Aleksey Grazhdankin, Deputy Director of Levada-Center

– The key reason for improving attitude towards nuclear energy is the social benefits of NPP construction projects

Public hearings on the preliminary environmental impact assessment of the construction and operation of the 1st and 2nd units of Nizhniy Novgorod Nuclear Power Plant took place in Navashino, Nizhniy Novgorod region on Sept 4 2009.

I don’t know what exactly has been happening in that district. I am not following the situation. The change is substantial but not drastic. Lots of things might have changed since 2007. In the last years the general attitude towards nuclear energy in Russia has seriously improved. People have overcome the syndrome of Chernobyl and are sowing positive attitude towards nuclear energy. For 5–6 years after Chernobyl the attitude was very negative but later it became more tolerant and is such for the moment.

The key reason for this improvement is the social benefits of NPP construction projects.

Nizhniy Novgorod NPP is a serial project. A similar project is presently being implemented at Novovoronezh NPP-2. The general designer is Nizhniy Novgorod Atomenergoproekt (part of Atomenergoprom), the owner is Energoatom Concern OJSC (100% subsidiary of Atomenergoprom OJSC).

The plant will have two 1,170MW reactors and will generate over 17bln KWh a year and employ as many as 1,000 people. At the peak time the construction will involve as many as 8,000 people. The 1st reactor is supposed to be launched in 2017. The plant will be situated in Navashino district of Nizhniy Novgorod region.

The analysis of the power and capacity balance in Nizhniy Novgorod region has shown that in 2007 the region was short of 1,800MW while in 2020 it will need as much as 4,000MW.

This is a socially significant project: it will give the region 40bln RUR in profit tax, 50bln RUR in property tax, 1bln RUR in land tax and 50bln RUR in transport tax.