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Fukushima disaster not discredit atomic energy

Georgy Karzov, deputy CEO of the Central Research Institute of Structural Materials “Prometey”, is convinced in ecological cleanness of nuclear energy when properly used

ST PETERSBURG, June 19 (Itar-Tass) - The Fukushima disaster does not discredit nuclear power engineering, said Georgy Karzov, deputy CEO of the Central Research Institute of Structural Materials “Prometey”.

Nuclear power engineering cannot be ruled out of energy sources, Karzov said. He is convinced in ecological cleanness of nuclear energy “if it is used properly”. The scientist also stressed that there was no alternative to its use.

Speaking at a press conference, Karzov said the Fukushima disaster proved incorrect actions in critical situation.

He said, for example, Russian specialists had advised to open units’ covers in order to prevent hydrogen explosion.

The scientist said he is sure that the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on April 26, 1986 “gave good lessons” for Russia’s nuclear industry and for the staff of every nuclear power station. He noted that Russia conducted permanent trainings to prevent critical situations and studied possibilities to avoid them.

“Of course, the science and industry work hard to prevent such situations. That is why Russia’s nuclear power engineering is the most reliable industry in the world,” Karzov said.

He expressed scepticism over plans by certain European countries to give up peaceful nuclear energy in full and start using renewable energy sources - the sun and the water. “Germans decided to install solar arrays in Africa and generate cheap electricity. But the Algerian authorities told them: ‘You paid Russia for gas and oil and let you pay us for the sun. Thus, discussions came to nought,” the Russian scientist said.

He noted that Sweden’s attempts to use rivers’ courses saw no alternative to nuclear energy because the water resources turned out to be insufficient in order to meet energy needs.

On June 12, Karzov received the State Prize in the Kremlin for making new steel due to be used in nuclear power engineering.