Mrs. Clinton was engaged in the fascinating business of promoting private interests in Prague. It was about a tender for the completion of the Temelin nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic. And so that lobbying was not painfully embarrassing, Hillary immediately made the correct reservation: the US is not ashamed of it at all. Right so she said at a press conference. And really - why be ashamed of something? The Westinghouse Company is not Russian or Syrian there.
“We are not ashamed of lobbying for Westinghouse, because this company has presented the best project, and it will provide great working opportunities for Czechs and Americans. It would be the best step for nuclear power ", - said H. Clinton.
If we forget that everything at Westinghouse is exclusively “the best” and “more”, then the US secretary of state kept silent about some other, more compelling arguments. Her loud words had to be explained to one of the members of the American delegation. He explained why Hillary so zealously advocates for a private company: in the event that Westinghouse wins the tender, new 9 thousands of jobs will be created in the United States.
So that's it. So that the sinking American ship does not sink, now any large project will be lobbied by top government officials. Therefore, it is not necessary to be surprised if Leon Panetta or Barack Obama himself take the Clinton initiative. The first one will probably start offering accelerated projects of total democratization delivered under the Pentagon quality mark, and the second - American breweries, where dark honey ale of three varieties will be produced in the advanced developed countries of the world according to inexpensive special licenses: “Obama”, “Barak” and “Barack Obama” ". Along with this, Michelle Obama will, as before, promote a healthy lifestyle and eating instead of plant meat. But this is only for the American army.
And now we will return to the tender for the construction of the 3 and 4 units of the Temelin nuclear power plant in South Bohemia. The competition is in full swing, and its winner will be determined in the next four months. Participation in the tender of the trust company Clinton and her friendship with Mr. K. Schwarzenberg do not necessarily guarantee the victory of Westinghouse.
The Russian-Czech consortium MIR.1200, which includes the Russian Atomstroyexport and the experimental design bureau Gidropress, takes part in the tender as the second participant, and from the Czech side the concern Skoda JS. Earlier, the French company Areva participated in the tender, but it was withdrawn from the competition: expensive and long.
Currently, the station has two WWER-1000 power units with 1 power, thousand MW. The first stage of the Temelin nuclear power plant was built according to the Soviet project. A group of IAEA inspectors who examined nuclear power plants in November 2012 recognized the station as “exemplary” in six of the eight indicators and recommended its experience for studying at nuclear power plants in other states.
The completion of the Temelin nuclear power plant should be completed in 2025. The estimated construction cost is estimated at 10-15 billion dollars.
Where the Soviet project was used, and where the station was recognized as “exemplary,” they should remember and repeat the adage: they don’t seek good from the good. And remember, and repeat. In addition, Skoda operates together with Russian companies. The chances of Americans are more average than high.
Speaking in Prague, Hillary Clinton is not in vain said Czechs, that they need to diversify their sources of energy:
“You need to diversify sources of energy. This applies to the Czech Republic, and the whole of Europe. This is a state security issue. I think I found understanding here in Prague. ”
This phrase of hers — no, not about “it seems to me”, but about diversification — is a hint at the total dependence on Russia allegedly prevailing in Europe. And at the same time a complaint that American contractors are not honored in the Old World. He also knows Hillary that the Czech Republic receives 60% oil, 70% gas and all nuclear fuel from Russia.
Renowned energy expert in the Czech Republic, Yana Klimova, editor of the daily newspaper MF Dnes, declaresit is very difficult to lobby someone’s interests in the framework of a tender for the completion of the Temelin nuclear power plant. According to the expert, the tender for completion is different from standard procedures: after all, it was announced not by the government, but by a company where the state owns a controlling stake:
“This, on the one hand, facilitates lobbying, but on the other hand, the tender is announced within the framework of the law on public procurement. CEZ is a company that has a third of private owners, it is listed on the stock exchange and must adhere to the laws, that is, follow the criteria that are listed in the government contract, where there is an assessment, how the winner is chosen - they are all quite clear. The ratio of the 50 criteria on 50, where half is the price and commercial terms, and the other half is the technical performance and licensing options in Europe, and security, and so on. ”
Klimova believes that the American side will "put pressure" on the Czech Republic, using the well-known topic of "energy dependence on Russia." But the expert is convinced that the fear of Russia is not justified by anything:
“Personally, I think that for energy security it doesn’t matter at all whether the two units of Temelin NPP will be installed by Russians or Americans. We should not expect that the Russians will somehow cheat with technology, because in the end we do not live in the times that 50 years ago. ”
At the same time, Klimova says that concerns about the “Russian threat” are also groundless on the issue of dependence on nuclear fuel supplies:
“As part of the contract winner of the tender for the completion of the Temelin nuclear power plant is the supply of fuel for seven years, of course, if the Russians get a contract, they will have a monopoly on the supply of nuclear fuel. On the other hand, this is unlikely to mean any direct threat to our energy security, because nuclear fuel is acquired in a completely different way, not like other types of fuel. It is purchased in advance, creating stocks. So, to deal with nuclear fuel as a gas that has shut off everything, and we are freezing, in nuclear energy simply does not work. ”
In fact, for the energy security of the Czech Republic, no matter how assured Yana Klimova the opposite public, it matters “whether the Russians or Americans will put the two units of the Temelin nuclear power plant”.
The head of the Czech Nuclear Security Agency Dana Drabova, whose words quoted S. Natanzon ("Vesti"), rightly says that the safety of American technology is questionable. The AP-1000 reactor abroad was agreed to by some Chinese to build so far, and there is no place to look at its work. S. Natanzon writes:
“By the way, at the price of the AP-1000“ reference ”reactor is just there. At home, in America, Westinghouse is building two such units at the Vogtle NPP. They won the tender in 2008, promising to finish the project in eight with a third billion dollars. That is 3700 dollars per kilowatt of power. Already, the estimate has grown to 14 billion. Completion of construction postponed for two years. The technology of inflating nuclear estimates is long overdue. At the end of 1980's, the first two Vogtle reactors were built by Westinghouse in general, exceeding the budget by almost 15 times. ”
Hillary, by the way, operates within the framework of his own strategy “Economic Statecraft” (“Economic State Lobbying”), previously favorably adopted by Barack Obama, who does not know how to get the USA out of financial and industrial deadlock. In June, 2012, Hillary stated:
“We call it“ state economic lobbying. ” We must empower people to work, trade, invest, create and prosper. That's why more than a thousand economic representatives on six continents work with local chambers of commerce, businessmen and governments. We create partnerships with companies, universities and non-governmental organizations. ”
In fact, Hillary did not come up with anything. Back in 2009, Westinghouse’s interests in the Czech Republic were actively promoted by Vice President Joe Biden. During his visit to the Czech Republic, Mr. Biden at a meeting with Czech politicians said:
“We don’t care if you buy nuclear energy in France or the USA, but if you buy it from Russia, then I have to question your decision.” In a conversation with the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Jan Fischer, Biden said: “If you want to break away from Russia, contact Westinghouse.” They will make a good offer and do not build Chernobyl. ”
Such is the American friend, the politician of the “reset” times.
Washington is worried because Temelin is about to go to the Russians. Czech industrialists give priority to the offer of the Czech-Russian consortium: after all, it will provide the maximum number of jobs and equipment supply not only for Temelin NPP, but also for joint projects in other countries. And why would the Czechs take care of nine thousand jobs for Americans?
If the consortium of Škoda and Atomstroyexport companies wins with the project MIR.1200, more than 10 thousand jobs will be created in the Czech Republic.
Deputy Chairman of the Union of Industry and Transport of the Czech Republic Stanislav Kazetski says:
“It seems to me that the Czech-Russian consortium is more active in the participation of Czech companies. Several companies associated with it already have contracts in addition to the Temelin nuclear power plant. So far I have not received information that Westinghouse has invited someone to one of its international projects. On the other hand, Westinghouse has practically not been building a nuclear power plant for years. At the same time, the project proposed by the Americans was not tested. And this after the Fukushima accident is considered a disregard for security issues. Apparently, for this reason, the American side resorted to political pressure in the tender ... "
Russian media is laconic about Clinton's Prague statements, and meanwhile, if you look through Czech sources, you can stumble upon the remarks of the Secretary of State, which confirm the fact that H. Clinton, unlike Biden in 2009, did not tell the Czechs how to be and what to do, but practically begged them to accept the American proposal. In this sense, she didn’t say anything.
It saidThe Czech Republic is the number one country in Central Europe in terms of promoting safe nuclear energy. Several times she stubbornly stressed that Westinghouse makes safe nuclear power plants and has a “good track record” in this regard. She also mentioned the latest international standards approved by the EU and the IAEA.
I spoke she and on behalf of Obama, noting that the entire US administration "strongly" supports Westinghouse. She added that the Export-Import Bank of the United States is interested in financing the deal, and its officials are ready to meet with the special representative of the Czech government to discuss participation in the Temelin NPP tender.
Everything is useless.
The Czechs rightly believe that Russia's participation in the construction of the Temelin nuclear power plant opens up tremendous opportunities for Czech enterprises. And no matter how flattering epithets Clinton stuck to Westinghouse, she left Prague, presumably, with the realization of her next defeat.
After all, even the Czech bookmakers, who accepted a lot of bets on the winner of the tender for the construction of new NPP units, as one claim: Russians will receive an order for the completion of the Temelin NPP. Last year the bookmaker office “Fortuna” announced a betting and bidding procedure: people guessed not only the winning company of the competition before the end of 2011, but also the timing of the start of construction.
And the vast majority of Czech players believesthat, despite lobbying for American politicians, the tender will be won by the Czech-Russian consortium Atomstroyexport, Gidropress and Škoda JS.
“On this challenger, the bets were made in total by 85% of the participants of the bet,” says the press secretary of Fortune, Peter Shrayn.
And according to him, only 15% of players believe in the victory of “Westinghouse”. Another 5% predicted the success of the French Areva, which has now filed an antitrust appeal. A slight excess of 100% is probably due to the fact that players sometimes put on two “horses in the race.”
Earlier, the bookmakers themselves did not highly appreciate the Westinghouse chances: if Fortuna announced the entire course of 1,3 for the predicted Atomstroyexport victory, then the chances of Westinghouse were rated by the 2,8 course, and Areva - by 5,5.
In other words, if Russia seemed to the bookmakers to be the clear favorite of the race, the horse named Westinghouse limped, and the nag “Areva” was dragging the jockey behind him on the reins.
Observed and translated by Oleg Chuvakin
- especially for topwar.ru
- especially for topwar.ru