Events

MINSK, 4 April (BelTA) – The House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus has ratified the memorandum of understanding between the Belarus government and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on the joint project for disposing of the stockpiled reserves of liquid rocket fuel components, BelTA has learned.

The memorandum was signed in Minsk on 16 June 2015. Belarus still has over 408.7 tonnes of AK-27i rocket fuel oxidant that was made in 1984 and earlier, nearly 194 tonnes of TG-0.2 rocket fuel that was made in 1989 and earlier, and about 96 tonnes of TM-185 product that was made in 1985 and earlier.

A considerable part of these reserves is past their expiry date. The annex to the memorandum reads that Belarus does not have the ability to get rid of them on its own in compliance with technical norms and ecological requirements. The Belarus government has contacted the OSCE for assistance with recycling these reserves. The reserves are supposed to be disposed of by 3 December 2016.

The fuel and fuel components are stored at various facilities of the Belarusian Defense Ministry. For the sake of improving ecological safety and enabling proper storage conditions in addition to enabling the ability to effectively ship the chemicals by rail or by sea if necessary for the sake of their consequent recycling outside the country plans have been made to stockpile all the chemicals at a base near Kalinkovichi.

Once it is done, Belarus will call a tender with the OSCE’s assistance to choose the executor of the project. The winner, the Belarusian side, and the OSCE will sign a trilateral contract. Where the rocket fuel components will be recycled will depend on the executor.