Russian plans for decommissioning of old reactors of nuclear power plants

By Yuri Ivanov
In order to evaluate the possible scenarios of decommissioning of nuclear power reactors, we refer to the documents of the following organizations: "Rosenergoatom", the Federal Agency for Atomic Energy, and the Russian government.

The Federal Comprehensive Program "Development of Atomic Energy-Industrial Complex of Russia for 2007-1010 and its Future to 2015", confirmed by the Government of the Russian Federation on 4 October 2006, provides some information to begin. According to the confirmed program, the overall power of nuclear power plants in used should be 33 gigawatts by 2015. Before the end of the period of the Federal Comprehensive Program, ten new reactors of an overall power of more than 11 gigawatts should be brought on line, and another ten reactors should be at various stages of completion. Funding of the program is 1471.4 billion rubles, including resources from the federal budget that will be spent on capital investments of the amount of 674.8 billion rubles, and resources from the nuclear power sector in the amount of 796.6 billion rubles.

As a result, the Federal Comprehensive Program of the Government of the Russian Federation and of Rosatom does not plan to decommission reactors, but only to build and bring on line new reactors on an accelerated schedule.

It is possible to learn about the plans of "Rosenergoatom" from an interview of the firm's leader, Sergei Obozov, that was published on the website of Rosatom. S. Obozov makes clear that only preparation for decommissioning of the reactors is in the firm's plans, as is an increase of financial resources to be transferred to the decommissioning fund. Now 1.3% of sold electricity is transferred to the fund, and an increase to 2.3% is planned.

From the above it is clear that Rosatom does not plan decommissioning of nuclear power plants in the near future, but instead plans an expansion of resources, at least during the period of implementation of the Federal Comprehensive Program, in the form of the construction of additional reactors at nuclear power plants.

Rosenergoatom, it would appear, is promoting the idea of an extension of the life of old reactors in order, first of all, to make money from the construction of new reactors and to some extent from decommissioning. As a result the large campaign organized by Rosatom about the construction of new reactors concerns foremost its corporate interests. A brainwashing of the public of the country is taking place and corporate interests are being presented like a national idea. At the same time those expenses that will be borne by society in order to store safely used nuclear fuel and for decommissioning are not being counted or planned.