OREANDA-NEWS. International conference “NPP Safety: Experience, Competence, Openness – Keys to High performance” took place in Moscow on Sept 5-6 2007.

The organizer of the conference was Rosenergoatom Concern. The conferees exchanged experience in NPP operation and discussed the safety aspects of the new technological platform.

During the final press-conference, the acting director general of Rosenergoatom Alexander Lokshin pointed out that the safety of the Russian NPPs has been constantly enhanced since their launch. Special attention is given to physical protection and the Concern spends a lot of money on it. “This is our competitive disadvantage but, if we compare our nuclear power plants with other risky facilities in our country, we are certainly safer. Our NPPs are much better protected from external threats, including acts of terrorism, that their western counterparts.”

The deputy head of Rostekhnadzor Sergey Adamchik said that since its establishment Rosenergoatom Concern has significantly enhanced the safety and the efficiency of its nuclear power plants. “The automatic protection systems of our plants are very effective. We are among the leaders in safety. Rosenergoatom works stably and records just 40 insignificant incidents per all of its NPPs a year,” Adamchik said.

The chairman of the WANO Governing Board Ales John said that such international meetings are useful in terms of experience exchange and the past meeting was not an exception.  He said that according to WANO’s statistics the Russian NPPs are no less safe than any European NPP.

In his turn, Inspector General of Electricite de France Pierre Virot said that it was a great honor for him to be invited to such an important event. He said that the conference was very interesting and nuclear power industry in Russia is facing similar problems as that in France.

The conferees congratulated Erik Pozdyshev, the first president of Rosenergoatom, on his 70th birthday. He held the post for over 10 years and is presently the general inspector of the Concern. On behalf of the head of the Federal Agency for Nuclear Energy Sergey Kiriyenko, the deputy head of Rosatom Ivan Kamenskikh presented Pozdyshev with Yefim Slavsky Badge. Slavsky is one of the founders of the Russian nuclear power industry.