Czech public representatives visited Novovoronezh NPP

11-2-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — On the 30^th of January, 2013, members of the Czech public visited operating Unit 5 of Novovoronezh NPP and Unit 1 of Novovoronezh NPP Phase II, which is under construction. The delegation included Czech journalists, students and experts.

The tour was organized under the aegis of ROSATOM and Consortium MIR.1200. Its goal was to provide exhaustive information about operation of Novovoronezh NPP, construction progress of Unit 1 of Novovoronezh NPP Phase II and methods applied to create favorable public attitudes in the NPP host region.

Nuclear workers of Novovoronezh NPP told the Czech guests about the half a century experience in safe operation of NPPs, VVER reactor operation principles, high level of the safety systems and reliability, lessons the Russian nuclear workers learned from the events at Fukushima-Daiichi NPP, and a tenfold increase in safety of Unit 5 after it had been upgraded in 2011.

The delegates toured to the main control room, turbine island and full-scale simulator of Unit 5, which is a unique and mandatory technical aid for training and maintaining skills of the plant operators. The guests everywhere pointed out cleanness, orderliness and high quality of the equipment servicing.

František Petružálek, the Editor-in-Chief of the Czech science and practice magazine ENERGETIKA, believes that the world community today shows interest in the nuclear power development. The Czech Republic plans to build two more units at Temelin NPP. The option of units based on VVER-1200 technology is considered. Such reactor is being built on the site of Novovoronezh NPP Phase II. Today, over 60% of the Czech public support nuclear power development.

At a meeting with the delegates Yuri Pegusov, Head of Novovoronezh municipality and head of the Public Information Center of Novovoronezh NPP told the Czech journalists about investments in new quality of living in the NPP satellite-cities. He emphasized that agreements were signed between ROSATOM and top officials of some Russian Federal Subjects fixing intentions to use additional tax payments of the nuclear industry enterprises to raise living standards in the “nuclear” cities.

Already this year under such an agreement the budgets of the city of Novovoronezh and Kashira District, which hosts the construction of the new reactors, will receive additional tax payments worth RUB 540 million to be used for implementation of social, cultural and infrastructural facilities.

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