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OSTROVETS, 23 August (BelTA) – The World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) will carry out a peer review of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in 2018, BelTA learned from Belarusian Deputy Energy Minister Mikhail Mikhadyuk on 23 August.

Apart from that, Belarus will welcome a number of IAEA missions and will host a number of educational seminars before the nuclear power plant goes online. A comprehensive mission to evaluate the Belarusian nuclear power plant’s readiness for operation is scheduled for 2018.

Mikhail Mikhadyuk pointed out that Belarus openly shares information about progress in building the nuclear power plant with international nuclear energy agencies, neighboring countries, and other parties concerned. “In line with the commitments we have undertaken we have stress tested the nuclear power plant since safety is our key priority during the construction and operation of the nuclear power plant. A national report on results of the stress tests is being prepared now. We have also agreed to have the results independently evaluated by the European Commission. The European Commission is now setting up bodies to check our national report,” said the official.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is built using the Russian standard 3+ generation design AES-2006 near Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2019, with the second one to go online in 2020.

WANO unites all the operators of nuclear power plants (a total of about 450 power-generating units). The organization aims to improve the safety of all the nuclear power plants in the world. The state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant joined WANO in 2016.