Construction of power grid linkup for Belarusian nuclear station begins

The construction of the system to collect the electricity the Belarusian nuclear power plant will generate and deliver it into the national power grid has begun. A commemorative stone was placed at the 330kV substation Molodechno on 3 March. Taking part in the ceremony were representatives of the Belarusian Energy Ministry and the Chinese company NCPE, BelTA has learned.

The ceremony took place at one of the largest nodal substations of the Belarusian power grid that will be involved in delivering electricity from the country’s largest energy generation source that the nuclear power plant will be once it is commissioned. The substation will connect the Belarusian nuclear power plant with the largest consumer — the Minsk power grid.

The project to build the system to collect the electricity the Belarusian nuclear power plant will generate and connect the power plant with the national power grid provides for building over 1,000km of 330kV overhead high-voltage power lines in Minsk Oblast, Grodno Oblast, and Vitebsk Oblast. As much as 672.4km of high-voltage power lines will be reconstructed. Four substations will be reconstructed and 330kV cells will be built in Minsk, Ross, Stolbtsy, and Smorgon. A new 330kV transformer substation will be built in Postavy, Vitebsk Oblast. The second auto transformer will be installed at the 330kV substation in Smorgon.

In November 2011 the Belarusian head of state authorized borrowing a loan from China on preferential terms to finance the project as well as holding a restricted participation tender among Chinese companies for building the facility with the maximum number of Belarusian companies involved. North China Power Engineering Company (NCPE) has been chosen to be the general contractor for the project. Belarusian construction and installation companies will have to perform at least 45% of the work involved in implementing the project.

On 8 June 2012 the Grodno Oblast electrical company RUP Grodnoenergo and NCPE signed the contract worth over $340 million for implementing the project. The allocated construction time is 60 months. The loan from the Export-Import Bank of China will cover 95% of the costs while Grodnoenergo will provide the rest.