19 June 2004 20:31
New nuclear reactor a major job provider in Tver Region
[Presenter] Tests of the third power unit have started at Kalininskaya nuclear power station, one of Russia's
largest. [Passage omitted]
[Correspondent, over video of control room operations, captioned Udomlya, Tver Region] This is the dress rehearsal
before the nuclear reactor goes on stream. If no problems arise, the third power unit at Kalininskaya nuclear power
station will be commissioned and fuel can be loaded in August.
[Aleksandr Rumyantsev, head of the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency] So far we are on schedule - touch wood! -
although we have had a lot of difficulties. [Passage omitted]
[Correspondent] Nevertheless, the developers have not exceeded the original cost of the project: R1bn at 1991 prices.
And this is despite the fact that there are now stricter requirements for nuclear reactors.
A unique automatic system for controlling the processes going on within the nuclear reactor will help manage the
third power unit of Kalininskaya nuclear power station. The designers' intention is that this will reduce the
likelihood of any mistake to the minimum. Most elements of this system have never been used in the nuclear power
industry before.
The people who live alongside the nuclear power station, for their part, are not voicing any protests about the
commissioning of the latest nuclear reactor, and are continuing to fish in the lakes round about.
[Stanislav Antipov, director of Kalininskaya nuclear power station] They understand the advantages, understand that
the nuclear station is an environmentally clean facility which absolutely does not pollute the environment.
[Correspondent] They also understand the advantage that with the commissioning of the new power unit, another 1,500
people will get jobs. The average wage at Kalininskaya nuclear power station, incidentally, reaches R12,000 [per month],
and already people in Udomlya are saying that it is time to start building the fourth power unit.
[RTR Russia TV] |
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