BAKU, Azerbaijan, Apr. 17
By Ilkin Seyfaddini – Trend:
Rosatom offers Uzbekistan a technology that has already proved its reliability not only in Russia, but also in such countries as Finland, Hungary, Turkey, India, Bangladesh, China and others, a representative of the Rosatom Central Asia Office in Uzbekistan, told Trend in an interview.
Two years ago, Russia and Uzbekistan signed an agreement on cooperation in the construction of nuclear power plant - a complex of two units of generation "3 +" with VVER-1200 reactor units. In October 2018, the presidents of both countries launched the project.
"The VVER-1200 type power unit is an evolutionary technology that uses the most advanced safety systems, has four safety barriers and uses active and passive safety systems. A characteristic feature of passive systems is their ability to work in a situation where there is no power supply and no operator is involved," the rep noted.
According to him, Generation 3+ technologies are able to ensure the safety of the station even in the most extreme conditions and do not harm the environment. Today these are the safest modern nuclear technologies in the world, which, in particular, is confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
"The innovative Generation 3+ power unit with VVER-1200 reactor has a number of advantages that significantly improve its economic performance and safety. The capacity of the reactor unit has increased by 20 percent, the number of operating personnel has been reduced by 30-40 percent, the design life of the main equipment has been doubled and is 60 years with the possibility of extension for another 20 years," said the rep.
According to him, the VVER-1200 project is successfully operating in Russia - at the Leningrad and Novovoronezh nuclear power plants.
"Given the international experience of building Russian nuclear power plants, it has been calculated that $1 invested in Uzbekistan's nuclear power plant under the Rosatom project, which includes two VVER-1200 reactors and localisation at 20-30 percent, could bring $1.9 to local suppliers, $4.3 to GDP and $1.4 to the Uzbek budget in tax revenues," said representative of corporation's press service.
He noted that the modern NPP creates jobs in high-tech industries and related sectors. According to Rosatom's estimates, one job at the existing NPP, on average, creates up to 10 jobs in infrastructure: builders, maintenance personnel, scientists, maintenance personnel, etc.
"This is an incentive for local residents to get education, a prestigious job and confidence in the future," said the rep.
In addition to all the above, Rosatom fuel company TVEL supplies nuclear fuel for the VVR-SM research reactor at the site of the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP) of the Uzbek Academy of Sciences.
On 15 April 2019, Rusatom Healthcare, the industry complex Rusatom International Network and the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan signed a memorandum on cooperation in the field of radiation technologies and nuclear medicine.
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