- A delegation of Rosenergoatom today started its four-day visit to Cape Verde, whose government has demonstrated an interest in buying a floating nuclear power plant from the Russian company. Praia authorities hope to boost energy and fresh-water production on the archipelago.
The Rosenergoatom visit was announced yesterday, by the Russian press agency 'RIA Novosti', which added that Cape Verde authorities had demonstrated their interest in purchasing a floating nuclear power plant. The possibility of such a purchase has already caused concerns in the region.
The Russian nuclear power project had raised great interest among Cape Verdean government officials for the spectre of solution it could offer to the economically booming archipelago, according to Rosenergoatom Vice-Director Serguei Krysov. His company's delegation was to be received by the Cape Verdean Minister of Energy, Mr Krysov said.
Cape Verde recently shifted from being a poor to a middle-income country in the UN ranking of states and is continuing on its economic boom. Among the sectors that mostly drive Cape Verdean economic growth is tourism, a sector highly dependent on stable and large provisions of electricity and fresh water.
The semi-desert islands, poor on energy resources, have defined water and power supply as possible bottlenecks for further growth. A floating nuclear power plant as provided by Rosenergoatom is thus one of several solutions the Cape Verdean Ministry of Energy is considering. Reasonable nuclear power could also contribute to energy-consuming fresh water production from salt water.
The announced visit has already raised public concern in the region. Media in the Spanish Canary Islands, situated 1,400 kilometres north-east of Cape Verde have shown a large interest in the plans, expecting the public to fear the environmental consequences of a nuclear plant in the vicinity.
Cape Verde is not the only country considering such floating nuclear plant. According to 'RIA Novosti', some twenty countries have announced their interest with Rosenergoatom, which has started producing the plants in Severodvinsk, northern Russia. China and Indonesia are among the interested nations, in addition to Russia, where the first of six floating nuclear plants is to become operative in 2010.
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