Semyon Dragulsky, Director General of Russian Energy Efficiency Union

– Success of Russian nuclear industry will help Russia to confirm its leadership on the foreign nuclear market

The Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine has approved the decision of the tender commission to proclaim Atomstroyexport as the winner of the right to finish the construction of the 3rd and 4th units of Khmelnitsky NPP. As of today, the readiness of the 3rd unit is 75%, the 4th unit – 28%. The energy development strategy of Ukraine stipulates that the reactors should be ready by 2016.

The decision of the Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine is quite logical. It will save the Ukrainians a lot of money and time. Atomstroyexport’s project is based on WWER-1000 reactor, which means that Khmelnitsky NPP will have reactors of one type, which implies single operation and safety control and fueling by single Russian supplier. Since only Russia and Czech Skoda own WWER technology, it was our key advantage at the tender.

The second advantage for Ukraine is the price: our rivals would not be able to finish the construction, they would have to build the reactors anew and, consequently, to spend much more money on them. Even though there are examples when a plant started by one company was finished by another (Bushehr NPP where Kraftwerk Union A.G. was replaced by Atomstroyexport), the Ukrainians showed a pragmatic approach and opted for a single supplier of technologies and services. They preferred not to mix up politics with economy and to save money. The Ukrainians have shown good sense. Atomstroyexport is really able to carry this project through.

The success of Russian nuclear industry will help Russia to confirm its leadership on the foreign nuclear market and Ukraine — to get modern reactors by 2016. This contract will have a positive effect on the economic and political cooperation between Ukraine and Russia.