NOVO-OGAREVO, June 9 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's president called Friday for an increased role of nuclear power to provide a sustainable energy future for the nation.
Addressing a gathering of top nuclear industry officials, Vladimir Putin said, "The percentage of nuclear fuel in the country's energy balance is 16%, and if we do nothing in this area, but just keep on moving at today's pace, it will drop to 1-2% by 2030."
Putin said Russia's nuclear industry needs a boost as only one gigawatt of nuclear power capacities is launched in the country every five years, as compared with up to three gigawatts launched in the Soviet Union annually.
At the start of 2006, Putin tasked the government to prepare a program for bringing the share of nuclear power in overall electricity production up to 25%.
