to Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Bulat Nigmatulin, about $2 billion have already been invested in reactor construction at Kalininskaya, Kurskaya, Rostovskaya and Balakovskaya NPPs. Dmitriy Ayatskov, Governor of Saratov oblast, says that tens of millions of dollars are needed to complete these mothballed plants.
Sources:"Podpisana deklaratsiya o vvode v ekspluatatsiyu vtoroy ocheredi Balakovskoy AES v Saratovskoy oblasti," Interfax, 29 January 2002.] {Entered AV 11/21/2002}

11/2001: SECURITY BREACH AT RUSSIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
In November 2001, the Federal Security Service discovered a serious security breach at one of the nuclear power plants in the Central Federal Okrug. According to Nezavisimaya gazeta, during a security checkup operation officers of the Federal Security Service managed to enter the plant's reactor room without any significant difficulties. The newspaper article does not disclose which plant it was.
[Sergey Grigoryev, "Gryaznyye tantsy na atomnoy stantsii. Minatom v skandale," Nezavisimaya gazeta, 14 December 2001; in Universal Database of Central Russian Newspapers, http://news.eastview.com.] {Entered 3/12/2002 EF}
 
10/12/2001: CONSTRUCTION RESUMES ON BN-800 FAST REACTOR AT BELOYARSK
Construction will resume in late 2001 on the BN-800 fast reactor at the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant (NPP) after a decade-long delay, Interfax reported on 12 October 2001.[1] Construction of the reactor began in 1987, but was stopped in 1988 after "vigorous protests" from local citizens. President Yeltsin ordered that construction be resumed in 1992, but lack of funding prevented the order from being carried through.[2] The Beloyarsk reactor will be the first reactor based on the BN-800 design. The BN-800 reactor is a larger, updated version of the BN-600 fast neutron reactor at the Beloyarsk nuclear power station. The BN-800 will burn MOX fuel containing reactor- and weapon-grade plutonium, according to Bellona.[3] Resuming construction of the Beloyarsk BN-800 reactor is part of a Minatom plan to increase use of fast reactors.[3] According to Beloyarsk NPP Director Oleg Sarayev, the BN-800 "signals a fundamentally new stage in the development of nuclear power engineering, the stage of fast reactors." Few fast reactors have been built to date because the electricity produced by these reactors costs 2-2.5 times that of thermal reactors. Fast reactors require expensive corrosion-resistant construction materials and liquid sodium as coolant, which are reflected in energy prices.[4] Reactors such as the BN-800 are becoming more desirable in Russia, because they are "safer than their predecessors, far less polluting and capable of processing wastes dangerous to the environment," according to Interfax.[1] In the 2001 budget, 320 million rubles ($10.8 million as of 12 October 2001) were allocated to the BN-800 reactor. In 2002 the Russian nuclear energy concern Rosenergoatom will provide over 1 billion rubles ($33.9 million as of 12 October 2001) to continue construction. The reactor will cost $1.2 billion to complete,[1] and it is scheduled to be completed in 2009. Rosenergoatom Technical Director Boris Antonov believes, however, that the timetable is "overly optimistic."[2]
Sources:
[1] "New BN-800 Fast Neutron Power Block Planned at Beloyarsk Nuclear Plant," Interfax, 12 October 2001.
[2] Gennadiy Voskresenskiy, "Success at Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Station Proves Value of Fast Neutron Reactors," Vek, 3 August 2001, in "Russian Energy and Metals Roundup,"  FBIS Document CEP20010807000354, 14 February 2001.
[3] Vladislav Nikiforov, "Second Breeder Reactor to Be Built at Beloyarsk NPP," Bellona Foundation Website, http://www.bellona.no, 14 February 2001.
[4] Regions.ru, 10 August 2001; in Judith Perera, Nuclear News.{Entered EC 11/5/01}
 
10/3/2001: CONSTRUCTION OF YUZHNO-URALSKAYA NPP TO RESUME IN 2004
Construction of Yuzhno-Uralskaya NPP will resume in 2004 and is scheduled to be completed by 2015, Yuzhno-Uralskaya NPP director Vladimir Morozov told Interfax on 3 October 2001.[1] Earlier, on 24 September 2001, Interfax reported that the construction of the NPP might resume in 2005, with construction expected to take a total of 12 years (8 years for the first reactor).[2] Plans call for the construction of three 800MW reactors. The cost of the first reactor is 2.828 billion rubles (about $96 million as of 3 October 2001). The estimated construction cost of each subsequent reactor is 1 billion rubles (about $34 million as of 3 October 2001). The construction costs will be covered by the federal budget. However, the exact funding amount has not been determined yet. According to Minatom, 1.5 billion rubles (about $51 million as of 3 October 2001) will be allocated in 2004 from the federal budget for construction of 6 NPPs in Russia, including Yuzhno-Uralskaya NPP.[1,2] By 24 September 2001, 270 million rubles (about $9 million as of 24 September 2001) had been spent.[2]

Yuzhno-Uralskaya NPP will have BN fast neutron reactors, which will be used to burn excess military plutonium.[2] According to Mayak director Vitaliy Sadovnikov, the launch of the NPP will create a closed nuclear cycle, whereby waste from Mayak will serve as fuel for Yuzhno-Uralskaya NPP, while NPP waste will be recycled at Mayak.[3] State Duma Deputy Mikhail Yurevich thinks that construction of the NPP is not advisable. In his opinion, the regional power crisis could be resolved if the hydro-electric power plant in the oblast were used to its full capacity. At present only 20% of its power is used.[4] If the NPP is not built, two artificial cooling ponds, B-11 and B-12, will be used to keep radioactive waste from Mayak from spreading.[3]
Sources:
[1] "Stroitelstvo Yuzhno-Uralskoy AES vozobnovitsya v 2004 godu," Interfax, 3 October 2001.
[2] "Stroitelstvo Yuzhno-Uralskoy AES mozhet vozobnovitsya v 2005 godu," Interfax, 24 September 2001.
[3] "Stroitelstvo Yuzhno-Uralskoy AES mozhet byt vozobnovleno, schitayet Klebanov," Interfax, 12 February 2001.
[4] Roman Gribanov, "M. Yurevich protiv AES," Chelyabinskiy rabochiy, 21 February 2002. {Entered AV 12/18/02}

9/10/2001: ROSENERGOATOM REORGANIZATION INTO UNIFIED GENERATING COMPANY
According to Kommersant-Daily, on 10 September 2001 Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov signed a decree on reorganizing Rosenergoatom into a Unified Generating Company (UGC). The project on Rosenergoatom reorganization has existed since 1997. The UGC will involve 20 state unitary enterprises, including Russian NPPs (Balakovo, Beloyarsk, Bilibino, Kalinin, Kola, Kursk, Novovoronezh, Smolensk, and Volgodonskaya) and repair service plants, which will join the UGC on March 1, 2001. Leningrad NPP, which is not currently part of Rosenergoatom, will join UGC on April 1, 2001.[1,2] All NPPs will be UGC affiliates and under Rosenergoatom'sd direct control. Earlier, NPPs were under both Minatom and Rosenergoatom.[3] Rosenergoatom President Oleg Sarayev believes that he will most likely be in charge of the UGC.[4] Minatom Deputy Minister Bulat Nigmatulin has said that the creation of the UGC will reduce costs by 15-20% on average, can attract loans, and provide for the signing of direct contracts with major consumers.[5] Centralization of nuclear facilities under the UGC will help elicit more funds to develop the nuclear industry, enhance its safety, build new reactors, and develop new nuclear technologies.[6] However, Balakovo NPP Trade Union Chair Sorokin argues that integration of NPPs into a single structure could worsen the status of NPP workers.[7]
Sources:
[1] Irina Rybalchenko, " Delovye Novosti. 'Rosenergoatomu' dobavili polnomochiy," Kommersant-Daily, 11 September 2001.
[2] "Rossiyskiye AES s 1 marta stanovyatsya filialami atomnoy generiruyushchey kompanii," Interfax, 28 February 2001.
[3] Mikhail Kozyrev, and Aleksey Nikolskiy, "Atomnye stantsii obedinyat po-frantsuzski," Vedomosti, 16 August 2001; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.ru.
[4] "Atomnaya generiruyushchaya kompaniya nachnet funktsionirovat v RF v nachale marta," 19 February 2001.
[5] Rumyantsev dolozhil presidentu o khode sozdaniya edinoy generiruyushchey kompanii," Interfax, 10 November 2001.
[6] A. Menshov, "Reorganizatsiya: v sootvetstvii s trudovym zakonodatelstvom i s soglasiya profsoyuzov," Atompressa, No. 45 (472), November 2001.
[7] "Generiruyushchaya kompaniya i sotsialnuye garantii," Atompressa, No. 13, April, 2002.{Entered 12/4/03}

9/6/2001: CONSTRUCTION OF NOVOVORONEZHSKAYA NPP UNIT 6 POSTPONED UNTIL 2019
Construction of Novovoronezhskaya NPP Unit 6 has been postponed from 2002 to 2019, said Valeriy Zhbannikov, NPP chief engineer, on 6 September 2001.[1] Earlier plans called for Unit 6 to begin operation in 2012. According to Voronezhskaya oblast Deputy Governor Aleksandr Tsapin, Rosenergoatom also plans to build a seventh reactor at the plant. The total power of the two new reactors will be 2,000MW.[2]

Rosenergoatom had planned to invest 850 million rubles (about $26.9 million as of 6 September 2001) into the construction of Unit 6 in 2002.[1] Another 750 million rubles (about $25 million as of 21 November 2001) were set aside in the federal budget for 2002, said Tsapin.[2] However, the plans have since changed and the construction will be financed after units 3 and 4 stop operating in 2019. According to Zhbannikov, Rosenergoatom's policy is to lower costs and use energy that requires low financial expenditures.[1]

According to Interfax, Novovoronezhskaya NPP produced nearly 8.7 billion kWh during the first 10 months of 2001 using 64.8% of its installed power resources. This is 12% less than in January-October 2000. The reason for the shortfall was the shut-down of units 3 and 5 for scheduled preventive maintenance.[2]
Sources:
[1] "Stroitelstvo 6-go bloka Novo-Voronezhskoy AES otlozheno do 2019 goda," Interfax, 6 September 2001.
[2] "Vydeleniye sredstv na stroitelstvo blokov Novovoronezhskoy AES namecheno na 2002 god," Interfax, 21 November 2001.{Entered 11/22/2002 AV}

7/2001: KURCHATOV INSTITUTE  CONDUCTED ILLEGAL EXPERIMENTS AT RUSSIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
The Russian Federal Security Service established that from 1992 to 1998 Kurchatov Institute scientists and Novovoronezh nuclear power plant (NPP) specialists conducted unauthorized experiments at one of the NPP's reactors.  These experiments could have led to a major accident at the power plant.[1]  According to the television station TV6, the work was financed by a well-known Western firm.[2] Kurchatov Institute scientists designed steel containers, which then were covertly placed into one of the NPP's reactor cores for irradiation, without the knowledge and consent of the power plant's management.  The illegal activities were discovered in 1999 when the reactor was stopped for maintenance.  The steel containers were partially destroyed as a result of being inappropriately placed into the reactor core.[1] Metal fragments from the containers got into reactor's first circuit, which could have led to a serious accident.[2,3]  Novyye izvestiya reported on 2 July 2001 that the case was dismissed by law enforcement agencies because, according to investigators, these activities did not constitute a crime under Russian law.  The newspaper suggested that lobbying by Minatom contributed to the dismissal.[3]
Sources:
[1] Aleksandr Khrolenko, "'Mirnyy' atom ne terpit khalatnosti," Krasnaya zvezda, No. 33, 20 February 2001; Database of Russian Newspapers, http://news.eastview.com
[2] TV6, 1 February 2001; in "Russian security service investigates secret experiments at nuclear power plant," FBIS Document CEP20010209000380.
[3] Valeriy Mirolevich, "Krokodily voobshche-to letayut-2," Novyye izvestiya, No. 21, 2 July 2001; in Universal Database of Russian Newspapers, http://news.eastview.com {entered 10/22/2001 DK}

7/9/2001: MOSCOW AND ROSENERGOATOM PLAN TO SUPPLY MOSCOW REGION DIRECTLY WITH NPP POWER
Moscow authorities and Rosenergoatom have set up a joint working group to develop a project to build a 750KW power line from an NPP, Rosenergoatom Executive Director Yuriy Yakovlev announced at a press-conference on 6 July 2001. Yakovlev was unable to answer questions regarding the cost of the project. Moscow authorities are interested in bypassing Mosenergo and developing an alternative power supply. [This is the first joint project between Rosenergoatom and a regional government.]
["Moskva i Rosenergoatom gotovyat proyekt postavok v region elektroenergii AES," Interfax, 9 July 2001.] {Entered 12/31/2002 AV}

5/6/2001: ROSTOV NPP OPERATION 
On 5 June 2001 Interfax reported that a meeting of Russian NPP directors would soon be held at the Rostov NPP.  The meeting site was chosen in part to emphasize Rosenergoatom's confidence that Rostov-1 will soon begin industrial operation.[1]  In mid-May Rosenergoatom postponed bringing Unit 1 up to 75% capacity in order to correct several problems identified by Gosatomnadzor and environmental protection bureaus, as well as to complete the heat-insulation of pipes in the machinery compartment.[2] On 25 May 2001, the State Acceptance Commission under Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy Reshetnikov signed an act allowing Rostov-1 to begin testing at 75% capacity.[3]  Gosatomnadzor issued Rostov-1 an operating license on 19 January 2001; the plant began supplying electricity to the North Caucasus Unified Power Grid on 30 March 2001.[4,5] Rostov-1 is supposed to be brought up to 100% capacity in July or August, and begin full industrial operation in October.[2]  The Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy (Minatom) has earmarked 2.5 billion rubles (nearly $86 million as of 5 June 2001) for the completion of preparations at Rostov-1, including 500 million (about $17 million) for social projects in the 30km zone around the plant (including construction of gas pipelines between local towns, a sports complex, and water pipelines).[1]  In addition to funding these projects, in an agreement with the Rostov Oblast administration, Minatom promised to charge all electricity customers in the Don region half-price.[6]  Minatom reportedly plans to dedicate 680 million rubles (over $23 million) in 2001 to the construction of Rostov-2.[1]  This is consistent with Rosenergoatom Deputy Chairman Yuriy Kopiyev's November 2000 statement that construction of Rostov-2 would restart in 2001 and be completed in five years.[7]  However, it conflicts with other reports that Minatom will fund construction of reactors at the Kalinin and Kursk NPPs before continuing work on Rostov-2.[1]  As of March 2001, Rostov-2 was reportedly 40% complete.[8]  Approximately 4.5 billion rubles will have to be spent to finish Rostov-2.[9]  
Sources:
[1] Olga Shevel, "Na Rostovskoy atomnoy schitayut milliardy," Vremya-MN, 5 June 2001.
[2] Olga Shevel, "Rostovskaya AES nikak ne nabirayet oboroty," Vremya-MN, 16 May 2001.
[3] "Na pervom bloke Rosktovskoy AES nachinayetsya novyy etap ispypatniy," Interfax, 28 May 2001.
[4] Ye. Ostritsova: "The Rostov AES as the Guarantor of Stable Power for Southern Russia," Atompressa No 14 (441) April 2001, pp. 1-2; in "Imposing Conference Prepares to Start Up 1st Power Unit of Rostov AES," FBIS Document CEP20010423000307.
[5] Sluzhba informatsii RoAES, "RoAES prinimayet pozdravleniya," Atompressa No. 15 (442), 2001.
[6] Aleksandr Shapovalov, "Rostovskaya atomnaya stantsiya vstupayet v stroy deystvuyushchikh," Nezavisimaya gazeta online edition, 24 February 2001, http://www.ng.ru.
[7] NucNet News, 277/00, 15 November 2000; in "News Briefing," Uranium Institute, 22 November 2000.
[8] "Energopusk Rostovskoy AES namechen na konets marta," Interfax, 17 March 2001.
[9] "Pervyy bok [sic] Rostovskoy atomnoy stantsii budet podklyuchen k elektroseti 27 marta," Interfax, 17 March 2001.{Entered 6/21/2001 CC} 
 
3/23/2001: PROTEST AGAINST ROSTOV NPP
As of 23 March 2001, just days before the Rostov NPP was scheduled to begin feeding electricity into the local power grid, there were ongoing protests against the plant.  Picketing by representatives of environmental organizations has been spearheaded by the Don Community Group against the Launch of Rostov NPP.[1]  This group has led protests against the plant for quite some time, including a protest in December 2000 outside a meeting of the Rostov legislature, at which the demonstrators demanded the ouster of those deputies who had not kept election promises to block the launch of Rostov-1.  Aleksandr Popov, chair of the oblast legislature, had even written a book in 1996 in which he said that he would insist on a popular referendum before agreeing to the operation of Rostov NPP.[2]
Sources:
[1] "Na Rostovskoy AES nachat energeticheskiy pusk pervogo bloka," Interfax, 23 March 2001.
[2] Irina Pertseva, "Pered nachalom zasedaniya zakonodatelnogo sobraniya," Zelenyy mir, No. 3-4, 2001 (28 February 2001), p. 5.{Entered 6/21/2001 CC}
 
2/5-11/2001: FIRST RUSSIAN RADIOACTIVE WASTE METAL PROCESSING FACILITY TO BE COMPLETED AT LENINGRAD NPP
According to a 5-11 February 2001 report in Unian, the construction of the first Russian radioactive waste metal processing facility, Ekomet-S, is being completed at Leningrad NPP in Sosnoyy Bor, Leningrad Oblast. A total of about $10 million was invested in the facility. As of February 2001, about 2,000 tons of metal had been melted down. The facility's estimated recycling output is up to 5,000 tons of metal per year. The output of the first production line is about 2,500 tons of metal. The facility will recycle radioactive metal from Leningrad NPP, which will be then sent in the form of metal blanks for further meltdown at other iron-and-steel plants in northwestern Russia.
["V Rossii nachalas realnaya utilizatsiya radioaktivnykh promyshlennykh otkhodov," Unian, 5-11 February 2001.] {Entered 10/21/2003 AV}

2/6/2001: EBRD FINANCING OF LENINGRAD NPP SAFETY PROJECTS
On 6 February 2001, Interfax reported the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development had finished financing 16 projects aimed at increasing the safety of Leningrad NPP. Since 1993 EBRD had provided funds totaling some €30 million (about $28.2 million as of 6 February 2001), which were spent to increase nuclear, technical, radiation, fire and physical safety at the Leningrad NPP. As of February 2001, 11 projects had been implemented. The remaining five projects are to be completed by the end of 2001. The NPP safety work through 2004 are preliminary estimated at $220 million. The majority of these costs will be covered by Leningrad NPP.
["EBRR zavershil finansirovaniye proyektov po povysheniyu bezopasnosti LAES," Interfax, 6 February 2001.] {Entered 10/20/2003 AV}

2/2001: PRIMORSKAYA NPP FEASIBILITY STUDY RESUMES 
In a February 2001 press release, Minatom touted the idea of constructing an NPP in Primorskiy kray.  The Strategy for the Development of Nuclear Power in the First Half of the 21st Century, approved by the Russian government in May 2000, included plans for construction of a Primorskaya NPP.[1]  While earlier plans called for two VVER-640 reactors at Primorskaya NPP, current plans call for construction of at least one VVER-1000 reactor.[2]  The construction of one VVER-1000 is estimated to cost $2 billion, while two reactors would cost $2.5 billion.  In March 2001 Gennadiy Anatolevich Lipatnikov, director of the Primorskaya NPP, said that the project feasibility study (originally begun in 1995 but discontinued after the Russian financial crisis of 1998) and expert appraisal are scheduled to be completed in four years, with construction taking a further eight years.  Lipatnikov says that the project has Minatom's full support, and has received some Minatom funding.  However, the Ministry of the Economy has lobbied against the project, resulting in no federal funding for the project in 2000.  Completion of the feasibility study will require both Minatom and federal funding.   Minatom has included the Primorskaya NPP in the list of projects for which it will seek foreign funding.[3]  According to one source, the Canadian firm I.C.A. has agreed to serve as the project's financial coordinator.[4]  Russia's energy systems press service lists two sites that are currently under consideration for NPP construction: Novotroitskaya and Arsenevskaya, which both appear to be located near Arsenev, Yakovlevskiy rayon, Primorskiy kray, while Lipatnikov refers to sites in both Dalnerechenskiy rayon and Yakovlevskiy rayon.[3,5]  
Sources:
[1] "Minatom predlagayet postroit AES na Dalnem Vostoke," Izvestiya online edition, 13 February 2001, http://www.izvestia.ru/izvestia/article/239084.
[2] "Minatom RF obsudit perspektivy stroitelstva AES v Primore na vyyezdnom zasedanii," Interfax, 19 February 2001.
[3] "Gennadiy Lipatnikov:  Bez AES my zaglokhnem," Zolotoy rog, 29 March 2001; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.ru.
[4] "V Primore vozobnovilis raboty po tekhniko-ekonomicheskomu obosnovaniyu stroitelstva v kraye atomnoy elektrostantsii," Finansovo-Informatsionnaya Sluzhba; in IA InterTEK; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.ru.
[5] "Primorskaya AES budet stroitsya s uchetom seysmobezopasnosti," IA InterTEK, 13 March 2001; in Integrum Techno, http://www.integrum.ru.{Entered 7/10/2001 CC}
 
12/5/2000:  INCREASED RADIATION LEVELS DETECTED NEAR NOVOVORONEZH  NPP
On 5 December 2000, Interfax reported that radiation monitoring in the exclusion zone surrounding the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant revealed a localized site with radiation exceeding natural levels. The Russian Emergencies Ministry reported that heightened radiation was recorded near a drainage canal from Unit 1 (VVER-210 reactor, operational 1964-1988) and Unit 2 (VVER-365 reactor, operational 1969-December 1990). The area was surrounded with barbed wire and warning signs. Air, water, and soil samples were taken to investigate the cause of the increase. The power plant contains two operational first-generation VVER-440 reactors (Units 3 and 4) and one operational VVER-1000 reactor (Unit 5).
["Bliz nerabotayushchikh energoblokov Novovoronezhskoy AES vyyavlen povyshennyy uroven radiatsii," Interfax, www.interfax.ru, 5 December 2000.]  {Entered 1/27/2000 SLK}

7/2000: ROSENERGOATOM AND UNIFIED ENERGY SYSTEM SIGN NEW PAYMENTS AGREEMENT
After a series of talks in July 2000, Rosenergoatom head Yuriy Yakovlev and Anatoliy Chubays, head of Unified Energy System (RAO YeES Rossii), concluded a new payments agreement.  YeES Rossii had failed to adhere to an earlier agreement, signed in February 2000, which obligated the energy company to increase cash payments to Rosenergoatom, while Rosenergoatom was to increase electricity production.  As of July 2000, Rosenergoatom production accounts for 38 to 40 percent of the electricity sold via the Federal Wholesale Market for Electricity and Generating Capacity (FOREM).  However, as of the end of June 2000 YeES Rossii owed Rosenergoatom 13 billion rubles (about $463.8 million as of 5 July 2000), nearly 2 billion rubles (about $71 million) more than on 1 January 2000.  The lack of payments reportedly threatens NPP safety and could lead to the shutting down of some reactors, which would then lead to power cut-offs in whole regions.  In the new July 2000 agreement, therefore, YeES Rossii promised gradually to increase the cash portion of its payments to Rosenergoatom from 50 percent to 65 percent.  YeES Rossii agreed to pay Rosenergoatom 700 million rubles (about $24.9 million as of 5 July 2000) in July, while in December 2000 it will pay 1.7 billion rubles (about $60.6 million as of 5 July 2000).  According to Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy Adamov, these funds will enable Rosenergoatom to pay 40 percent of its debt for nuclear fuel and 15 to 20 percent of its debts to its auxiliary organizations.  Chubays also committed YeES Rossii to paying 100 million rubles (about $3.6 million as of 5 July 2000) toward the construction of the new Rostov NPP.  The new NPP will cost 4.5 billion rubles (about $160.5 million as of 5 July 2000).  (For more information on Rostov NPP, see the Rostov-na-Donu NPP section).
[Andrey Makeyev, "Chubays poobeshchal vyplatit dolgi atomshchikam," Nezavisimaya gazeta online edition, http://news.mosinfo.ru, 5 July 2000.]{Entered 7/21/2000 CC}
 
6/3/2000: UNDERGROUND NPPS PROPOSED FOR KALININGRAD OBLAST, THE KOLA PENINSULA, AND PRIMORSKIY KRAY
According to Kaliningradskaya pravda, the Kurchatov Institute is seeking a suitable site in Kaliningrad Oblast to construct an underground nuclear power plant.  The newspaper notes that there has been no public discussion of the plan.[1]  In a related development, the Union of Russia and Belarus Executive Council has drafted a program to build five underground thermal NPPs in Belarus and two in Russia in Snezhnogorsk (Murmansk Oblast) and in Bolshoy Kamen (Primorskiy Kray) between 2001 and 2005.[1,3]  Additional underground NPPs may also be built in Chukotka, Kamchatka and Sakhalin.[2]  The subterranean thermal nuclear electric power plant (PTAES) project was jointly developed by Minatom and Shipbuilding Agency enterprises. The Baltic Shipyard is manufacturing the underground NPPs in cooperation with other St. Petersburg enterprises. UK-900 reactors, similar to those in icebreakers, will be used. The nuclear waste generated by the new underground NPPs is to be processed in Chelyabinsk (Mayak) and the recovered fuel will be used in RBMK-type reactors.[3] For previous underground NPP plans, see the 8/30/96 development under NPP developments.
Sources:
[1] "Underground nuclear power plant proposed for Kaliningrad," Bellona Website, http://www.bellona.no.{Entered 4/28/2000 CC}
[2] Sergey Anisko, "Nuclear Power Stations Will Be Hidden From Human Eyes," Segodnya, 03 June 2000; in "Belarus, Russia Planning Joint Underground Nuclear Power Stations," FBIS Document CEP20000605000171.
[3] Vadim Sekhovich, "Atom Under Feet. Subterraneous Nuclear Electric Power Plants Could Emerge in Belarus," Belorusskaya delovaya gazeta, 31 May 2000; in "Belarus: Russia Nuclear Power Aid Offer," FBIS Document CEP20000602000114.{Entered 7/11/2000 NEB}
 
4/14/2000: DUMA PASSES LAW INCREASING FINES FOR BREAKING NUCLEAR POWER LAWS
On 14 April 2000 the Duma passed the law On organizations' administrative responsibility for violating legislation on nuclear energy use. The law provides for fines of 150 to 500 times the minimum wage, as well as other measures.  The law was first passed by the Duma on 4 November 1998, but was subsequently rejected by Yeltsin on 26 November 1998.
["Gosduma uzhestochila zakon ob atomnykh predpriyatiyakh," Praym-TASS, 14 April 2000; in Gazeta.ru, http://www.gazeta.ru/lenta.shtml.]{Entered 4/25/2000 CC}
 
4/2000: GOSATOMNADZOR QUESTIONS NPP SAFETY, SAYS $624 MILLION NEEDED FOR SAFETY RESEARCH IN 2000
On 18 April 2000 at a meeting of the board of the Union of Nuclear Power Engineering Territories and Enterprises held at the Federation Council, Gosatomnadzor Chairman Yuriy Vishnevskiy said that 18 billion rubles (nearly $624 million as of 18 April 2000) must be spent in 2000 for research on increasing NPP safety.  He said that NPPs not undergoing safety upgrades should be shut down.  A recent inspection of Novovoronezh NPP Unit 3 indicated that the reactor vessel was "no stronger than a sheet of paper."  However, as of April 2000 no full-scale study was being done on projects to increase reactor safety.[1] On 22 April Vishnevskiy, speaking at the Duma, reported that NPP violations increased by 30 percent in 1998, fell slightly in 1999, but were already up in the first quarter of 2000 (10 violations as compared to eight in the first quarter of 1999).  He also said that Russia had surpassed the US and France in the number of incidents per year.[2]  In contrast, Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy Adamov recently emphasized Russia's positive safety record, stating that Russian NPPs had fewer automatic shut-downs than other nations' NPPs.[3] Duma Deputy Ivan Nikitchuk (Communist), however, said that there is growing pressure on NPP directors to scale down and postpone repairs of power units.  He said further that Adamov's cadre policy vis-a-vis Rosenergoatom was to blame for many of the NPP difficulties, pointing out Adamov's 1998 appointment of Leonid Melamed, a man without the necessary clearance to work at NPPs, to head Rosenergoatom, and his January 2000 replacement by Yuriy Yakovlev.[2]
Sources:
[1] "Atomshchikam Rossii nuzhno 18 mlrd. rubley dlya obsledovaniya bezopasnosti AES v 2000 godu," Interfax, 18 April 2000.
[2] Yekaterina Kats, "On the Threshold of a New Chernobyl; Gosatomnadzor Believes Rosenergoatom to Be 'Empty Place'," Segodnya, 22 April 2000; in "Gosatomnadzor Chief Warns of Safety Violations," FBIS Document CEP20000424000203.
[3] Yekaterina Kats, "'Yevgeniy Adamov igrayet 'ponyatiyami'," Segodnya online edition, http://news.mosinfo.ru/news/.../04/data/80-5evg.htm, 12 April 2000.
{Entered CC 4/26/2000}
 
4/2000: MINATOM INVESTMENT PLANS DEPEND ON TARIFF INCREASES, SPENT FUEL IMPORTS
On 18 April 2000 at a meeting of the board of the Union of Nuclear Power Engineering Territories and Enterprises held at the Federation Council, Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Bulat Nigmatulin stated that the service life of first-generation NPPs at Novovoronezh, Kola, Leningrad and Kursk must be extended in order to meet increasing Russian electricity needs. He said that the modernization of NPPs "corresponded to world practice."[1]  Minatom intends to produce 30% of Russia's power by 2005, and up to 40% by 2010.[2]  However, Nigmatulin said that unless NPP electricity rates were doubled, the NPPs would go bankrupt.[1] An increase in NPP electricity output would require the completion of NPPs under construction.  Construction has fallen behind due to financing difficulties.  However, Minatom hopes to earn $20 billion importing foreign spent fuel for reprocessing.[2]  For more on this issue, see the 9/24/99: Minatom Seeks Amendment Allowing Spent Fuel Imports entry in the Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste Developments file.
Sources:
[1] "Minatom RF otstaivayet neobkhodimost prodleniya srokov sluzhby AES pervogo pokoleniya," Interfax, 18 April 2000.
[2] Yekaterina Kats, "'Yevgeniy Adamov igrayet 'ponyatiyami'," Segodnya, 12 April 2000, http://news.mosinfo.ru/news/.../data/80-5evg.htm.{Entered 4/25/2000 CC}
 
4/2000: 1999 RESULTS: NUCLEAR COMPLEX EARNINGS UP; NPPs PRODUCE 120 BILLION KWH
In April 2000 Minatom announced that Russia's nuclear complex production was worth 18 billion rubles (about $630 million as of 12 April 2000) in 1999, an increase of 23% since 1998 (in prices indexed for inflation).  Investment totalled 10.6 billion rubles (about $371 million as of 12 April 2000). Export earnings added up to $1.9 billion, including $74 million from NPP electricity exports. Minatom enterprises paid the federal government $1.9 billion in 1999, which equals one quarter of all federal revenues resulting from foreign economic dealings for the year.  The high earnings level allowed Minatom to increase salaries by up to 2,200 rubles (about $77) per month throughout the industry.  Nuclear power generation has also been rising:  Russia's NPPs produced 120 billion kWh in 1999, up 16% from 1998 levels; this is the highest production level since 1991.  Further, Minatom expects the NPPs to produce 130 billion kWh in 2000.
[Mikhail Klasson, "Minatom otchitalsya za proshlyy god," Vremia MN, http://news.mosinfo.ru/news/2000/
VMN/04/data.vm041215.htm]{Entered 5/3/2000 CC}
 
3/31/2000: EXPANDED MINATOM COLLEGIUM EXAMINES NPP ENERGY PRODUCTION, SAFETY
During the Expanded Minatom Collegium, which Snezhinsk (Chelyabinsk-70) hosted on 31 March 2000, President Elect Vladimir Putin, Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy Adamov, and other specialists from Russian nuclear research institutes discussed energy production, safety, and funding at Russia's NPPs. (For details, see the 31 March 2000 entry in the Weapons Facilities and Closed Cities Developments section.) During the open session of the collegium, Putin noted that nuclear energy could become the top priority for further development of the Russian fuel and energy complex; he cited Russia's "unlimited" supply of natural uranium as an advantage enjoyed by Russian NPPs.[1,2] (For more information on Russia's uranium deposits, see the Uranium Mining and Milling Overview.) Adamov predicted that in the next five years, Russian nuclear engineers could increase electricity exports fivefold and electricity production by 80 percent.[3] Although Minatom has drawn up plans to further develop nuclear power engineering, the lack of investment funds has limited Russia's ability to implement these programs. Director of  Elektrostal's Machine Building Plant (MSZ) Valeriy Mezhuyev reported that NPPs paid cash for less than ten percent of the total balance due for fuel rods manufactured at MSZ; the remaining debt was settled via barter arrangements and mutual debt offsets. Gosatomnadzor Chairman Yuriy Vishnevskiy stated that the nuclear energy sector must undergo modernization and security upgrades. In response to calls for the expansion of nuclear power production, he cautioned that it would be very difficult to increase productivity using existing equipment and retain the relatively high safety level at the NPPs.[2]
Sources:
[1] Vladislav Pisanov, "Vozmite primer s Gazproma," Trud, 4 April 2000.
[2] Larisa Aydinova, Valeriy Virkunets, and Gennadiy Voskresenskiy, "My obrecheny razvivat yadernyy kompleks," Vek, No. 14, 7-13 April 2000, p. 8.
[3] Elena Mazanova, "Snezhinskiy forum," Gorodskoy kuryer online edition,  http://www.sarov.nnov.ru/~courier, 6 April 2000. {Entered 7/21/00 SS}
 
11/19/99: RUSSIA CONDUCTS SAFETY EXERCISES TO PREVENT Y2K PROBLEMS
The Russian NPPs have been taking measures to avert potential safety problems that may occur if outdated computer software confuses the date 2000 with 1900, otherwise known as Y2K problems.[1] According to Rosenergoatom, inventory and testing of date-dependent equipment and computer systems at the NPPs did not reveal malfunctions which might jeopardize the units' safe operation.[2] Similarly, the US Department of Energy reported on 19 November 1999 that safety tests of communication systems at the country's NPPs indicated no disruptions.[3] However, Rosenergoatom noted that auxiliary systems, including the monitoring computers, could fail, disrupting heat and electricity supply.[4] For this reason, training sessions to eliminate accidents in the power systems connected with NPPs are being held.[4] Other exercises have focused on preparating the staff for coping with the Y2K problem and recommending means of improved coordination between the individual NPP staff, Rosenergoatom, and other centers.[5] The United States has taken steps to improve the safety of the Russian NPPs [6] and committed money to help Russia adequately prepare for Y2K.[1] In October 1999, US media reports suggested that the Y2K problem might create emergency situations at Russian NPPs. Russian Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy Adamov denied these reports, saying that Minatom inspections indicate that Russian NPPs will face no safety failures.[7]
Sources:
[1] Interfax Communications and Electronics Report for 25-31 August 1999, Vol. 4, Issue 35; in "Communications & Electronics 25-31 Aug," FBIS Document FTS19990830000771.
[2] Viktor Chemodurov, "AES-2000. U.S. Expert Daniel Kouch Is Not Afraid of Spending New Year's Eve in Russia," Rossiyskaya gazeta, 3 November 1999, p. 1; in "More on Kursk N-Station Y2K-Crash Exercise," FBIS Document FTS19991103001120.
[3] Jonathan D. Salant, "Energy Department Says Russian Nuclear Plants Y2K-Ready," Associated Press, 19 November 1999; in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, web.lexis-nexs.com/universe.
[4] Oleg Lebedev, RIA Novosti,  2 November 1999; in "Work on Y2K Continues at Russian Nuclear Power Plants," FBIS Document FTS19991102001057.
[5] Oleg Lebedev, RIA Novosti, 11 October 1999; in "Y2K Exercises at Nuclear Plants End Successfully," FBIS Document FTS19991011000522.
[6] "Y2K or Not, Russian Nuke Plants Need Safety Upgrades," Environment News Service, 30 September 1999, ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-30-06.html.
[7] Anna Varshavskaya, ITAR-TASS, 25 October 1999; in "Minister: Russian Nuclear Plants Will Cope With Y2K," FBIS Document FTS19991025001044. {Entered 12/6/99 SK}
 
7/2/99: RUSSIAN OFFICIALS: MILLENNIUM BUG WILL NOT THREATEN RUSSIAN NUCLEAR ENERGY INDUSTRY
Russian nuclear energy industry officials maintain that the "millennium bug" poses little threat to Russia's nuclear power plants. Sergey Zykov, deputy head of the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) believes that the threat is not serious because Russian NPP safety systems depend on computers much less than western NPPs. According to Zykov, in the worst case scenario the reactors will simply stop.[1] Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Valentin Ivanov promised that Russia's 29 nuclear reactors will be free of the Y2K problem, and there will be no accidents or environmental contamination.[2,3] Ivanov said that the relevant enterprises have received all the necessary instructions and have appointed task forces responsible for nuclear safety. According to Ivanov, control systems are not date-dependent, and only the information and safety computer networks are date-dependent. Ivanov said a total of two hundred computers are to be replaced countrywide. He mentioned that from 21 December 1999 to 10 January 2000 all unscheduled maintenance and adjustment work will be banned.[3] Yuriy Sokolov, Minatom's top official in charge of the Y2K problem, said that experts had already checked 97 percent of the date-sensitive reactor components. Ivanov considers all systems that affect critical reactor operations safe.[2] Sergey Yemelyanov, a senior Minatom official, reported that Russian nuclear energy industry related enterprises had finished initial preparations to readjust equipment and software for the year 2000. Preliminary analyses show that nuclear and other emergencies are not likely. Whatever failures may occur, they will not lead to nuclear catastrophe. The readjustment of Russian NPPs is scheduled to be completed by September 1999.[4] Minatom applied to the Ministry of Finance for $1.8 million to solve the Y2K problem, although Ivanov has little hope of getting the money from the federal budget.[3] According to government estimates, $