Leonid Bolshov, director of the Institute of Nuclear Safety (IBRAE):

— In general, judging by the industry one can see that there were not only some particular breakthroughs on a single project or a single laboratory, but on the contrary- 2009 is characterized by a strong movement forward on all fronts.

Leonid Bolshov, director of the Institute of Nuclear Safety (IBRAE):

— This year made us happy first of all due to starting of the new program «New technology platform». This means that in addition to presentation what has been done previously, we have the opportunity to step forward in the budgetary and extra budgetary spheres. In this regard, the fact of entering of private business in nuclear power was symbolic, I mean establishing of a joint venture of Rosatom and the En + Group to commercialize the technology of lead-bismuth reactor for low energy. This is certainly a significant event and we are invited to participate in the justification of the reactor safety along with all other things that we do – in respect to safety of water-moderated reactors, to their improving etc. Also, we are preparing now to work on the federal target program «New technology platform» which I have already mentioned.

Another equally important event is that the law on radioactive wastes handling, in amendment drafting of which our institute participated, has finally got through the government and is submitted to the Duma. Certainly, there is much work to discuss this law in the various committees of the State Duma and the Federation Council. But the most critical moment of the approval by the Government and submitting to the parliament has been passed. There is confidence that in the first half of 2010 we will finally get the working law that would eliminate public concerns about radioactive wastes — one of the brakes for the development of nuclear energy. In general, judging by the industry one can see that there were not only some particular breakthroughs on a single project or a single laboratory, but on the contrary- 2009 is characterized by a strong movement forward on all fronts.

They commissioned nuclear power plants, for example, remember the first criticality of the second reactor of Rostov nuclear power plant — this is a very nice event. We all know that starting up of the third power unit of Kalinin NPP was one big headache. So, the fact that the Rostov-2 is a little easier than the Kalinin-3, it is inspiring.

By a range of the issues one can be see that the industry is making great progress. At the beginning of this stage of development of nuclear energy, we were reproached that everything in the country is destroyed, mechanical engineering has had it, like about which several power units per year you can talk … But now it is clear that orders of nuclear power energy can restore the industry to life and put life into it, giving the opportunity for modernization and development. We make sure that this development was not a monopoly one  — so this year we can recall establishment of a joint ventures with Alstom and Siemens as well. So there is progress on a broad front. I am very proud that on a number of sites of this front our institute gives a real and substantial support to Russia’s atomic energy.