MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Russia looks to nuclear cooperation with Uruguay

Russia looks to cooperation in the nuclear energy sphere with Uruguay, the country's ambassador to the Latin American state said on Monday.

"Our countries could maintain cooperation in the sphere of nuclear energy although Uruguay's legislation bans the use of nuclear energy," Sergei Koshkin said. The diplomat said Uruguayan officials had shown interest in a floating nuclear power plant, when the project's presentation took place at the Russian Embassy recently. Russia is currently building the world's first floating NPP, which is planned to be commissioned in 2011 in Russia's Arctic. Russia hopes the new product will be in demand on the global market. Floating NPPs could be used in remote regions with power shortfalls and in projects requiring stand-alone and uninterrupted electricity supplies in the absence of a developed power grid. Koshkin said Uruguay's legislation would not have to be amended as Russian specialists could tow a plant to its coast, build a power line so that Uruguay could buy electricity. Russia could also undertake to provide maintenance of the plant and its subsequent disposal, he added. "This is a long-term plan, but it is being proactively discussed," Koshkin said. The first floating plant will have capacity of 70 MW of electricity, and about 300 MW of thermal power. The cost of the first plant is estimated at $400 million, but could later be reduced to $240 million. This year marks the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and Uruguay.