April 16, 2007
Who wants Russian energy?
Health campaigners and politicians are in a flap over the ambitions of Gazprom, Russia’s gas monopoly, to supply the National Health Service, one of the UK’s largest gas consumers, the Times, of London, writes. Rather than worrying about the NHS keeping its bills down by choosing the cheapest supplier, the naysayers are concerned about Russia’s reliability. Meanwhile, Russia itself is having trouble supplying energy to some of its own more remote regions. At least that is the explanation its officials are giving as the country this weekend began construction on the first of six floating nuclear stations, Russian news agencies reported. To allay safety concerns they are reassuringly citing the the sinking of the Kursk submarine in 2000. The vessel may have failed, but the nuclear reactor could be switched right back on as soon as the sub was raised. Phew.
