MOSCOW, September 10 (Itar-Tass) — Russia earlier invited foreign investors to join the Baltic nuclear power plant project in the Kaliningrad region.
“The implementation of the Baltic NPP project will not only solve energy problems in the Kaliningrad region but will also create additional opportunities for the development of the regional electrical energy market,” Rosatom's Engineering Project Management Department Head Sergei Boyarkin said earlier.
This is the first time Russia invites foreign investors to join in the construction of a nuclear power plant.
“Such a highly profitable project in the centre of Europe as the Baltic nuclear power plant with the cost of electricity of 3 U.S. cents upon commissioning to 1 U.S. cent after depreciation of capital investments will undoubtedly attract the attention of major European companies,” the official said.
Russia offered 49 percent of shares in the Baltic nuclear power plant to foreign investors.
“We would like not only big but also small firms from Lithuania and Poland to take part in the project,” Boyarkin said.
In his opinion, they could build infrastructure and power grids.
“If we agree to balanced operation of energy systems, this will benefit everyone,” he added.
He stressed that environmental requirements used by Russia in the Baltic nuclear power plant project in the Kaliningrad region are stricter than those of the IAEA.
“Russian environment impact assessment requirements are much more stringent than IAEA standards, and these requirements were fully met by the Baltic NPP project,” Boyarkin said.
He believes that electricity to be generated by the Baltic nuclear power plant can be sold to Europe.
Rosatom has made an offer to German energy companies to lay a cable from the future Baltic NPP now under construction along the Nord Stream gas pipeline on the Baltic seabed.
The Baltic NPP in the Kaliningrad region is to be commissioned at the end of this decade. Specialists say that by that time the majority of nuclear power plants in Germany will stop operating. Since the shortage of electricity in that country and prices for consumers will grow, Russian electric power can be the solution.
The Baltic NPP can become a new economic super project for Russia, similar to Nord Stream. Russia has invited foreign investors to join the project.
“The implementation of the Baltic NPP project will not only solve energy problems in the Kaliningrad region but will also create additional opportunities for the development of the regional electrical energy market,” Boyarkin said earlier.
On September 4, 2012, a regular meeting of the construction control panel for Units 1 and 2 of Baltic NPP was held. Before the panel meeting the attendees walked down the construction site and familiarised themselves with the facility construction progress. At present time, work is under way at 20 facilities on the Baltic NPP construction site, including main buildings and 26 temporary facilities in the construction support area.
According to the construction schedule, the work is performed by six earlier engaged organisations and ten newly involved entities of the upper subcontractors’ tier. The August milestones of Unit 1 include completion of the vertical lining of the reactor building foundation plate at elevations –8.730 and 7.500 metres, Rosatom said.
“In September, one of the significant events was the concreting of the auxiliary building walls from elevation – 11.500 up to –8.00 metres. Also, the work continues to excavate the foundation pit of the nuclear island buildings,” Vyacheslav Makhonin, Director of the Baltic Branch, said at the panel meeting.
Valery Limarenko, Director of NIAEP, stressed that the Baltic NPP construction process would become more dynamic. “In the nearest two months, together with Rosenergoatom, we will produce a plan of further increase in the staff and deployment of construction companies on the site. Next year, the work volume will be increased two times, as a minimum,” he said.