MOSCOW, 2 October (BelTA) – The first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is in a high readiness state. Construction and installation operations proceed at the second unit, BelTA learned from Belarusian Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich during the international forum Russian Energy Week in Moscow on 2 October.
The official said: “The construction of the nuclear power plant in Belarus proceeds in tight cooperation with the state corporation Rosatom, the leading vendor of nuclear technologies and the leading builder of nuclear power plants abroad. Both Belarusian and Russian civil engineering companies are now working at the site of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. The first unit of the nuclear power plant is nearly ready. Virtually all the construction and installation operations have been finished. Tuning and adjustment work and prelaunch operations are in progress. As for the second unit, construction and installation operations are in progress. Process equipment is being installed. Electric and heat installation operations are in progress.”
Viktor Karankevich reminded that after weighing all the pros and cons Belarus had opted for the Russian Generation III+ nuclear power plant design AES-2006. The total output capacity of the nuclear power plant will be 2,400MW once the two power-generating units each able to generate 1,200MW are commissioned.