MOSCOW, May 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's state-controlled concern overseeing nuclear power plants will become a joint stock company and be incorporated into a nuclear corporation by December as part of the industry's reform, the nuclear chief said Thursday.
Rosenergoatom's transformation comes as part of a nuclear industry restructuring plan ordered by President Vladimir Putin April 27. The president instructed that a government corporation, Atomenergoprom, be set up to run the entire industry by January 2008.
"Rosenergoatom will become a joint stock company incorporated in the vertically integrated company Atomenergoprom," Sergei Kiriyenko said.
State-controlled Atomenergoprom is to be based on the merger of four nuclear power majors - TVEL, Techsnabexport, Rosenergoatom and Atomstroyexport.
The corporation will ensure centralized control over the nuclear industry and provide full-cycle services, from uranium extraction, fuel production and electric power generation, to construction of nuclear power plants, both at home and abroad.
