Events

OSTROVETS DISTRICT, 28 March (BelTA) – The first electricity generated by the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant will flow to the national power grid in Q4 2019, BelTA learned from Alexander Kanyuka, head of the reactor division of the state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, during a media tour of the nuclear power plant for Belarusian and Russian reporters on 28 March.

Erection and installation operations are now in progress at the first power-generating unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. Some 90% of the work has been done already. “All the main reactor equipment and turbine equipment has been installed. Post-installation flushing is in progress,” explained Alexander Kanyuka.

Hydraulic testing and circulation flushing are supposed to begin this summer. Simulated nuclear fuel will be put inside the reactor pressure vessel. The pipes will be filled with desalted water and pumps will be turned on. Water in the primary circuit will be warmed up to the necessary temperature and pressure will be increased. “It will allow confirming the reliability and strength of the assembled main circulation pipe. After that we will move on to the next phase — integral equipment testing and hot trials. In other words, we will enable the conditions the equipment and systems are designed to operate in in order to confirm their working capacity. It will be one of the final steps in preparing to launch the unit,” said the reactor division head.

Nuclear fuel is supposed to be delivered in late 2018. It will be delivered from the Russian manufacturer to the construction site near Ostrovets by rail.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is being built using the Russian standard Generation III+ design AES-2006 near Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in December 2019, with the second one to go online in July 2020.