OREANDA-NEWS. June 04, 2009. Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation has coordinated and submitted to the Government of Russia a 110bln RUR federal target program for development of new nuclear technologies in 2010–2015, Director General of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation Sergey Kiriyenko said in the State Duma on June 3 2009.

“We hope that the financing will be provided next year,” Kiriyenko said.

Kiriyenko told the MPs about the reformation of Russia’s nuclear industry and the prospects of development of nuclear science. The program envisages development of reactors of fourth generation and inclusion of uranium-238 in the closed nuclear fuel cycle. Presently, this isotope is not used in nuclear power engineering but its concentration in uranium is high. Closed nuclear fuel cycle will help to use uranium more effectively and to produce less nuclear waste.

Rosatom constructively cooperates with the Ministry of Energy in coordinating the NPP construction projects with the energy development program. There are some disputable questions concerning the networks. For example, Rosatom is ready to build the 5th and 6th units of Balakovo NPP in Saratov region but the Ministry says that either there is no demand or there are no networks.

Kiriyenko said that the reformation of the nuclear industry was over. As regards the NPP construction program, he said that the projects were being carried out according to the schedule. Some of the deadlines may be revised considering the changes the Ministry of Energy is planning to make in the general scheme. Kiriyenko made a report on uranium production. He said that Russia’s uranium reserves have been tripled in the last years. Rosatom is actively working in this direction not only in Russia but also in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Africa.