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MINSK, 27 November (BelTA) – A batch of nuclear fuel to start the reactor of the first power-generating unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant has been made and has passed quality inspection at Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (NCCP, part of TVEL Fuel Company of the Russian nuclear industry corporation Rosatom), BelTA has learned.

A batch of 180 fuel assemblies has been made for VVER-1200 reactors. Of them 163 will be used to start up the reactor while the other 17 will be used as backup.

“Rosatom’s fuel division honored its commitments as part of the project to build the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in a timely manner. The fuel passed product quality inspection in the presence of the Belarusian customer and representatives of the national regulating agency. It confirmed the high level of quality management organization in TVEL Fuel Company,” noted Konstantin Vergazov, Senior Vice President for Science, Technology, and Quality at TVEL Fuel Company.

The state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant and TVEL Fuel Company signed the contract for the delivery of nuclear fuel for the first and second units of the nuclear power plant (starting with the second refueling) in December 2017.

Alexander Lokshin, Rosatom’s First Deputy Director General for Operations Management, was earlier quoted as saying that the Belarusian nuclear power plant will be ready to receive nuclear fuel in early 2019.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is being built using a Russian design featuring VVER-1200 reactors near Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in December 2019, with the second one to go online in July 2020.