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Former nuclear submariner becomes energy minister

Sergey Shmatko

The new Russian government appears set to put new emphasis on the development of nuclear power. Sergei Shmatko, head of a company that builds nuclear reactors worldwide, was yesterday approved as the country’s new energy minister.

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Under the leadership of Sergey Kirienko, Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom has presented a number of initiatives on new nuclear power projects. Among the possible projects is a new plant in Murmansk Oblast. Under Shmatko as energy minister, “nuclear energy will have more attention than before,” said Anton Khlopkov, executive director of think tank PIR Center. Shmatko first came into contact with nuclear technology when he was conscripted to serve on nuclear-powered submarines in the Northern Fleet from 1985 to 1988, the Moscow Times reports.