Vladimir Putin's opening address:

Good afternoon,

I'd like to welcome all employees of the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station. This is what I'd like to discuss today. The flood in Siberia, particularly in the area of the Yenisei River, has become much worse. We have agreed to keep the rebuilding of the plant under constant supervision and I suggest we discuss this now.

On the whole, the reconstruction of the station is proceeding according to the approved schedule. The government has issued 50 instructions on its restoration, 38 of which have been fulfilled. All others are currently being carried out. This is one of the rare cases when we do not see any delays in implementing instructions.

Experts have restored the thermal loop of the turbine room and the plant's engineering systems.

The Sayanogorsk-Sayano-Shushenskaya station road is under reconstruction. It is essential for the rebuilding of the station.

The station's fifth and sixth hydraulic units, which have a total capacity of 1,289 megawatts, are onstream once again, enhancing the stability of Siberia's entire energy system.

Now I'd like to return to the autumn and winter peak loads. I'd like once again to thank all those who made a contribution to the station's safe operation during this difficult time. I'm referring not only to problems related to the accident but also to the abnormally low temperatures we saw in Siberia last year.

In addition, reserve capacities were used earlier than usual to guarantee reliable energy supplies to industrial enterprises, social facilities and people in Siberia.

I've already said that we should not simply restore the station. In effect, in only a few years, we have to build a virtually new station: modernised and with enhanced durability. Specialists will rebuild and replace hydroelectric units and install modern control, communications and technological safety systems. I'd like the Ministry of Energy (Mr Shmatko is listening) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to closely monitor the manufacture and supply of units for the station.

I visited the Power Machines Company the other day. The company is ready to deliver the third and fourth hydraulic units to the plant ahead of schedule. They are now considering shipping them a month early, in July.

And one more important subject. The accident raised the question of water management security at the Sayano-Shushensky hydroelectric unit. Owing to skilled performance, specialists managed to remove the potential threat.

Today, I expect a report on the completed construction of the first-stage spillway.

We need to continue the same detailed monitoring of weather conditions and water levels in the water reservoir this year.

I know that leading specialists were involved in inspecting hydraulic units. The water management parameters for the flooding period have been determined and round-the-clock staffing and timely communication of information have been factored in.

Nevertheless, I'd like you to report to me on all issues in more detail, including the construction of the shore spillway.

Let's get to work. Mr Sechin, please go ahead.

Igor Sechin: Good afternoon, Mr Putin. Your instructions and the action plan to clear up the consequences of the dam accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power plant stipulate that the startup unit of the first-stage shore spillway be completed by June 1, 2010.

That decision was made to ensure safety during the high water season because the power plant is currently only using two hydroelectric units.

The importance of commissioning the spillway, as you have said, has now been confirmed by information from the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, indicating that water inflow into the storage tank is growing. According to weather forecasts the water inflow may exceed the norm in June and reach a record high comparable to the levels reached in 1936, 1966 and 1973.

The commissioning of the spillway will ensure a risk-free high water season and the reliable operation of all elements of the power station, including the dam. Experts have calculated that water could rise as high as 527 metres, which would require the spillway to be used by June 20-22. It is now 506 metres high.

Mr Putin, I ask your permission for Yuri Gorbenko, who is in charge of commissioning the shore spillway, to report on the completion of the startup project. After that we will report on all the other issues you raised.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Gorbenko, you have the floor.

Yuri Gorbenko: In accordance with the decision of the State Commission for Commissioning the Power Station, it was deemed necessary to build an additional shore spillway to relieve pressure on the operating spillway and the hydraulic jump basin (stilling pool).

It was designed and RusHydro started implementing it in 2005, planning to commission its first stage in 2011.

In August 2009, you instructed us to accelerate work on the new shore spillway and ordered the allocation of federal budget funds for this purpose. In accordance with your instruction, 4.3 billion roubles have been allocated from the federal budget for the shore spillway project.

RusHydro ensured that the first stage of the spillway would be ready by June 2010. At this point in time, the government commission chaired by Igor Sechin has inspected all elements of the shore spillway and ordered the development of the approach tunnel vent.

This means that we have done what we planned and the station is ready for the high water season. I'd like to show you a video.

The first stage of the shore spillway consists of an intake portal, a pressure-free tunnel, an exit portal, a five-stepped cascade and a spillway canal. The intake portal is designed to ensure the smooth flow of water into a 1,122-metre-long 10 x 12 metre tunnel.

The cascade consists of five steps each 100 metres wide and 121-198 metres long; its purpose is to dissipate the energy of fast flowing water and lower its speed from 22 m/sec to 4 m/sec.

The 100-metre-wide and 700-metre-long spillway canal is used to adjust the speed of water flow from the spillway to the flow of the river. The first unit of the spillway enables us to discharge up to 2,000 cubic metres of water per second.

We have done the following to complete the first line of the shore spillway: laid 650,000 cubic metres of concrete, completed 330,000 cubic metres of earth and rock tunnelling, removed 5.4 million cubic metres of earth and rock, and assembled 1,100 metric tons of hydropower equipment.

The power station is ready for the high water season. That concludes my report.

Vladimir Putin: What about the second stage?

Yuri Gorbenko: As for the second stage, during it we will continue to work as fast as we did during the first stage. According to schedule, we are to complete work on the shore spillway by September 2011.

Vladimir Putin: Is your work on schedule?

Yuri Gorbenko: Yes, it is.

Vladimir Putin: Do you have sufficient funds?

Yuri Gorbenko: We have no problem regarding finance; we are receiving funds strictly to schedule.

Vladimir Putin: Who is working on this project? We spoke about employing local residents who used to work at the power station, and also considered attracting workforce from other Russian regions. What option have you chosen?

Yuri Gorbenko: When we started the project in September 2009, which we did very intensively, we employed 1,600 people. We now have 2,800 people working at the site. Additional 1,200 people have been hired locally, in the region.

Vladimir Putin: Mr Dod (Yevgeny Dod, chairman of the board of directors of RusHydro), how is the company positioned following the commissioning of two power units? How are you preparing for the commissioning of the next unit?

Yevgeny Dod: The company is doing its best to commission two more power units this year; this is a matter of honour for us. Therefore, RusHydro and the design institutes are working hard to build a new power station to replace the one that was destroyed. By 2014 we plan to commission an innovative and absolutely safe power station complete with perfectly reliable hydropower equipment.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you. Mr Sechin, do you have anything more to say?

Igor Sechin: We are to commission two power units this year, according to your instructions and our plan. We told you this last week when you visited Power Machines, the St Petersburg based company that is building turbines for the station. The third power unit will be assembled in June or July and prepared for commissioning, which we expect to take place in August. The next meeting of the government commission has also been planned for August, and we intend to commission the fourth power unit by the end of the year. We will synchronise the work of the power station and that of the turbine producer so that these power units will be producing electricity as early as autumn and winter 2010-2011.

Vladimir Putin: Thank you. I am grateful to everyone, including the workers, engineers and project organisers, for completing the first stage of the spillway project. I hope that all other efforts to rebuild the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station will be taken in the same manner, and that you will maintain the speed you have gathered and ensure the same quality.