Installation of second reactor vessel of Belarusian nuclear power plant to begin this autumn

The installation of the reactor pressure vessel of the second unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant will begin this autumn. Belarusian Deputy Energy Minister Mikhail Mikhadyuk made the statement on the sidelines of the 61st session of the IAEA General Conference, BelTA has learned.

According to the source, the reactor pressure vessel is on its way from the manufacturing site in Russia to the construction site. It is supposed to reach the construction site near Ostrovets in September – early October. “We will begin installing it in autumn,” noted Mikhail Mikhadyuk. The reactor pressure vessel is a vertical cylinder with an elliptical bottom. The reactor core and the internal components are located inside. There is a hermetically sealing lid at the top.

The reactor pressure vessel and the four steam generators of the first power-generating unit have already been installed. The welding of the main circulation line of the first unit is over.

According to Mikhail Mikhadyuk, roughly 70% of the construction work has been done for the first and second power-generating units. “We are now busy installing the equipment. We have installed virtually all the electric power output equipment. Startup and commissioning operations are now in progress,” said the official.

According to Mikhail Mikhadyuk, all the operations at the construction site are performed on schedule in order to commission the first power-generating unit in late 2019 and the second one in 2020.