OREANDA-NEWS. March 14, 2011. Dmitry Medvedev visited the Sayano-Shushenskaya Hydroelectric Station, where he held a State Council Presidium meeting on developing a more sustainable electricity sector and also met with RUSAL Sayanogorsk Aluminium Smelter and Sayano-Shushenskaya Hydroelectric Station engineers.

The President visited the power station’s turbine hall, where RusHydro CEO Yevgeny Dod briefed him on the repair work and the measures taken to improve the power station’s safety systems.

Accompanied by RUSAL CEO Oleg Deripaska and Sayanogorsk Aluminium Smelter managing director Anton Savchenko, Mr Medvedev visited several of the Sayanogorsk Smelter’s workshops and saw the latest aluminium production technology in use.

Developing engineering education in Russia and raising the prestige of technical professions were the main subjects of discussion at the President’s meeting with the smelter’s engineers and power station workers. Mr Medvedev said he will hold a number of meetings on this subject over the coming month.

The State Council Presidium meeting discussed energy sector infrastructure development and ways to make it more effective. The President drew particular attention to electricity rates and electricity transmission via the various distribution networks in different regions.

The President issued a number of instructions following the meeting. In particular, Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin has been given until March 14, 2011 to submit a report on the draft federal law on protecting energy sector facilities from terrorist attack. The Government has been given a deadline of August 15, 2011 to draw up a comprehensive action plan for introducing advanced technology solutions in the electricity sector.

Earlier, Mr Medvedev also had a working meeting with Head of the Republic of Khakassia Viktor Zimin. The subjects discussed included implementation of investment projects in the region, the employment situation, as well as the repair work at the Sayano-Shushenskaya Hydroelectric Station after the August 2009 accident and the measures taken at regional level to assist the accident victims’ families.