Atomstroyexport spends billions from the Russian treasury on the construction of foreign nuclear facilities, but is in no hurry to report on these expenses.
At the same time, there is a possibility that negative information is being hidden about theft, nepotism, and imperfections at foreign nuclear power plants. This became especially clear during the preparation of a journalistic investigation. “Lawyers will disassemble into” atoms “: what are the lawyers of the Russian state corporation so zealously covering up?” The material was published a few days ago.
The point in this investigation was that the Atomstroyexport company is looking for powerful lawyers to possibly protect its employees when working at overseas facilities. The editors of The Moscow Post requested comments on this from the head of the Communications Department of JSC Atomstroyexport, Nina Dementsova. Mrs. Dementsova was not particularly in a hurry to defend the honor of the “uniform”, maybe these annoying “feathers” will fall behind? The material was released without comments by Dementsova, for which the high-ranking official did not find anything better than simply insulting the journalist.
It’s strange, before the State Corporation “Rosatom” did not behave so recklessly, it did without “attacks” and outright insults. And, since the first part of the investigation about lawyers and atoms turned out to be incomplete, this hot topic The Moscow Post continues, addressing his questions not only to the President of JSC “Atomstroyexport” Alexander Lokshin, but also to the General Director of the State Corporation “Rosatom” Alexei Likhachev.
Cracks in the foundation of Akkuyu NPP
In investigation “Lawyers will disassemble into” atoms “: what are the lawyers of the Russian state corporation so zealously covering up?” The Moscow Post journalist, relying on verified facts, told how the Ostrovets nuclear power plant was built in Belarus. During the commissioning of this nuclear facility, experts reported more than 18,000 defects. Add to this the strange “pirouettes” of nuclear reactors, which either fell off in the workshop from a great height, or “kissed” on the way to the construction site of the nuclear power plant with railway poles … About this in the publication “Bah!” informed “Version”.
City of Ostrovets, founded in 1468. Building at the entrance. Photo: https://vipgranit.by/product/pamyatniki-iz-granita-v-ostrovtse-izgotovlenie
And how many strikes happened at the construction of the first power unit of the Ostrovets nuclear power plant due to delayed wages?
This information was provided by “Eurasia Daily”.
Not far in terms of the “quality” of work, Atomstroyexport also left during the construction of the Rooppur nuclear power plant in Bangladesh: strikes are also not uncommon at this facility, and in February 2022, under foggy circumstances, 5 Russian nuclear workers died at once …
We never received any comments from Ms. Dementsova on this matter, although we sent a link to RIA Novosti about the death of builders from Russia.
Rooppur nuclear power plant in Bangladesh. Photo: https://strana-rosatom.ru/
But is it only in Belarus and Bangladesh that Atomstroyexport “shone” so brightly?
If you look through the Turkish press, which writes in detail about the construction of the Akkuyu (White Well) nuclear power plant in the Mersin resort area by Atomstroyexport, you can generally get both a “heart attack” and a “stroke” at the same time. Apparently, that is why in Turkey there have already been several fatal cases among Russian nuclear scientists. This was reported in particular “Lenta.ru”.
And another shocking fact: the Atomstroyexport company has twice had to redo the foundation under the first power unit of the Akkuyu NPP.
The Turkish Atomic Energy Agency (TAEK) discovered cracks in the foundation of the future nuclear power plant in the summer of 2018. Wrote about it “Vedomosti”.
The foundation area was divided into sections into which concrete was poured. However, some of them, as TAEK found, had deep cracks. Problem areas of the foundation were broken. And the concrete was re-poured. After that, TAEK employees again found cracks. And the company again had to redo this design.
By the way, the same cracks have recently streaked the foundation of the Kursk NPP-2, which is being built in the city of nuclear scientists Kurchatov … This was reported by The Moscow Post.
They say that the wrong “proportions” were filled in. But this is for chickens to laugh at. And not only Turkish.
Ersatz parts at the Kudankulam NPP
The Atomstroyexport company, in fact, is siphoning funds from Russia for the construction of nuclear power plants abroad: more than $100 billion has already been spent for these purposes. You can return this money, at best, after 40 years.
But our great friend – the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko – has already generally believed that Moscow will simply give Minsk all the nuclear facilities and will not demand the return of multibillion-dollar loans. And when does the loan expires, which Moscow provided to Minsk for the construction of the Ostrovets nuclear power plant in Belarus? 46 years later, in 2068…
Alexander Lukashenko hopes for Moscow’s “kindness”. Collage: https://www.politnavigator.net/
Thus, the Russian “peaceful” atom is victoriously marching across the planet.
In addition to Belarus, Bangladesh, Turkey, Hungary, Bulgaria, Egypt, Atomstroyexport has settled comfortably in the Islamic Republic of Iran. And he has already announced the construction of the second power unit of the Bushehr nuclear power plant.
In 2018, a powerful agreement was signed with Beijing on the construction of four new power units at once. Atomstroyexport is building new units on a grand scale in India at the Kudankulam NPP.
All construction projects are financed by Russia and the Russians. So far, only Iran offers its rials. But even in Iran, not everything, as it turns out, is smooth.
The Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation somehow prepared a Report on the activities of the state corporation Rosatom abroad. Auditors actively engaged in foreign construction projects.
In particular, nuclear projects in Iran, China and India.
Sergei Stepashin was then in charge of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation.
Sergei Stepashin. Photo: https://argumenti.ru/
Eyewitnesses said that Stepashin’s eyes became “square” when he read the report. Facts of a frank criminal nature were revealed. This, in particular, was written by the publication “Eurasia Daily”.
“It turned out that Russia’s losses at these construction sites amounted to more than $1 billion,” Ivan Nikitchuk, a State Duma deputy (at that time), Doctor of Technical Sciences, told the author of these lines. “I got acquainted with this report on foreign construction sites. More than 300 pages of documents… The facts are outrageous, for example, during the construction of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in India, substandard parts were used, brought from Russian factories, in particular, from the ZiO-Podolsk enterprise.
NPP “Kudankulam”, India. Photo: https://www.atomic-energy.ru/news/2012/02/24/31262.
In particular, he wrote about this The Moscow Post in the investigation “Expensive toys” Atomstroyexport.
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: Russia gives multibillion-dollar loans for the construction of nuclear power plants, and then the builders change the ersatz parts for normal ones countless times.
It would seem that the situation with bad details was settled, but soon (in August 2019) New Delhi was asked to replace the Power Machines turbines (owner Alexei Mordashov) with Japanese ones. And another scandal!
The Atomic Energy Corporation of India (NPCIL) insisted on a replacement. This was reported RBC.
The fact is that the Indian side expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of turbine units and generators for the turbine department of the Power Machines company for the Kudankulam NPP.
Not everything went smoothly in Iran, at the Bushehr nuclear power plant, when foreign objects were suddenly found in the nuclear reactor of the first block, in particular, they were bolts. They were below the fuel cells. This was reported “Atominfo”.
The Persians were very angry…
Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran. Photo: https://rg.ru/
Nevertheless, Atomstroyexport’s portfolio of foreign orders until 2030 has already included 80 new units in different countries: today, projects for the construction of 35 power units in 12 countries are at various stages of implementation.
All this construction comes from the treasury of the Russian Federation, from our “pocket” with you …
While the material was being prepared for publication, it became known about a possible postponement of the commissioning of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey. Western sanctions against Russia hinder the construction and financing of nuclear power plants in Turkey. This was reported “Interfax”.
In particular, restrictions may affect the timing of the project.
Turkey and Russia today are discussing potential problems, including the protection of equipment that should be ordered in third countries by the state corporation Rosatom.
Promotions of Atomstroyexport JSC Photo: https://www.slideserve.com/
The Russian side (read – “Atomstroyexport”) assures that it is making every effort to complete the construction of the first power unit of the Akkuyu NPP on schedule. This should be done in 2023.
But, just in case, Atomstroyexport Group “charges” lawyers: the difficult situation at many construction sites requires it, no matter how they hide the awl in a bag!
It, this awl, still climbs out, no matter how hard the head of the Public Relations Department of JSC Atomstroyexport Nina Dementsova tries to stuff it back into a company in which they are amicably present, figuratively remark Ms. Dementsova, “porridge, honey, Mr. and bees” …