OREANDA-NEWS. The shell of the reactor system of unit 2 of Volgodonsk NPP will be installed on Oct 1 2007, the deputy director general of Rosenergoatom Concern-the director of Volgodonsk NPP Alexander Palamarchuk and the head of the Information and PR Center of Rosenergoatom Concern Ashot Alexandrovich Nasibov said while giving a press-conference in the framework of the first press-tour of Volgodosnk NPP for the mass media of Rostov region, reported the press-centre of Volgodonsk NPP.

The subject of the press-tour was “The Implementation of the Federal Target Program for the Development of the Nuclear Power Industry in the Southern Federal District: The Prospects of the Further Construction of Volgodonsk NPP.”

A group of 30 journalists from ITAR-TASS, Don-TR, Interfax-South, Vecherny Rostov, Vecherny Volgodonsk, Tribuna-Yug,Argumenti Nedeli, Priazovsky Krai, Molot, Nashe Vremya and other media visited the site of unit 2 and the control board of unit 1.

During a 1.5-hour press-conference after the visit Palamarchuk and Nasibov told the journalists about the construction of unit 2, the social policies of Volgodonsk NPP, the BN-800 project, information terrorism, etc. Palamarchuk pointed out that unit 2 was the first project under the Federal Target Program. He said that the new operational headquarters of the project, formed as a result of the change of the general contractor, started its work on Aug 6 2007.

“The men of the news machine.” That’s how Nasibov called the journalists, while opening the press-conference. He said that they were free to ask any kinds of questions they liked — from “How is the construction going?” to “What an influence do the stars have on human fate?” “The point is that you should know what an answer you are expecting to receive,” Nasibov said, implying that journalists must know their priorities.

In his welcoming speech, Palamarchuk pointed out that the press-tour preceded the Day of the Constructor, a very significant day for nuclear power engineers and for Volgodonsk as a city of constructors. “This city is developing very dynamically, and the profession of constructor is not something abstract here: each local family has a constructor, somebody who has built the local chemical factory, Atommash or Volgodonsk NPP. I am proud to work at the junction of two professions – constructor and nuclear power engineer. I am happy at any opportunity to welcome constructors and, today, I would like to use this particular occasion to wish the constructors of unit 2 health, happiness and success. I very much hope that this project will give them not only moral satisfaction but also financial benefit.”

Palamarchuk pointed out that the mass media have a big influence on the public opinion: “I think that today’s press-tour will become a bridge of understanding between media representatives and nuclear power engineers. I hope that you will make our decisions more comprehensible for the wide public. Today, we are starting a large-scale development program and I would like to note that unit 2 of Volgodonsk NPP is the first step under this program. The financing is very big but the deadlines are rather pressing. Still I am sure we can meet them. In fact, our industry is resurrecting. We are just embarking on the road that will lead us to eight simultaneous constructions in 2015 and two new constructions a year starting from 2012. This program can be compared with the one implemented in the Soviet times when our nuclear power industry was at its height. Today, we are a bit behind the schedule but Rosatom has already taken relevant measures. They have set up a managing company on the basis of Nizhniy Novgorod Atomenergoproject and have reviewed the structure of its relations with the contractor organizations. They have made contracts with both the managing company and the contractor organizations. The owner of the project is Rosenergoatom Concern. That is, Rosatom has taken a complex measures to revive and develop the nuclear power plant building complex. I am sure that this will help us to attain our goals. Today, we are 20 days behind the schedule, but the deadline – Oct 1 2007, when we are to install the reactor – has not been changed. Today, almost all we need is available. We have certain problems with the deliveries of pipelines and cables but we are trying to solve them.”  

The journalists were very much interested in the cost of the project.

Palamarchuk said: “The total cost is 23bln RUR. In 2007 we are to spend 6bln RUR. To do it, we need to spend 360mln RUR a month starting from September. We are spending both federal funds and Rosenergoatom’s resources allocated for development and included in the cost of KWh.”

The journalists were aware that since recently Palamarchuk has been combining two jobs: he is the director of Volgodonsk NPP and the director of the Department for Construction of Rostov NPP. Palamarchuk explained: “We have set up a managing company and have provided it with full authority over the project. In fact, this is the first time we are applying this mechanism. This is a long way. We could have gone by different – revolutionary – way, but Rosatom and Rosenergoatom preferred to give the powers gradually: first, in order to guarantee safety and, second, in order to increase our personnel. It’s not a secret that, today, our construction complex is running increasingly short of highly-qualified workers. I think that by 2009 the nuclear power industry will have a managing company that will be fully responsible for NPP construction and will be able to implement “turn-key” projects in the sphere.

Nasibov told the journalists about the organizational and structural changes in Rosenergoatom. He said that the industry will be reorganized by the first quarter of 2008, at the latest. Rosenergoatom will be turned into a JSC and incorporated into Atomenergoprom, a holding that will embrace all companies operating in the nuclear power industry – from uranium mining to electricity production and NPP construction. “Our goal is to put everything into one hand,” Nasibov said.

A total of 1,5 trl RUR will be allocated for NPP construction by 2015: half of the money will be provided by the Government, the other half – by Rosenergoatom. After 2015 the Government will stop financing NPP construction and Rosenergoatom will start building plants on its own. In 2015–2025 it will have to start, at least, three projects a year. “This is a hard job and it may prove even harder if our machine builders fail to make three reactors a year. We have enough money but we can’t spend it: we don’t have sufficient construction capacities. We lost them in the 1990s. And now we have lots of projects: and not only in Rosatom, but also in RAO UES and Gazprom. We can buy equipment abroad, but the head of Rosatom Sergey Kiriyenko has made it clear that we should give preference to Russian equipment. Besides, foreign companies are facing similar problems. Even Electricite de France – a company that has won a number of tenders in Europe – has problems with personnel.”

“The practice has shown that in our country electricity consumption is growing much quicker than we expected some four years ago. Your region [Rostov] is a kind of gates into the North Caucasus. The industry there is not big but energy consumption is growing by as much as 10% a year, which means that people there are beginning to live better, they need bigger refrigerators, air conditioners, warm floors in bath rooms, etc.. Meanwhile, Central and Western Russia, Ural and Siberia are experiencing industrial boom.”

The following question was about the quality of equipment for NPPs.

Palamarchuk said: “We have revised the Soviet-time quality system and have placed it under close government control. This is not our demand. This is required by the law. This system is based on the principle of control exercised by the state, Rosatom, Rosenergoatom and NPPs on a daily basis.” “Quality, efficiency and safety are our top priorities. Our quality control system is controlled by the state and the state is satisfied with how we control our quality.”

Nasibov said that the suppliers of equipment for NPPs are experienced and tested companies with all necessary licenses. Before ordering important equipment we send inspectors to supplier companies.  

The journalists were concerned to learn that, presently, Russia is running short of gas. The country has made two big contracts for supplying gas to Western Europe (100bln c m) and China (80bln c m). “While we are building necessary pipelines the gas is growing in price. We have no more rivers for water power plants. Coal power plants are ecologically unsafe and economically unprofitable. So, our only alternative is NPPs – particularly, fast-breeder reactors. We are the leaders in the sphere. Today, our Beloyarsk NPP is the only NPP in the world having such a reactor and it is going to have more under the federal target program.”

Today, the world is beginning to realize that nuclear power engineering must be developed. Russian regions are standing in queue for NPPs as NPPs mean new jobs and social benefits. Today, Russian NPPs are among the best in the world. And they are certainly the safest.

Palamarchuk said that in NPP zones you will seldom hear allegations about incidents. In fact, people there trust NPPs and local media help to build this confidence. The journalists agreed with him.

But they still insisted: “But the risk is present, isn’t it?” “Yes, it is and we need a law on compensation for such risks. It must be a professional and socially responsible product.” 

After the tour the journalists were taken to the recreation center of Volgodonsk NPP “Belaya Vezha” for an informal dialogue with specialists of the plant.