Belene - talks continue to prepare General Contract
JSC Atomstroyexport and National Energy Committee of Bulgaria continue their conversations in order to prepare the General Contract for NPP Belene construction in Bulgaria.
Last month, the Russian and Bulgarian experts discussed the NPP designing, project management, integration of the equipment stored in Belene site and other important questions.
The Atomstroyexport's partner - Atomenergoproject Moscow - is starting to develop the Belene NPP general layout.
JSC Atomstroyexport has been announced as a winner of the international bid to construct two reactor units in Bulgaria. The selected type of reactors is the VVER-1000 (NPP-92 model).
One more nuclear power plant for Kalinin?
One more nuclear power plant is needed in Tver region in order to supply Moscow and St.-Petersburg, Tver's governor Dimitry Zelenin said.
The existing Kalinin NPP with three VVER-1000 reactor is situated in Udomlya town, which is located between Moscow and St.-Petersburg. One can equally distribute the power from additional reactors on Kalinin NPP between the central and north-western energy grids of Russia, Zelenin said.
The construction of Kalinin's forth reactor is already started, but this is not enough, Zelenin argues. He proposes to consider the Kalinin-2 nuclear plant with four VVER-1000 reactors.
Komy-Permyak people afraid of assimilation if Perm NPP would be constructed
The local governor's plans to revive the Perm NPP, which has been cancelled after dissolution of the Soviet Union, cause some fears among Komy-Permyak population, small Finno-Ugric minority in the basin of the Kama River.
The opponents say that over 70,000 workers and their families would be needed to construct, operate, maintain and support the Perm NPP. All of them will come in Komy-Permyak region outside because the local people do not have nuclear knowledge and experience.
Such crowd of newcomers will dilute the region with 132,000 population, and Komy-Permyak people may be completely assimilated.
However, the Russian nuclear agency (Rosatom) does not confirm any rumors regarding possible Perm NPP revival. Some observers believe that famous "oligarch" Viktor Vekselberg could be behind the proponents of nuclear future for Komy-Permyak region.
SOURCE: AtomInfo.Ru
DATE: Feb 13, 2007