MOSCOW, June 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree On the Nuclear Power Industry Day, announced the Kremlin press service on Sunday. The decree establishes a new professional holiday - the Nuclear Industry Day set for September 28.
The nuclear power industry in Russia is one of the key industries providing energy stability of the state. With the power production rate of more than 2% annually, the industry is facing the task of increasing the supply of electric power by 8 billion kWh per year and the supply of heat by up to 1.5 million Gcal per year.
According to the Energy Strategy of Russia, even with a moderate development of the economy, the demand for electric power produced by nuclear power plants in 2020 will constitute not less than 230 billion kWh.
The potential growth of electric power production at nuclear power plants is based on the development of the domestic nuclear power complex, which consists of a number of designer bureaus, the industry capable of supplying it with necessary equipment and materials, and a large group of professional experts.
A year ago, the nuclear power industry in Russia celebrated its 50th anniversary. June 28, 2004, marked the 50th anniversary of the launch of the first nuclear power plant in the world, the Obninsk NPP (80 kilometers south-west of Moscow)
