Venezuela has ratified a nuclear energy agreement with Russia

The opposition had unsuccessfully attempted to block the so-called Approving Law saying that the agreement with Russia signed in the course of the visit of President Hugo Chavez to Moscow on October 15 “was disadvantageous for Venezuela”.
The parliamentary commission report states that “due to an NPP startup Venezuela can save up to $ 1 bln per year through the export of 15 mln barrels of oil being used today for production of the equivalent amount of electricity”.
Rosatom is ready to construct a nuclear power plant with the VVER-type reactor “for ten years or earlier”. In this case Venezuela may become the first South American country with a nuclear power plant of Russian construction. So far NPPs in this region have been constructed only by companies from the USA, Canada and Europe. The Russian specialists are going to train personnel the emerging nuclear power industry of Venezuela and take part in its radiation safety programs. It is also planned to startup a research reactor for production of isotope used in medicine and agriculture.