Expensive toys by Sergei Kirienko

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

The Russian "peaceful" atom is marching victoriously across the planet, capturing new territories for its projects. And ordinary Russians have to pay for this. What do experts think about this? Will it explode soon?

The Russian "peaceful" atom is marching victoriously across the planet, capturing new territories for its projects. In addition to European countries - Hungary, Finland, Bulgaria, Atomstroyexport has settled comfortably in the Islamic Republic of Iran and has already announced the construction of the second power unit of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. The Turks are impatiently awaiting the start of construction of the Russian-designed Akkuyu NPP. Atomstroyexport is building new units on a grand scale in India at the Kudankulam NPP, the Moscow Post reports.

The site for the new Rooppur nuclear power plant in Bangladesh is already being poured. A few days ago, a powerful agreement was signed with China on the construction of four new power units at once. All construction projects so far are at the expense of Russia and the Russians. So far, Tehran is only offering its coins. And Beijing promises that the new nuclear power plant will be fully paid for by the Chinese side.

What billions are spent on building foreign nuclear power plants? Rosatom gives loans to countries in which it implements its nuclear projects. In total, Turkey, Egypt, Bangladesh and Finland have already received more than $ 100 billion at 3% per annum. This money, by the way, is withdrawn from the budget of the Russian Federation. And when does the loan that Moscow provided to Minsk for the construction of the Ostrovets nuclear power plant in Belarus expire? In 50 years, in 2068! This is when neither Sergei Kiriyenko, nor Dmitry Medvedev, nor Alexander Lukashenko will be alive.

Note that in Russia itself, old dangerous nuclear reactors of the "Chernobyl" type continue to operate. Today 11 such reactors operate at the Leningrad, Kursk and Smolensk NPPs. But no one is thinking of stopping these old workers' nags, although sand, or rather graphite, has been pouring out of them for a long time. Why are new nuclear power plants being massively built outside the cordon? And even at the expense of the poor Russians?

The risks are monstrous

-The agreement on the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Turkey was signed by Moscow and Ankara in 2010, - recalls Doctor of Technical Sciences, in the recent past, Deputy Director for Science of the All-Russian Research Institute of Nuclear Engineering, Professor Igor Ostretsov. - The agreement provides for the construction of four power units with a capacity of 1200 megawatts. But why is a loan for a nuclear project with a payback period of 30 years issued for such a long period only at 3% per annum?

Former Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Bulat Nigmatulin cannot hide his indignation either:

-Russian export projects for nuclear power plants are being promoted at the expense of the loans that we give to our foreign partners. And we give on unfavorable terms for ourselves, with high risks of non-return of funds. Which countries are these loans issued to? Not too economically developed, problematic in terms of the state of the economy. In India, we are stuck for internal political and environmental reasons, which have exacerbated after the events at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. The Turkish project "Akkuyu" stands apart. And this project requires very close attention!

The basic intergovernmental agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey on cooperation in the construction and operation of nuclear power plants at the Akkuyu site was signed 8 years ago. The basic agreement specifies such a project financing scheme - "build - own - operate". But according to this scheme, no one in the world, including Russia, has ever worked with nuclear power plants. According to the basic agreement, a project company is created, that is, a JSC accredited in Turkey.100% of the shares of this joint-stock company are owned by Russia, or rather by Russian fully state-owned companies or companies with a predominant share of state capital.

“A detailed analysis of the documents on which the Akkuyu project is based leaves no doubt that Russia has assumed all possible additional costs up to multibillion-dollar payments and project implementation risks,” says Professor Igor Ostretsov. - In fact, the Akkuyu project in the form in which it exists today is an adventure for our country. The conditions for the sale of electricity at the Akkuyu NPP are enslaving in nature, the safety risks of the nuclear power plant are monstrous, prohibitively high, the operating conditions are contradictory and fraught with intra-Turkish, Turkish-Russian and international conflicts. The Akkuyu NPP agreement is being implemented without the financial obligations of the Turkish side. Turkey does not bear any financial risks for the project. The entire project will have to be paid for with resources from the RF budget.

What's amazing? The documents on the Akkuyu NPP do not contain the obligations of the Turkish side on the construction of power transmission lines and substations for the selection of capacities, there is no data on the guaranteed supply of these capacities. The Turkish side is only responsible for the allocation of land for the nuclear power plant and guarantees access to such land for contractors, agents, suppliers, on behalf and with the consent of the Project Company. According to the agreement, physical protection is included in the area of responsibility of the Project Company, which is contrary to international law, according to which the responsibility for physical protection is assigned to the state on whose territory the nuclear facility is being built and operated. The Turkish side, providing a site for long-term use for the nuclear power plant, assessed its contribution (in the form of a piece of empty land) to the Akkuyu project at 1/5 of the total cost of the future nuclear power plant. Since it is this share that corresponds to the condition of payment of 20% of the net profit of the project company to the Turkish budget.

The peculiarities of the contractual agreement make the Akkuyu NPP unique, since it is subordinate to the jurisdiction of the Turkish side, while the nuclear power plant itself belongs to Russia. Therefore, it must comply with both Russian and Turkish norms and rules, which is practically impracticable. According to Russian regulations, for example, it is prohibited to fly aircraft over nuclear power plants. Who will establish restrictions on the flight of aircraft over the Akkuyu NPP and implement air defense measures that are in effect for all Russian NPPs? A nuclear power plant is not a military base, the construction of a nuclear power plant on the territory of another state according to such a complex and contradictory formula is an exceptional precedent in world practice. It is extremely dangerous to get involved in such an adventure!

-Recall that Turkey is the arena of an ongoing conflict between the ruling forces of the country and the militants of the Kurdish Workers' Party, - says Valery Volkov, professor, director of the Academy of Geopolitical Problems. -This significantly increases the level of terrorist threat. And the southeast of Turkey, where the province of Mersin is located, is the main region of compact residence of the Kurds. 70 km from Akkuyu NPP - the coast of the Republic of Cyprus. And there is the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

But the Agreement on the construction of the Akkuyu NPP was approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Development, Rostekhnadzor, the FSB, and the Ministry of Justice. And it was approved by the Decree of the Government on the basis of the attached feasibility study of the State Corporation "Rosatom". This Agreement was ratified by the State Duma of the Russian Federation. Why did the leadership of these ministries and departments endorse this Agreement, and the deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation voted for it, not realizing how much damage it would cause to Russia's national interests?

Devilry at a construction site in Belarus

Not everything is all right with another foreign construction site of Atomstroyexport - the Belarusian NPP. The correct name for this facility is the Ostrovets NPP. And there are many mysterious things at this construction site!

Here, at least the construction time. In the fall of 2015, a group of Russian nuclear scientists asked the heads of Atomstroyexport, how are new nuclear reactors being created so quickly? The machine-building base has been destroyed, once an atomic giant, the ATOMMASH plant has not been fully restored. At what capacities are new reactors being built? It took 5 years to build one reactor in more prosperous years … A new reactor vessel for Ostrovets was assembled in 2 years! The former head of the ATOMMASH board of directors Sergey Yakunin also added fuel to the fire. He was very surprised, but how is a new nuclear reactor being created if the super carousel machine for the construction of the reactor was sold to China long ago?"

Before sending the reactor vessel to Belarus, a television story was filmed on Channel One, says Sergei Yakunin. “The story was allegedly filmed at ATOMMASH. But later it turned out that the old nuclear reactor vessel was sent to Belarus from the Izhora factories, fortunately, that ATOMMASH had released more than 10 components for nuclear reactors before its looting. Lukashenka was thus sent greetings from the 90s. The portal "EurAsia Daily" quotes Yakunin's words.

And here very mystical events begin. This nuclear reactor vessel was delivered to the city of Ostrovets. And in July 2016, they began to mount … But the multi-ton structure tore off and fell from a height of 4 meters, pretty much crushing its sides. The state of emergency was hidden for two weeks. But an awl, especially an atomic one, cannot be hidden in a bag. The truth nevertheless crept to the surface. And then Ostrovets was promised a new building. And he was even brought to the facility. But the devilry continued.

During the transportation of the second building, a new emergency happened, - says an expert on nuclear power problems, nuclear physicist Andrei Ozharovsky. - During shunting operations at one of the stations of the Belarusian Railway, the protective casing of the reactor vessel touched the contact network support. The hull received mechanical damage. Nevertheless, the "injured" reactor vessel was installed at the first power unit of the Ostrovets NPP! And very soon they are going to launch it!

-How is the construction at the Ostrovets NPP in Belarus going today, where two power units are being built?

We asked this question to Nina Dementsova, Head of the Communications Department of Atomstroyexport.

“Two VVER-1200 generation 3+ power units are currently under construction at the Belarusian NPP. As of the beginning of the second quarter of 2018, the readiness of the first power unit of the Belarusian NPP was 78%, the second - 50%.”

The reference sample of VVER-1200 (the sixth unit of the Novovoronezh NPP) showed not very high-quality performance, if we recall the serious emergency in November 2016 and numerous shutdowns and repairs. What is the current situation with the Generation 3 + reactor? Moreover, we have a serious competitor - China and its Generation 3+ reactor, which is up and running without interruptions?

Innovative power unit No. 1 of Novovoronezh NPP-2 (power unit No. 6 of NVNPP) of generation 3+ with a VVER-1200 reactor as of June 4, 2018 since the start-up has generated more than 10 billion kWh of electricity, which is comparable to the annual demand of the Voronezh Region for electricity. The unit works stably, without failures.

Losses - more than $ 1 billion

Foreign construction projects of Atomstroyexport are ravaging Russia.

And this can be seen in such a striking example. In 2010, the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation prepared a Report on the activities of the state corporation "Rosatom" abroad. The auditors were engaged in foreign construction projects. In particular, Rosatom's nuclear projects in Iran, China and India. At that time, Sergei Stepashin was in charge of the Accounts Chamber. Eyewitnesses said that Stepashin's eyes went up to his forehead when he got acquainted with this report. Facts of a criminal nature were revealed. But Mr. Stepashin hastened to put the stamp "Secret" on the folder with the report.

- It turned out that the losses of Russia at these construction sites amounted to more than 1 billion.dollars, - says the deputy of the State Duma (at that time), Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Ivan Nikitchuk. - I have read this report on foreign construction projects. Over 300 pages of documents! The facts are glaring.

For example, in the construction of the Kudankulam NPP, substandard parts brought from Russian factories were used. It is for this reason that the nuclear power plant in India could not start its work for a long time. That is, it turns out like this: we give a loan for construction, and then we change the fake details countless times. The same situation happened in Iran, at the Bushehr nuclear power plant, when foreign objects suddenly appeared in the nuclear reactor.

But today Russia still ranks first in the world in the construction of nuclear power plants abroad. ROSATOM's portfolio of foreign orders until 2030 may include 80 new units in foreign countries. And today projects for the construction of 34 power units in 12 countries are at different stages of implementation. All these processes are carried out at the expense of the treasury of the Russian Federation.

- What is Atomstroyexport building today?

Nina Dementsova, Head of the Communications Department of Atomstroyexport, says:

- "Atomstroyexport is building 10 nuclear power plants, 25 power units in foreign countries (data from the Annual Report of the Engineering Division of Rosatom State Corporation for 2017). These are the Belarusian NPP, Akkuyu NPP in Turkey, El-Dabaa NPP in Egypt, NPP" Rooppur "in Bangladesh, Paks II NPP in Hungary Kudankulam NPP in India, Tanwan NPP in China, a new unit at Bushehr NPP in Iran, Hanhikivi NPP in Finland"

Meanwhile, the construction of the Hanhikivi nuclear power plant in Finland is also paid for from Russian money. For the money of Russian taxpayers, Rosatom saved the Finnish company Fennovoima from bankruptcy. Rosatom has already announced financing of the Hanhikivi NPP project in the amount of 1 billion euros. The funds to support the Finnish nuclear project were taken from the National Welfare Fund. Officially, this fund "is intended to become part of a sustainable mechanism for providing pensions to citizens of the Russian Federation" and is not intended to serve the interests of foreign companies. In fact, the opposite is true!

Peaceful atom goes to Africa

Today Nigeria is negotiating with Rosatom on the construction of 4 nuclear power units with a total cost of $ 20 billion. This was announced by the Chairman of the National Atomic Energy Commission Franklin Erepamo Osaisai. And the first block should be commissioned in 2025. The head of the Nigerian nuclear department clarified that Rosatom will have a controlling stake in the project, and the country's government will conclude an agreement with the nuclear power plant for the supply of electricity. Financing of the construction and further activities of the nuclear power plant will be carried out at the expense of Russia. The framework agreement for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Nigeria was signed back in 2012. It determined the basic principles of interaction in the design of the plant, its construction, management and decommissioning. The amount of the contract has not yet been announced. But again they are going to take money from the pockets of Russians.

But how will Rosatom build all these nuclear facilities abroad? There are dozens of them! And why are there so few of their own new nuclear construction projects in Russia? And why is Rosatom in no hurry to close old, semi-emergency nuclear power plants?

Back in 2007, Sergei Kiriyenko talked about plans to build 30 power units by 2020. Some construction sites ended up frozen. This happened, for example, with the Baltic NPP, in the construction of which 70 billion rubles were invested. Suddenly it turned out that this station in the Kaliningrad region is not needed at all! That is, 70 billion. buried in the ground! In this regard, the widely advertised profitability of nuclear power is also incomprehensible. The costs are enormous. The total amount of funds allocated for the needs of the nuclear complex, starting from 2015 and ending with 2020, will amount to 899 billion rubles. How many more of them will go to foreign loans?

- Yes, Russian export projects for the construction of nuclear power plants abroad have been and are being promoted at the expense of loans, - says Doctor of Technical Sciences Bulat Nigmatulin. - And Russia issues them on unfavorable terms for itself, with very high risks of default.

A if this is just a nice withdrawal of money from the budget? Indeed, for 11 years of sitting in the chair of an atomic "general" on Bolshaya Ordynka, Sergei Kiriyenko was able to build only 5 power units for the country (instead of the promised 30). And they are all problematic! The very last, "new", fourth unit at the Rostov NPP was built according to the patterns of 1979! They let him in in February 2018. The unit worked for only 5 hours. And he stopped. The repair work went on for more than one day.