Yevgeny Burlakov, director of Design Activities and Nuclear Reactors Department of Kurchatov Institute

– 2007 was quite eventful

First of all, I would like to point out the completion of the legislative reforms in the nuclear industry. As a member of the State Duma’s expert council for nuclear energy, I can say that the authors of the laws on the establishment of Atomenergoprom and Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation worked really hard. Our council met more than 10 times in two years. I am sure that this reform will shortly yield results.

Second, I would like to point out Russia’s active work to introduce high technologies in the world economy: we have built the 1st and 2nd units of Tianwan NPP in China, have made a contract for building the 3rd and 4th units of that plant, we also have contracts with India and the Czech Republic. We have established an international uranium enrichment center in Angarsk. 

Third, in 2007 we launched a system for treatment of liquid radioactive waste at Kola NPP. The problem of liquid radioactive waste, solid radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel has been exaggerated by the greens and ecologists. Today, we have new effective technologies for compacting liquid and solid radioactive waste and are actively applying them at nuclear power plants.

And the last event I would like to point out is Rosatom’s projects for designing modern reactors under international agreements and national programs. I think that the past year was successful and I am optimistic about the future.