"The construction of the fourth reactor of the Beloyarsk power plant could provoke radioactive leaks of plutonium which could affect 4.5 million people," the Ecodefense green lobbying group said in a statement.

Russia is currently looking for foreign capital to finance the construction of the fast neutron reactor, which is due to be opened at the end of 2009.

Sources in Rosenergoatom, the state-run body that is responsible for nuclear facilities in Russia, said Wednesday that China and Japan and possibly the United States were ready to participate in the 1.2-billion-dollar project.

Ecodefense denied assertions by Rosenergoatom that the Beloyarsk nuclear power station had an exemplary safety record, saying that there had been 27 leaks -- including radioactive -- and 14 fires over the past 24 years.

In September 2000, the station's automatic shutdown system did not function because of a short circuit. "The reactor would have exploded if the staff had not shut it down manually," the organisation said, citing the local Federal Security Service (FSB, ex-KGB).

TERRA.WIRE