Leonid Bolshov, Director of Nuclear Safety Institute

– Such investments in nuclear industry are guarantee of preservation of our advanced technologies and leadership on nuclear energy market

In 2009 the Government of Russia will allocate almost $4.5bln for the support of the national nuclear industry, Vice Premier of Russia-Head of the Staff of the Government of Russia Sergey Sobyanin said during Atomexpo forum. He said that nuclear energy was one of the key priorities of the Russia-Europe cooperation. Director General of Rosatom Sergey Kiriyenko said that despite its focus on national equipment Rosatom was open for international partnership and was ready to take part in international projects on parity basis. Rosatom supposes that the demand for electricity will be restored in no earlier than two years and, therefore, is revising its NPP construction plans: now, we are planning to start building two reactors a year in 2014–2015.

Such governmental investments in the nuclear industry are quite justified. Let’s remember that Barack Obama, the president of a country that is also experiencing the crisis and, in fact, was its cradle, has said that they are redoubling their financing of science so as to be ahead of the whole world. Today, nuclear industry is one of the few high-tech sectors in Russia. We are keeping pace with the world’s leaders and are even ahead of them in some aspects. Now that we are experiencing a crisis and that everything is going to pieces, we must do our best not to lose this sector. We may fall behind very quickly as the world is actively developing nuclear energy despite the crisis. We must do the same.

We can well rely on our national capacities in developing nuclear energy. We have lots of good things. The main thing we must do is enhance the efficiency of labor, improve our organization and reduce our costs, i.e. eliminate the obstacles that prevent us from being on top. Let’s hope that reliance on the national producer is not just a statement but will some day become a reality.

Such investments in nuclear industry are a guarantee of preservation of our advanced technologies and leadership on the nuclear energy market. As soon as we achieve this goal, we will get all the rest: contracts, money, jobs – and not only in the nuclear sector.

The postponement of the deadlines of NPP construction projects is quite justified. The offer must be determined by the demand rather than some directives.