Rosatom confirms plans to commission first unit of Belarusian nuclear power plant in 2019

MINSK, 17 September (BelTA) – The Russian state nuclear industry corporation Rosatom has confirmed plans to commission the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant by the end of 2019. The plans were discussed as Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Rumas met with Rosatom Director General Aleksei Likhachev on 15 September, BelTA has learned.

The Rosatom CEO said: “We are working like an assembly line. The first unit of the second stage of the Leningrad nuclear power plant is an elder brother of the Belarusian nuclear power plant if you want. That unit has gone through industrial tests and is now operating at full capacity. Paperwork is in progress to hand it over to the operator. Taking into account this experience we are preparing to carry out the same procedure in Belarus next year. We intend to accomplish it by the end of the next year.”

In his words, as part of the work to build the Belarusian nuclear power plant Rosatom is setting a number of world records from the point of view of the time spent, quality, and the engagement of Belarusian contractors in the project. “That nuclear power plant is a flagship project, a number one project taking into account the attention Rosatom’s management and the country’s leadership pay to this facility,” stressed the Rosatom CEO.

Aleksei Likhachev thanked the Belarusian side for interaction at all levels – the nuclear power plant site, the Energy Ministry, the Architecture and Construction Ministry, and the Emergencies Ministry. “We hope a lot that the renewed Belarusian government team will keep this continuity in place,” he added.

Sergei Rumas noted that the Belarusian nuclear power plant means a lot for the country. “It is not only the largest infrastructure project in the entire history of Belarus. It is also the largest investment project. The head of state directly oversees its implementation,” said the prime minister.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is being built using the Russian standard Generation III+ design AES-2006 near Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The first batch of nuclear fuel is scheduled for delivery to the nuclear power plant by the end of 2018.