Nuclear production up—Soviet figures

Press, 27 April 1989, Page 8

Nuclear production up—Soviet figures

NZPA-AP Vienna The Soviet Union has had to reduce by more than half its planned increase in nuclear energy production as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear accident three years ago, an official said yesterday. Boris Semenov, former deputy chairman of the State Centre For Atomic Energy in the Soviet Union, said public opinion has pressured the authorities to close down nuclear power plants or suspend construction on units being built. However, “the official line on nuclear power development has not changed,” Mr Semenov said at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant on April 26, 1986, claimed 31 lives and in-

jured 300, according to official statistics. "The accident provided important lessons which must be taken into account,” Mr Semenov said. The 1986 five-year plan foresaw an increase of about 42,000mW of nuclear power by the year 1990. Mr Semenov said the calculations could not be met, as 28,000mW of energy could not be generated in this period. He said that by the year 2000, the Soviet Union hoped to produce 100,000 mW with nuclear power against 33,600mW at present. The Soviets blamed the explosion at Chernobyl’s No. 4 1500mW reactor on operator carelessness during a badly planned experiment simulating a reactor shutdown. Mr Semenov said authorities decided not to

build any more reactors of this type, but that those in advanced stages of construction would be completed. In addition to improved safety precautions, Mr Semenov said one of the most serious consequences of the Chernobyl accident was “public acceptance of nuclear power.” Public pressure had led to the closing of a twounit plant in Armenia after a devastating earthquake there in December that claimed at least 25,000 lives. Reactors have been closed or construction halted on several other reactors, in all “about 10,” Mr Semenov said, declining to specify. He said the Soviet Union currently has 16 nuclear plants with 43 reactors in operation.