Laying of the first stone in the construction of a nuclear fuel fabrication complex in Ukraine

"Today we have launched a large project, the largest in the years of Ukraine's independence, in order to ensure the energy independence of our country," Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said after the ceremony marking the start of construction of the plant in Smolino village in Kirovohrad region.

According to Azarov, construction of the first part of the complex will be completed in 2015 and the rest by 2020. The facility will produce nuclear fuel for all nuclear reactors in Ukraine. The initial cost of the project is 462.5 million dollars. The Prime Minister of Ukraine also noted that 101.3 per cent of the cost of the project would be spent on social infrastructure of Kirovohrad region. The head of the Ukrainian government also stressed that the project was environmentally friendly.

He noted that the implementation of the project together with Russia would open a new page in the field of nuclear energy cooperation between the two countries. The prime minister added that he would like to congratulate his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev on this important event.