Construction of BelNPP’s personnel training center to begin in May

The construction of a training center for the personnel of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is supposed to start in May 2014, BelTA learned from Anatoly Bondar, Chief Engineer of the enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, during the Energy Ministry’s media tour to the Ostrovets construction site on 17 April.

Anatoly Bondar said that the center is supposed to be finished in November 2015 and is supposed to start training the personnel in 2016.

Vladimir Bronnikov, an advisor of the Moscow center of the World Association of Nuclear Operators, told BelTA that among other things the nuclear power plant will receive equipment simulators for repair personnel, operation personnel, and for local control training. “We are confident that there will be no problems with qualifications of the personnel,” he remarked.

An international seminar was held in Ostrovets on 17 April to share cutting-edge practices relevant for the commissioning of nuclear power plants. Experts from eight countries took part in the event. During the seminar Nikolai Shestakov of the Russian company Atomtechenergo remarked: “It is generally acknowledged that personnel represents the key value of a nuclear power plant. Personnel training levels determine the effective and safe operation of the facility”. In his opinion, it is necessary to select and train personnel in advance. The personnel training system has to include physical infrastructure, learning materials, and instructors. “Specialists with colossal experience accumulated at existing nuclear power plants and those under construction in Ukraine, Russia, and non-CIS states take care of the organization of personnel training for the Belarusian nuclear power plant,” said the expert. He added that Belarus needs the training center for the entire system to work. “I am confident that the Belarusian nuclear power plant will accomplish this most complicated task with honor,” concluded Nikolai Shestakov.

BelTA reported earlier that at present about 2,000 people are employed at the construction site of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. By the end of the year the number is supposed to reach 3,400 people. The amount of work to be done in 2014 will be six times as large as the amount of work done in 2013.

Construction workers started pouring concrete into the foundation of the facilities that will make up the first power-generating unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant at the Ostrovets site in November 2013. The Belarusian nuclear power plant will boast two power-generating units with the total generating capacity of up to 2,400MW (1,200MW each). The Russian design AES-2006 has been chosen to build the power plant. The design is fully compliant with international standards and IAEA recommendations. The Russian merged company OAO NIAEP – ZAO Atomstroyexport (ASE) is the general designer and the general contractor for building the power plant. The timeline for implementing the project is stipulated by the general contract. The first power-generating unit of the nuclear power plant is scheduled for launch in November 2018.

As of 5 April as much as 5% of the total work required to build the Belarusian nuclear power plant was completed.