Dmitry Baranov, the Leading Expert of FINAM MANAGEMENT Management Company:

 — Poland and Lithuania do not possess the experience required for NPP construction and this influenced the putting –off.

Khanna Troyanovska, Government Commissioner on the nuclear-power engineering, stated to Polish PAP Press Agency on Aug 12, 2010 that Poland would put in operation the first NPP in the country in 2022, two years later than it had been planned.

Dmitry Baranov, the Leading Expert of FINAM MANAGEMENT Management Company:

Postponing of the NPP commissioning date is quite typical for Poland and Lithuania. Obviously, the financial crisis introduced its changes in the plans and influenced the delay. Although, the major factor which affected the change of commissioning data is inexperience of these countries in NPP construction sphere.

It is possible that other technical or management problems might appear at later stages of NPP construction to put NPP commissioning dates in Poland and Lithuania repeatedly off which might threaten energy shortfall for these countries.

Under these circumstances, accession to the Russian project of the Baltic NPP construction in the Kaliningrad Region appears to be the most economically viable decision for Poland and Lithuania. Except that the NPP construction has already been started, its capacity enables to export some energy so that these countries could solve their potential problem of energy shortfall.

Furthermore, accession to the Russian project of the Baltic NPP construction would be cheaper for Poland and Lithuania than construction of their own NPPs. It is important to note that investors who join in with the project in the Kaliningrad Region will possess absolutely the same rights as Russia does. All costs and revenues will be allocated in strict adherence to the project parties’ shares.

Informational disclosure of Russia and its readiness to share its many years’ experience of NPP operation with partners might become an additional argument to induce Poland and Lithuania to access to the Baltic NPP construction. Polish and Lithuanian specialists could obtain required experience in the sphere of NPP design, construction and operation to use it at NPP construction in their countries in the future.

There is nothing to do but to hope that sensible majority of these countries will adopt a better decision and insist on the accession to the Baltic NPP construction project.