Business news

MINSK, 23 March (BelTA) – The Belarusian nuclear power plant has been stress-tested using European methods, BelTA learned from the latest interview of Belarusian Deputy Energy Minister Mikhail Mikhadyuk with the New Europe weekly.

According to the source, Belarus stress-tested its nuclear power plant in 2016 using European methods and taking into account recommendations based on the European Commission’s and the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group’s (ENSREG) specifications. The national regulating agency (the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry) is now preparing a report on the stress tests. The report will be presented before the general public and the European Commission. “We’ve also prepared a report on evaluating the Belarusian nuclear power plant’s environmental impact in a timely manner,” stressed Mikhail Mikhadyuk.

As part of the stress testing process the resilience of the Belarusian nuclear power plant as well as its adaptation to extreme impacts was tested. The safe operation of the nuclear power plant in the face of extreme external impacts was tested. Consequences of natural phenomena were forecasted such as combinations of floods, extreme weather conditions and external impacts, consequences of the nuclear power plant’s losing safety functions due to the loss of external power.

A Belarusian delegation that included Mikhail Mikhadyuk met with representatives of the European Commission in Luxembourg on 13-14 March. During the meeting the sides discussed a number of matters concerning the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, including the evaluation of stress test results.