BelNPP's first unit to get fresh fuel, go through preventive repair at year end

OSTROVETS DISTRICT, 19 May (BelTA) – Belarusian Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich told reporters when the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is expected to undergo another scheduled preventive repair and what steps will be taken as part of the process, BelTA has learned.

Viktor Karankevich said: “The second scheduled preventive repair of the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is scheduled for Q4 2023. Another reloading of part of the nuclear fuel will be made. Fuel has already been delivered to the Belarusian nuclear power plant site and has gone through incoming inspection. Diagnostics of technological systems will be done as well as audit of metal of equipment in the reactor room and the turbine room in addition to other measures. Both Belarusian and Russian specialists will traditionally participate in the repair process.”

Since the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant was connected to the national power grid (3 November 2020), over 14.6 billion kWh of electricity has been generated. It allowed substituting 3.8 billion m3 of natural gas.

According to the energy minister, once the second unit is commissioned, the Belarusian nuclear power plant will be able to generate about 18.5 billion kWh of electricity per annum. It will allow substituting about 4.5 billion m3 of natural gas.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant uses the Russian design AES-2006 featuring two VVER-1200 reactors with the total output capacity of 2,400MW. It is an evolutionary nuclear power plant design with third-generation water-moderated reactors. Such designs boast improved technical and economic parameters. A combination of active and passive safeguards is their key feature.