27 Jun 2013 16:14

NPP construction has 20-year return on investment, 80-year life cycle - Kiriyenko

ST. PETERSBURG. June 27 (Interfax) - It takes an average of 20 years for full investment return on the construction of nuclear power plants (NPP), with an average operating life of approximately 80 years, head of Russian State Nuclear Energy Company Rosatom Sergei Kiriyenko told reporters in St. Petersburg on Thursday.

The challenge in constructing NPPs is that "very large amounts of funds need to be spent at the very beginning," he said. However, the advantage of the NPP lies in its longevity - it can operate for 60-80 years after being built.

"Today's new projects definitely live no less than 80 years. And their return on investment fluctuates in the range of 18 to 20 years. That's only 25%-30% of the plant's life cycle," Kiriyenko said.