NIZHNY NOVGOROD. Dec 22 (Interfax) - The merged Atomenergoproyekt Nizhny Novgorod Engineering Company (OJSC NIAEP) and CJSC Atomstroiexport (ASE), the contractor for construction of nuclear power plants abroad, plan to design and build 18 NPP units simultaneously in Russia and abroad.

NIAEP brought seven units and ASE contributed the remainder, NIAEP director and ASE acting president Valery Limarenko said at a press conference on Thursday.

"In order for a major player in construction of nuclear power plants to emerge on the international market, the leadership of the sector has decided to combine the efforts of two companies - NIAEP and Atomstroiexport on the basis of NIAEP. In other words, the head office will remain here [in Nizhny Novgorod]. We are joining forces in such a way that the company will design and build about 18 units simultaneously in Russia and abroad," Limarenko said.

The company "will become the biggest builder of nuclear power plants in the world," he said.

The merged company will have a presence in Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam, Iran, India, China, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine and Germany, where ASE has subsidiary Nukem Technologies, a firm that decommissions NPP.

"We are the leaders in design and construction management systems. We will acquire a new competence - decommissioning of nuclear plants. This is very important expertise, a large opening market. Germany has given up nuclear power, RBMK reactor units in Russia will be shutdown in time