Business news

MINSK, 14 September (BelTA) – Belarus and Russia are discussing technical aspects of replacing the compromised reactor vessel for the Belarusian nuclear power plant, BelTA learned from Belarusian Deputy Energy Minister Mikhail Mikhadyuk after the second round of Belarusian-Lithuanian consultations about the Belarusian nuclear power plant on 14 September.

The official said: “The Belarusian side has decided in favor of getting the reactor vessel replaced and has notified the Russian side about it. The Russian side has agreed to do it. Now we are discussing technicalities of replacing the reactor pressure vessel within the framework of the general contract.”

The Deputy Energy Minister reminded that the off-nominal situation had happened because the rules of transporting cargoes with a crane had been violated. “From the very start the situation was analyzed both by the regulating agency and the customer together with the general contractor. A set of investigations has been carried out.”

BelTA reported earlier that an off-nominal situation occurred at the construction site of the Belarusian nuclear power plant on 10 July 2016. A reactor pressure vessel slipped inside its rigging and was hanging at an angle, with one end touching the ground. Belarus has since decided to get the reactor vessel replaced. In turn, the Russian nuclear engineering corporation Rosatom has promised it will be done.