Construction of nuclear fuel plant can begin already in 2011
The OJSC TVEL, a Russian manufacturer of nuclear fuel, is negotiating with Russian banks regarding financial support for the building of a plant producing nuclear fuel in Ukraine. Vasily Konstantinov, the vice president for international activity and commerce of the OJSC TVEL, announced this in the course of a meeting with Ukrainian journalists in Moscow. “We are ready to find a bank or other financial organization [to finance the nuclear fuel plant construction] and hold negotiations,” said the vice president of the OJSC TVEL. At this, he added that the Russian party is ready to provide up to 60 percent of the plant’s cost, while “Ukraine should find 40 percent by itself.” Konstantinov also said that the project feasibility study should be ready approximately by the middle of 2011, and then this project feasibility study is to be approved by Russian and Ukrainian parties, and it will take two or three more months to get the required licenses and prepare the documentation in compliance with the Ukrainian legislation. “The plant’s construction will be finished three years after selecting the construction location and approving the project feasibility study,” explained the vice president of the Russian company, adding that the joint venture will be set up and will start working on the legal basis after the required formalities are finalized. Konstantinov also said that at present the preparation of the extended plan on cooperation on the issue of the plant construction is actually finished. The cost of construction of the enterprise for producing nuclear fuel on the territory of Ukraine will amount to over 300 million dollars.
Ukraine expects huge investments into wind and solar power generation
The National Agency of Ukraine for Effective Use of Energy Resources is expecting a total of 400 million euros to be invested in national wind and solar power generation in 2011, the agency chair Mykola Pashkevych said at a Kyiv press conference on November 9. “The investors will contribute about 400 million euros as soon as next year, so as to enable these projects to reach a capacity of 2-2.5 thousand mega watts within two years,” he said. Pashkevych also pointed out that the agency had studied 168, and selected seven projects. Among those selected are the Pryazovsky and Manhush wind park projects carried out by the DTEK holding company, and a solar power plant project implemented by Austria’s company Active Solar.
Great Britain holds contest dedicated to environmental problems in Ukraine
The all-Ukrainian photography contest “Save energy! Stop climate change,” organized by the Embassy of Great Britain in Ukraine together with the international photography festival KievFotoCom, is currently in progress. The goal of the photo contest is not only to present high-quality modern photography, but also to draw public attention to real environmental problems in Ukraine, notably regarding energy saving and climate change. Nowadays it is obvious that Ukraine’s industry, and the economy in general, is dependant on imported energy sources, first of all on fossil fuel — oil and gas. The experience of many advanced countries has shown that energy saving is an efficient way to reduce the energy dependence of a state. At the same time, energy saving plays an important part in decreasing the harmful influence of human activity on the environment. That is why the contest organizers invite everyone to send photographs which will adequately display not only the painful problems of ecology and climate changes, but also the positive tendencies and solutions. The contest is open until December 25, 2010. An exhibit will be held in January 2011 to present the best works, and their authors will receive valuable prizes. The contest conditions can be found on the websites of the British Embassy and KievFotoCom.
