Rosatom calls BelNPP a flagship project

The construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (BelNPP) is a flagship project, Nikolai Spassky, Deputy Director General, Director of the International Operations Division of the Russian state nuclear energy industry corporation Rosatom, told BelTA.

“This is our flagship project. No other construction project we run abroad is progressing so fast. It is really so. This is a unique project,” Nikolai Spassky said.

In his words, some minor issues arise along the way, however all of them are resolved. “Most importantly, we are greatly satisfied with the cooperation with our Belarusian partners. Suffice it to say what we will achieve by the end of this year,” he underlined. Nikolai Spassky emphasized that the ground part of the BelNPP first power-generating unit has already reached 20 meters. According to Nikolai Spassky, “this is a great advancement”.

Deputy Energy Minister of Belarus Mikhail Mikhadyuk confirmed that the BelNPP project is making steady progress. “Our plan for the first power-generating unit is to reach 22 meters,” he informed. He added that the work on the second power-generating unit is going on as planned.

According to Mikhail Mikhadyuk, some RUB8.4 billion worth of construction and installation works will be performed at the Ostrovets site in 2014. Talking about the equipment to be used by the nuclear power plant, he said: “The equipment that takes much time to manufacture has been ordered and is being produced in line with the schedule. The auxiliary equipment is being purchased in line with the project documents”.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is being built 18km away from the town of Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The BelNPP 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. The AES-2006 design developed by the Saint Petersburg-based R&D company Atomenergoproject was chosen for building Belarus’ first nuclear power plant. The first power-generating unit of the nuclear power plant is scheduled for launch in 2018, the second one in 2020.