Russia Plans to Significantly Increase Nuclear Power Generation Capacity

Russia plans to significantly increase its nuclear power generation capacity by building two nuclear reactors per year by 2015 and increasing their number to four per year by 2020. According to the federal government plan, Russia will build two 10-gigawatt nuclear reactors every year. By 2015, the government will have provided 674 trillion rubles ($26 billion) in funding for this purpose.

Comprehensive foreign news reported on March 16 that Russian government officials said on the 16th that Russia will build two nuclear reactors per year by 2015, and increase the number to four per year by 2020, thereby significantly increasing nuclear power generation capacity.

First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov, who is expected to run for president in 2008, said Russia should not rely solely on the exploitation of oil, gas and other energy reserves.

He said the need to diversify energy sources was clear.

Russia currently has 31 nuclear reactors at 10 nuclear power plants, accounting for about 16% to 17% of its electricity generation. President Vladimir Putin has called for increasing the share of nuclear power generation to at least 25% by 2030.

Ivanov pointed out that according to the federal government plan, Russia will build two 10-gigawatt nuclear reactors every year, and by 2015 the government will have provided 674 trillion rubles ($26 billion) in funding for this purpose.

Sergei Kiriyenko, director of Rosatom, said Russia will build three nuclear reactors per year starting in 2016 and four nuclear reactors per year by 2020.