Former head of the Unified Energy Systems of Russia Anatoliy Chubays accepts the conclusions made by Rostekhnadzor (Russian Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Oversight) about the causes of the accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydropower plant and is ready to take responsibility for everything that took place in power engineering at the time when he held the office.
"I think that Rostekhnadzor's conclusions reflect quite fully the technical causes of the accident," Anatoliy Chubays told journalists commenting on the findings of the investigation published on Saturday (3 October).
"As regards my responsibility, I'm responsible for everything that took place in my branch in my time there," he stressed.
"I believe that while holding the post of COB of the Unified Energy Systems, I had to sign a certificate of acceptance of the Sayano-Shushenskaya power station, which by that time had already been operational for over 20 years. An operating power plant which has not been commissioned is the worst option possible," Anatoliy Chubays added.
"It's a little known fact but power engineering had for many years to accept high risks because the resources available were sufficient only for the most critical hubs of the country's energy system. To halt the Sayano-Shushenskaya power plant's operation at the time when power consumption was rising and to wait for years for investments to replace the rotors would have spelt disaster for the Siberian economy and the millions living there," he said. Anatoliy Chubays recalled that following reform of power engineering the industry received R930bn as private investments. (Passage omitted)
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