KRASNOYARSK, December 20 - RAPSI. A court started hearing on Tuesday the prosecutor's office's claim to order Boguchany hydro-power plant to appraise its future impact on the environment, the court's spokeswoman told RIA Novosti.

The prosecutor's office earlier demanded the environmental appraisal by January 1, 2012. The plant's construction started in 1980 but was suspended in 1994 due to lack of financing. The works resumed in 2006 when RusHydro and Rusal agreed to develop the Boguchany Energo-Metallurgical Union project jointly. Boguchany power plant designed capacity is 3 GW and the Boguchany Aluminium Smelter is expected to produce 600,000 tones of metal per year.

RusHydro and Rusal expect to start the power station's first three generators by April 2012.

It was earlier reported that the World Wildlife Fund requested the Russian president to suspend the construction until the environmental appraisal is completed.