Belarus to be “country in focus” at IAEA meeting on nuclear power infrastructure in Vienna

On 2-5 February Belarus will participate in the Technical Meeting on Topical Issues in the Development of Nuclear Power Infrastructure at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, BelTA learned from Lilia Dulinets, the head of the department for international cooperation, training and information at the Nuclear Energy Department of the Energy Ministry of Belarus.

The IAEA Secretariat suggested Belarus as a “country in focus" for the upcoming event. According to the draft program, Belarus will make a presentation on the development of national nuclear infrastructure, the regulatory body and the operating organization, and on the management of the Belarusian nuclear power plant construction project.

The aim of the event is to discuss the latest trends in the field of nuclear power infrastructure development, the construction of new nuclear power plants, the exchange of information and experiences among participating countries.

"By participating as a "country in focus” Belarus will be able to tell the international nuclear community about the latest developments in its nuclear energy program which is in full compliance with the IAEA standards and recommendations based on years of global experience," said Lilia Dulinets stressed.

The Belarusian delegation will be headed by Deputy Energy Minister Mikhail Mikhadyuk. It will also include Director of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant Mikhail Filimonov and head of Gosatomnadzor Olga Lugovskaya.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is a project to build an AES-2006 type nuclear power plant 18km away from Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The BelNPP will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW). 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.