No plans yet to build third, fourth units of Belarusian nuclear power plant

It is too early to consider building the third and fourth power-generating units of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, BelTA learned from Belarusian Energy Minister Vladimir Potupchik on 8 April.

“Talks about building the third and fourth power-generating units of the Belarusian nuclear power plant are premature in the short term. Everything will depend on how our economy develops and how living standards of the people grow,” noted the Energy Minister.

Vladimir Potupchik explained that the need to build more power-generating units may be felt some time later. “We have a self-sufficient energy system, which is one of the most effective systems in the ex-USSR. This is why we are able to increase electricity export, decrease import, and keep prices low for Belarusian households,” said the official.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is a project to build an AES-2006 type nuclear power plant 18km away from Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The power plant will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW). The Russian merged company OAO NIAEP – ZAO ASE is the general designer and the general contractor of the project. In line with the general contract for building the nuclear power plant the first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2018, with the second one to go online in 2020.