The Ministry of Energy: the preparation works for the Concession agreement of Visaginas nuclear power plant is concluded

Category: Press Releases
Published: 2011-12-21

Works, needed for preparation of the Concession agreement between the Ministry of Energy and the strategic investor into the Visaginas (NPP) "Hitachi“, were concluded successfully. The engineering preparation works were started in July and the specialists of „Hitachi“ and JSC „Visagino atominė elektrinė“ have completed them within this year, just as it had been planned. The development and results of these works have been under constant review of the experts delegated by the regional partners.

As soon as the strategic investor into Visaginas NPP was selected, the specialists started intensive works by analyzing the conditions for sites, carrying out the evaluation of initial design conditions, planning the licensing stage of selected technology and analyzing conditions, typical for this process, planning of constructions stage and available infrastructure in detail and by performing a number of other works, required before the signing of the Concession agreement.

„Carrying out the preparation works for the Concession agreement should be considered as the first exam of practical cooperation with Japanese company „Hitachi“. The fact, that this exam has been passed with the highest mark and works carried out exactly as foreseen, is extremely delightful“, Arvydas Sekmokas, the Minister of Energy, said.

According to him, Visaginas NPP project is international and very complex, thus the ability of specialists of various countries to understand each other fast and to work effectively while striving for common objective is very important.

It is planned to sign the main terms and conditions of the Concession agreement of Visaginas NPP within this month.

After selection the company „Hitachi“ as the strategic investor, Advanced Boiling Water Reactor, (ABWR) shall be built in Visaginas. ABWR currently is the only reactor technology of third generation, i.e. of advanced safety level, that is exploited in the world.

The experts consider the regional Visaginas NPP project as one of the most advanced projects of new nuclear power plants in Europe. The preparation works of the key areas of project, including an international environmental risk assessment in line with Espoo Convention and the evaluation of eligibility of building sites, are finished. The results of these evaluations have been confirmed by the experts mission form International Atomic Energy Agency (TATENA).

Information source - the Ministry of Energy

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