RUSSIA's nuclear industry faces a battle
for survival in the coming years. Last
year, the industry produced 97.8 billion
kilowatts (kw) of electricity, 18 per cent
less than in 1993 - the decline apparently caused by fuel shortages, transmission problems and reduced demand.
The main problem is finance. At
present, the nuclear plants are receiving
only 45 per cent of w 'hat they are owed
for the electricity supplied by them.
Two of the biggest production associations - Mayak in the Urals which.
reprocesses spent fuel and stores waste,
and Atom-Mash in the Volga region
which used to make reactors - have
become insolvent.
The minister of atomic energy,
Victor Mikhailov, does not believe that
the industry is dying. He has drawn up a
plan for nuclear power development
which focuses on modernising existing
plants, replacing old reactors and boosting nuclear trade.
The industry had requested, in vain,
a budgetary allocation of 1,000 billion
roubles as long-term credit. Promised international funds to help improve plant safety have also not been
forthcoming.
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