ZARECHNY, Urals, May 29 (RIA Novosti) - Construction of a 57-billion-ruble ($2.1-bln) fast breeder reactor at a nuclear power in the Urals will be completed by 2012, Russia's nuclear energy chief said Monday.

"The Russian government has been sent a federal targeted program that set 2012 as the date for putting the fourth reactor at the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant into operation," Sergei Kiriyenko said.

The sodium-cooled BN-800 reactor is a fast-breeder reactor that scientists say produces much less waste and reduces limitations on the nuclear fuel cycle, as well as making it possible to increase plant security. Work on the reactor type started in the Soviet era, when it was seen as a step toward creating a massive fast-breeder reactor preliminarily titled the BN-1600.