Business news

OSTROVETS, 20 April (BelTA) – There are plans to load fuel into the first reactor of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in Q1 2019, BelTA learned from Anatoly Bondar, Chief Engineer of the state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, on 20 April.

According to preliminary calculations, fuel will be loaded into the active zone of the first power-generating unit in Q1 2019. The process takes about 10-15 days. Fuel will be delivered to the Belarusian nuclear power plant in late 2018, said Anatoly Bondar.

The first power-generating unit has received all the primary equipment. It is being installed now. Welding the main circulation line is one of the key events. There are plans to start welding the line in May 2017.

At present about 5,000 construction and installation personnel are employed at the Belarusian nuclear power plant construction site. According to Anatoly Bondar, specialists experienced in commissioning nuclear power plants in other countries will take part in the commissioning of the first reactor.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is a project to build a new-generation nuclear power plant with two VVER-1200 type reactors (1,200MW each) 18km away from Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2019, with the second one to go online in 2020.