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The Kaskad software suite is used to calculate neutron physics parameters of the fuel loaded into Water-Water Energetic Reactors (VVER). “Operators manage the reactor using the figures, coefficients, and limits calculated using the Kaskad software suite,” said Levon Avetisyan, Head of the Nuclear Physics Lab at the Belarusian nuclear power plant. “The design of our nuclear power plant just like the design of the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant provides for making neutron physics calculations in the Kaskad suite. We should teach the personnel how to work with the suite before the Belarusian nuclear power plant goes online.” Levon Avetisyan stressed that the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant had accumulated a lot of experience in this field.

Yulia Zinkevich, an engineer of the Nuclear Physics Lab of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, specified that the specialists had studied the theory behind neutron physics calculations in the Kurchatov Institute and the Obninsk Nuclear Power Engineering Institute. Now they were able to make such calculations in practice.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is a project to build a VVER-1200 type nuclear power plant 18km away from Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The BelNPP will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW).

During technical tours of Russian nuclear power plants and nuclear industry enterprises Belarusian specialists get familiar with procedures used to start and commission a nuclear power plant, commission and operate full-scale simulators. The experience of operating workbenches for testing and repairing fuel rod arrays is evaluated. The specialists also get familiar with the technology of handing fuel rod array imitators, with how environmental protection is organized and many other matters.