On June 9, 2011 in Poliarnye Zori city, there were held public hearings on assessment of Kola NPP’s environmental impact in case of power unit No.4 operation at the reactor plant capacity, which amounts to 107% of the design value.

There were discussed justification materials, related to this type of activity and prepared by Kola NPP. They include parameters of ecological situation in the region of the nuclear power plant location, assessment of proposed activities’ impact on the environment and measures for environmental protection.

The hearings engaged more than 500 people: residents of the region of Kola NPP location, representatives of executive and legislative authorities of Murmansk region and municipal units, adjacent to the plant as well as enterprises, institutions, public and environmental organizations, educational institutions and mass media. Authorities and specialists of Rosenergoatom Concern OJSC, Kola NPP and Atomenergoproekt OJSC read their speeches to the participants.

“Power ascension became possible due to the works performed within the framework of the field program, aimed at increasing of the capacity of nuclear power plants and improvement of their safety,” Director of Kola NPP Basil Omelchuk noted. “In 2009, after the preparatory works, there was held a power unit dynamic testing, research of core region behavior in different modes, testing of equipment vibration characteristics and separation testing of steam generators. The tests were successfully implemented and KNPP obtained a Rostekhnadzor for production run of power unit No. 4 at the capacity of 107%.”

“Kola NPP was and remains the key economic sector in our transpolar region, and in the future its role will only grow with the development of the Shtokman gas condensate deposit and Murmansk transport hub”, RF State Duma Deputy Igor Chernyshenko said. He also stressed that power ascension fully conformed to the strictest international safety requirements. Such adherence to safety principles is generally typical of Russian nuclear power industry and helps us open new horizons for development.

The hearings took about six hours and were found to be successful.