Energy Ministry to get full license for first unit of BelNPP soon

The Energy Ministry is expected to get the full license for the first power-generating unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in the near future, Deputy Energy Minister of Belarus Mikhail Mikhadyuk told a press conference during the 6th international exhibition AtomExpo Belarus 2014 on 1 April, BelTA has learnt.

“We believe we will be able to get the full license for the first power-generating unit in the near future. Experts are working on it,” the Deputy Energy Minister said. He informed that the Belarusian nuclear power plant has the necessary construction documents for the entire 2014.

The experts informed that the license for all the works to be done before the commissioning of the NPP will be issued at the start of April.

First Deputy Premier of Belarus Vladimir Semashko noted at the opening ceremony of AtomExpo Belarus 2014 that about $470 million will be utilized in 2014 while building the Belarusian nuclear power plant.

In November 2013 the Ostrovets site saw the launch of concrete pouring operations to build the first power-generating unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. The Belarusian nuclear power plant will have two power-generating units with the total capacity of up to 2,400MW (1,200MW each). The Russian design AES-2006 was chosen to build the power plant. The design is fully compliant with international standards and IAEA recommendations. The Russian public joint-stock company OAO NIAEP – ZAO Atomstroyexport 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-engineering unit of the nuclear power plant is scheduled for launch in November 2018.