Permanent MENA representatives to international organizations in Vienna visited Russian Atommash and Rostov NPP

The permanent representatives of foreign countries to international organizations in Vienna recently, paid a visit to Rostov region in the framework of cooperation in the area of use of atomic energy in peaceful purposes and for acquaintance with modern Russian technologies for NPP construction and operation. 

The list of the visit participants included 22 diplomats, from different countries including representatives from Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, and Sudan. Mr. Mikhail Chudakov, IAEA Deputy Director General, was also a member of the delegation. From the Russian party the delegation was accompanied by the representatives from the Ministry for foreign affairs, Permanent representation of the Russian Federation to international organizations in Vienna.

Firstly, the representatives visited Atommash, a branch of AEM-Technology, where the NPP equipment is manufactured as well as equipment for oil and gas and conventional power industry. In the framework of the tour to the enterprise the diplomats saw treatment of parts for VVER-1200 reactor of Belorussian NPP, core trap, which is a part of passive safety systems for the reactors of Generation 3+, the process of a steam-generator fabrication, roentgen chambers, transportation gate, and visited the final assembly sections.      

The next visit was to Rostov NPP, where they met with Mr. Andrey Salnikov, and director of Rostov NPP. Then the diplomats made a tour to main control room and turbine hall of unit №3 commissioned last year and turbine hall of Rostov NPP №4 under construction.

The representatives have also visited the studio of 3D-modeling in Volgodonsk branch of NIAEP and listened to the presentation of experts from Rosatom Engineering Division, which was established specially in the purposes of design development and construction management. There was emphasized that only last year the Division managed to commission 4 units not only for NPPs but also for thermal power station: unit №3 at Rostov NPP, two conventional units at South-Urals thermal power station and unit №1 at Kudankulam NPP in India.

Finally, the diplomats visited the upgraded full-scope simulator installed in the premises of the training center. The full-scope simulator is an exact copy of the main control room at Rostov NPP and is used for development of the NPP personnel competences.

In this regard, Mr. Sadiq Marafi Ambassador and Resident Representative of Kuwait in Vienna gave high assessment to the results of their visit to Rostov region and said «First of all, we are very grateful to the government of the Russia Federation for the invitation and hospitality, which for me is not a novelty, because this is my second visit to Russian nuclear industry facilities, before that we visited Atomflot. This time we got a new experience and, of course, we are very pleased with the visit.

We were amazed at the construction of the new nuclear power plant unit, the level of professionalism of employees and the work that they do. We are even not so much impressed by equipment as by human resources.

Every time when we come to Russia, we see something new and that’s why it makes us all more impressive. It was a new experience for us, especially how is going the building of the fourth unit of the Rostov NPP, and the fact that in two years it will be completed.

We are still considering the issue of NPP construction in Kuwait, but I hope that we will enter into a positive cooperation with Russia in this sphere».

It is worth mentioning that Russia is expanding its nuclear power solutions in the Middle East as recently, Governments of Russian Federation and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy for peaceful uses.