OREANDA-NEWS. On August 19, 2009 A roundtable on environmental impact assessment of the Baltic NPP project took place in Sovetsk. Representatives of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, Atomenergoprom OJSC, Energoatom Concern, St.Petersburg Atomenergoproekt, the administration of Sovetsk district of Kaliningrad region, members of the Legislative Assembly of Sovetsk, residents of the city took part in the discussion, reported the press-centre of Minatom.

The keynote speaker was Deputy Director General of Energoatom Concern OJSC Sergey Boyarkin.

He said that Baltic NPP was a serial project. One more such project is already underway at Leningrad NPP-2. This is an evolutionary version of the project realized by the Russians in China (Tianwan NPP). The general designer of the project is St.Petersburg Atomenergoproekt. Baltic NPP will consist of two 1,170MW reactors. The plant will produce 17.4bln KWh a year and will employ 1,100 people. At its peak time the construction will involve as many as 8,000 people. The 1st unit is to be launched in 2016, the 2nd unit in 2018.

The exploration work and the first stage of the feasibility study are over. The environmental impact assessment of the project has already been discussed in public. The first stage of the design work will be finished in Sept. In Dec the constructors expect to receive Rostekhnazor’s license for allocation.

In Oct 2009 they will apply for construction license and expect to receive it in July 2010.

By the end of 2010 the project will involve 1,500 constructors, at the peak time – as many as 8,000 people.

One of the key topics was the possible impact of the NPP on the health of the population and the cancer rate in the region. The Federal Medical Biological Agency says that the average cancer rate in the territories near nuclear power plants is lower than the average rate in the other parts of the host regions. This is due to the higher quality of medical service in the NPP zones.

As regards personnel training, Boyarkin said that Energoatom Concern was interested in recruiting local residents. For this purpose the Concern will create a special personnel training system: a special college for training operators for the future plant.

Deputy Head of the Government of Kaliningrad region Yury Shalimov said that they had adopted a development program comprising sub-programs to develop tourist and recreation zones in the territory of the region. Presently, the local authorities are modernizing Khrabrovo airport, Primoskoye Koltso high voltage line, building infrastructure in Pionersky and Yantarny. Most of the projects are being implemented in the west of the region. So, the key problem for the moment is to develop the eastern part of the region. The Baltic NPP project will help in this matter. It will help to develop not only the construction sector but also the systems of education, personnel training and the services sector.

When asked “What will the nearby district get from the NPP?” Shalimov said that many Russian regions were competing for the right to build a nuclear power plant. The key reason is that an NPP is a source of taxes and new jobs.