Belarusian power grid’s readiness for nuclear power plant launch reviewed

Electric boilers with the total electric capacity of 80MW will be commissioned at Gomel cogeneration plant No. 2 in Q1 2016. The relevant matters were discussed as Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko visited the construction site of the Belarusian nuclear power plant on 9 October, BelTA has learned.

The head of state was informed about how the national power grid was getting ready for the launch of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. Alexander Lukashenko was told that there are no serious problems in that regard. There is a small issue of how cogeneration plants can get through the electricity consumption minimum at night. The problem will be addressed by optimizing the operation of the national power grid and by installing electric boilers at various facilities among other things. In particular, such boilers will be commissioned at Gomel cogeneration plant No. 2 in Q1 2016.

Apart from that, a program is in development in Belarus to increase power consumption in other branches of the national economy during night hours. The pricing policy will also be improved in Belarus in order to encourage power consumption at night.

The construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant will allow reducing natural gas consumption to 5 billion m3 per annum in addition to adding a new kind of fuel to the nation’s energy budget. It will also allow reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the prime cost of electricity generation.

Construction work is now in progress at the main buildings and core facilities of the first and second power-generating units of the future nuclear power plant as well as auxiliary facilities. In accordance with the general contract the first unit will be commissioned in 2018, with the second one to go online in 2020.