Daily roundup from Russia - February 19

Kostroma - The Nuclear is Out There

Kostroma local deputies are discussing the possibility to remove the moratorium on nuclear reactor construction in this historical region close to Moscow.

"Citizens of Buya district are for the NPP construction. They are always asking - why do not you do no activities to start this project? Therefore, the deputies initiate the hearing about the possible future NPP in our region," says head of Buya municipality Vyacheslav Yagodin.

The members of economical commission of Kostroma parliament support the Buya initiative. However, they avoid any univocal statements remembering the waves of anti-nuclear protests in mid-90^th. "We do not want to decide if we need to have the NPP in Kostroma region. The experts will do, not us. Today we are talking only that the proper experts shall start their investigations in our region," says Serguey Galichev, vice-speaker of Kostroma parliament.

The Rosatom - Russian state nuclear agency - considers a possibility to build NPP in Buya district till 2020. However, Kostroma citizens and deputies have to win the strong rivalry with their neighbors from Yaroslavl and Vologda regions.

Russian capital joining hands to Russian nuclear industry

One more nuclear-financial alliance happens to Russia now - TENEX uranium company signs a cooperation agreement with Gazprombank.

Gazprombank, which is already linked to Atomstroyexport and OMZ nuclear companies, will support the investment programs of TENEX directed toward the expansion of uranium export and development of uranium mining and milling both in Russia and abroad.

Last year, Gazprombank gave to different Russian nuclear companies over 1.1 billion dollars.

Private sector will come to Russian uranium mines

TENEX company starts to distribute the uranium mines between the private investors who will help to develop it and expand the extraction of uranium ore.

Up to now, the only official memorandum is signed with the Renova company. Among possible future private partners of TENEX, one can find such famous groups as Mitsui (Japan), Polus Zoloto and the Russian steel tycoon Vasiliy Anisimov.

The private sector will pay most of the expenses needed for the mine development and the governmental companies will sell the uranium given back the stipulated part of benefit to their private partners. Most probably, the private sector will also have possibility to sell the associated mineral resources independently.

SOURCE: AtomInfo.Ru

DATE: Feb 19, 2007

Topics: NPP, Russia, Uranium