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MINSK, 3 March (BelTA) – Hungary is interested in the Belarusian experience of overseeing the construction of nuclear power plants, BelTA learned from representatives of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry.

A delegation of the Hungarian nuclear safety regulating agency — the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority (HAEA) — led by the agency’s Director General Gyula Fichtinger stayed in Belarus on 27 February — 2 March. The visit was focused on sharing the best practices of overseeing nuclear energy facilities and other matters concerning the regulation of nuclear and radiation safety.

The Hungarian side was primarily interested in various aspects of nuclear power plant construction oversight because Hungary has decided to build two new power-generating units at the Paks nuclear power plant using the Russian AES-2006 design. In turn, Belarusian specialists were interested in the experience of operating the Paks nuclear power plant, which has four VVER-type reactors that have been in use since 1983.

The delegation of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority visited the Belarusian nuclear power plant construction site. The Hungarian specialists were made familiar with what inspectors of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry do on site as part of the continuous oversight procedures.

The sides also discussed promising topics for joint events that may be held in the future.

The visit was the second bilateral event after the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry and the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority signed a memorandum of understanding in September 2016. In December 2016 specialists of the Belarusian nuclear energy industry watchdog studied the experience of the Hungarian agency in preparing public hearings prior to granting a license for operations involving nuclear energy usage.