A ceremony to sign the next set of contracts within the framework of the UK-RF Closed Nuclear Cities Partnership Programme was held on 1st March. There are six new projects, four initiated by entrepreneurs from Snezhinsk and two proposed by Ozersk businesses.

The signing of contracts followed a long selection process in which both the Russian and British sides reviewed the grant nominees. This included the preparation of grant funding proposals, the development and approval of market research reports and business plans, and the completion of financial audits of the companies initiating the projects.

In addition, companies were identified at the preliminary stage that could supply equipment to be bought in for grant funding from the CNCP on the basis of open tender.

The selected Snezhinsk-British projects are:

• "Production of swivel joints for pipe lines" (Technological Development Enterprise "Aspekt" Ltd.)
• "Laboratory to handle the total manufacture process for prescription lenses" ("Uraloptik" Ltd.)
• "Organization of serial production of complex small parts" ("Management Company "Spektr-Conversion")
• "Production of tools for metal-working equipment" ("UralPromComplekt" Close Corporation).

The total value of the projects is 1,200,772 sterling. It is expected that the Russian side will contribute £ 560,051, with £ 640,721 coming from the British side. Ninety four new jobs will be created through the setting up of the four projects. It is important to note that 68 of these will go to former staff of the Nuclear Institute.

The two Ozersk city projects are a modernisation programme for the granite plant, and the establishment of a plant to produce radiation modified polymer products. The total value is £ 671,644.

In four years, the CNCP Programme has funded a total of 33 projects, including 11 in Snezhinsk and 7 in Ozersk, worth a total of £ 9.8 million. The contribution from the Russian side amounts to £ 5 million.

The signing ceremony took place in the holiday house "Dalnyaa Dacha". The British delegation included Trevor Hayward, the Assistant Director, FSU Nuclear Legacy Programme, DTI, Cathy Shaw, Assistant Manager of the CNCP Programme of "HTSPE Ltd., Keith Burnard, Ural Project Supervisor, and staff from the Moscow office of "HTSPE Ltd.", the Managing Company for the CNCP Programme. Rosatom was represented by Vladimir Sterekhov of the Department for International and External Cooperation.

The British side carries out its voluntary commitments to the full. The United Kingdom has already invested £ 2,229,000 in the Russian projects helping to create new jobs for former nuclear specialists. Of this, £ 1,387,000 has gone to the closed cities in the Urals. Joint efforts have made it possible to create 274 new jobs, of which178 were taken by former nuclear specialists. Overall, the CNCP Programme aims to create 1,008 jobs in five closed cities within the framework of the projects approved for funding. 456 jobs will be established in the Ural closed cities.

Source: SIAA - "Okno"