— I should think this sharp turn towards the output increase of the active NPPs and the launch of the new facilities was partly stimulated by the meeting of Barack Obama and our President Dmitriy Medvedev.

The United States of America plan to increase the power output of the active reactors at Turkey Point and St. Lucie NPPs along with construction of the new reactors at Turkey Point. It should be mentioned that before the US President Barack Obama came to power he had been a strong supporter of purely “green” power industry.

Yuriy Dragunov, Director General of NIKIET, Doctor of Engineering Science, Professor:

I should think this sharp turn towards the output increase of the active NPPs and the launch of the new facilities was partly stimulated by the meeting of Barack Obama and our President Dmitriy Medvedev. That time they reached an agreement on collaboration and outlined a Joint operating plan in the nuclear power industry. Obama has developed correct understanding of the situation, for the current world tendency proves there is no way to escape the nuclear power engineering. I guess, his election manifesto aimed at getting the votes of the “green”. While, in fact, there is a need in the nuclear power engineering, which has to be developed. The situation in this area is much worse in the US than here, providing it was quite a long time ago when they last had their new NPPs constructed or designed. At the meetings of the scientific laboratory directors they were quite direct about the time lost in many aspects even on the design basis. When they stopped developing the nuclear power engineering, people left and they lost their potential. So, the efforts they make to increase the power output prove that Barack Obama has developed a better understanding of the power-generation process.

Although, on the other hand, the American power plants are authorized to make an economically feasible decision to increase the power output providing safety justification (for they are not directly dependent on the government). So, no inconsistencies may be found here.

It is clear, the nuclear power engineering gains more appeal for it generates environmentally friendly, relatively cheap energy, which is safe according to the current security standard. This fact has been generally accepted. The plans for mass usage of eco-friendly electric cars that could be recharged with cheap NPP-generated power during the nighttime are also well-known. Therefore, the American firms seem to be rather active, promoting their project in China aiming further to introduce it in other locations of the world.

NOTE:

On October 16 the Commission of Florida Public Utility Services (USA) allowed two major energy-generating companies to collect over $270 mln.US dollars from the tax-payers in 2010 in the framework of an advance payment scheme to be invested in construction of the new NPPs, scheduled for commissioning in the following decade. To be more specific, they plan on construction of the fifth and sixth power-generating units at Turkey Point NPP and the power output increase at the active third and fourth power-generating units at Turkey Point NPP and the first and the second power-generating units at St. Lucie. It is expected both newly-built reactors with the total capacity of 2,200–2,300 MW at Turkey Point NPP will be launched in 2018 and 2020, respectively.

In addition, the Commission made a positive resolution on $207 mln. US dollars invested in construction of the first and second power- generating units at Levy NPP and the active reactor power output increase at Crystal River NPP to be compensated by Progress Energy Florida company. It is expected, the first and the second power-generating units at Levy NPP will be launched in 2016 and 2017, respectively.