Artur Babushkin, Vice Chairman of Legislative Assembly of Tver region

– Key investments received by Tver region are money on construction of NPP

Public hearings on the preliminary environmental impact assessment of the project to build and operate the 1st and 2nd units of Tver Nuclear Power Plant will take place in Udomlia, today, July 8 2009. Tver NPP will have two units with a total capacity of 2,340MW. Its prototype is Novovoronezh NPP-2. The position of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation is to build nuclear power plants only after receiving the approval of the public. The hearings are the result of two-month work to collect public views and recommendations. Within a month after the hearings each citizen will be able to familiarize himself with the environmental impact assessment materials and to submit his proposals and remarks.

The hearings were held on quite a high level. Everything was very democratic. It is very good that Rosatom coordinates its decisions with the population. It is a complex question. I am not authorized to speak on behalf of the Government of Tver region but I know that they support this project. Today, Udomlia is the center of nuclear power engineers of Tver region. Nuclear energy is a big benefit for the region. It gives us serious budgetary revenues — something we need very much especially now in the face of crisis. I can say that the key investments our region receives are the money on the construction of NPP. We must respect the viewpoint of the opponents of the project. I very much hope that Rosatom will consider all recommendations and remarks and will draw necessary conclusions.

I think that we need this project as it will give us not only budgetary revenues but also jobs and will help us to improve our employment situation. We hope that the new plant will employ the specialists trained by our local universities. I also hope that Rosatom will spend money on the development of Udomlia’s infrastructure – something they traditionally do wherever they build nuclear facilities.