First unit of Belarusian nuclear power plant begins hot trials

MINSK, 11 December (BelTA) – The first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant has begun hot trials of the reactor unit –the largest stage of startup and commissioning work before the physical launch, BelTA learned from ASE Company. The company is the general designer and general contractor in the project for building the Belarusian nuclear power plant.

ASE Company Vice President and supervisor of the Belarusian nuclear power plant construction project Vitaly Polyanin said: “We are in the final stage of the program on preparing the reactor unit for the physical startup. Once the hot trials are over, the main equipment and auxiliary equipment of the primary and secondary circuits will be checked as part of preparations for the nuclear reactor physical startup.”

In his words, hot trials are a technological process that imitates the operation of a live reactor. Only fuel rod array imitators are placed inside the reactor instead of genuine fuel.

During the hot trials specialists will check the functionality of the primary equipment of the reactor unit. They will also test safeguards of the primary and secondary circuits, in particular, their endurance to excessive pressure. The main circulation pumps will be tested using cold and hot parameters of the reactor unit.

Apart from that, the power supply system will be tested in several modes such as power supply interruptions, a complete power outage, and a maximum design-basis accident.