OREANDA-NEWS. The launch of the unit is scheduled for 2009, the director of Rostekhnadzor Konstantin Pulikovsky said during his visit to the plant on Tuesday.

Pulikovsky inspected the operating unit 1 and the construction of the new unit 2. The current license is valid till Dec 1 2007. So, Rostekhnadzor is already considering its prolongation.

During the visit Pulikovsky met with the management of Rosenergoatom, the operator of all NPPs in Russia. He pointed out that each year Rostekhnadzor inspectors find less and less deficiencies in the work of the REA NPPs and Volgodonsk NPP, in particular. “Rostov NPP is very safe and observes all radiation and nuclear safety rules,” Pulikovsky said.

The visit was part of Pulikovsky’s tour of Southern Federal District of the Russian Federation. The objective of the visit was to check up the work of the Agency’s inspectors.

“Our inspectors are well trained for all types of inspections - be it ecology, construction or nuclear sector. I am glad to see that the inspectors working at Volgodonsk NPP are young as most of our inspectors are of pre-retirement age,” Pulikovsky said. He pointed out that the number of Rostekhnadzor inspectors at the REA NPPs will be increased.

Volgodonsk NPP is the youngest NPP in Russia - its first 1000 MW unit was launched in 2001. The construction of the second 1000 MW unit is being financed by the Government under the Federal Target Program for the Development of the Nuclear Power Industry of Russia in 2007-2010 and -2015. In 2007-2009 the project will receive over 30bln RUR (23bln RUR from the budget). This year the project will get 12.5bln RUR (7.5bln RUR from the budget).