Leonid Grigoryev, President of Finance and Energy Institute

– We will certainly build new power plants

This year the authorities of Perm region may start active work for selecting a site for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Perm region. Almost 8mln RUR and 24mln RUR will be allocated for this purpose in 2008 and 2009, respectively.

Today, Russian region are trying to obtain the critical resources they see and are short of. Nuclear power plants are among them. A nuclear power plant is a very complex facility. To build it is not a piece of cake. It needs clear and well-coordinated energy consumption system. Nuclear power plants should be built wherever there is relevant demand. For example, Rusal is going to build two units in Saratov region because there is a big demand for electricity in that region.

One more useful example is Finland, building its new nuclear reactors at the expense of a consortium of consumers. That’s how big power facilities are built today.

The forecasts for electricity consumption in Russia will be changing in line with financial situation in the world but one thing is clear: we will build new power plants.