15.01.2010
On the 9th of October in the town Ostrovets (Belorussia) there were held the public consultations on the evaluation of the environmental impact of the Belorussian nuclear power plant planned for construction. All interested persons, in particular, Grodno Region population, representatives of the public, ecological organizations and mass media became the participants of the public discussions. For the attention of the public there was presented the complete information on the Belorussian NPP construction project, evaluation results of the NPP construction and operation activities impact on the environment and agro-ecosystems in the territory of the Republic of Belarus.
The Deputy Minister for Energy of the Republic of Belarus Mr. Mikhail Mikhadyuk addressed the audience with the main report, he informed on a great preparatory work performed within the framework of the decision taking by the Government of Belarus on the construction of the first NPP in the country. In particular, Mr. Mikhail Mikhadyuk pointed out that on behalf of the country’s government in the address of the companies – world leaders operating at the NPP construction market there had been sent the official letters with inquiries, in response to which the real offer had been submitted only from the Russian State Corporation “Rosatom”. The offer was studied in details by the Belorussian side, with involvement of the leading international experts and IAEA specialists, both from the point of view of technical and economical characteristics of the project and from the point of view of its safety and environmental impact. Mr. Mikhail Mikhadyuk stated that all the work on the implementation of the project of the Belorussian NPP construction was performed under IAEA control, the arrival in Belarus of IAEA mission on the project implementation progress study was expected in the nearest time.
The First Vice-president of “Atomstroyexport” JSC (ASE JSC) Mr. Alexander Glukhov addressed the audience with the report on Russian VVER reactors – the third generation reactors having the reference and a high safety degree. At present “Atomstroyexport” JSC is implementing the projects on construction of three power plants with VVER reactors – these are “Kudankulam” NPP in India, “Belene” NPP in Bulgaria, “Bushehr” NPP in Iran. In China there was constructed and passed the guarantee operation “Tianwan” NPP which was acknowledged the safest NPP in the country. As Mr. Alexander Glukhov informed, “the design of the Belorussian NPP complies with international regulations and recommendations of IAEA, is remarkable for increased safety characteristics and technical and economical parameters. The main advantages of the Russian design are: a high safety degree ensured by the use of independent channels of active and passive safety systems, and an extended, more than 60 years, design service life of power units”.
“Atomstroyexport” JSC will implement the NPP construction under conditions of full responsibility of the general contractor – on a “turn-key” basis. The first nuclear power plant will be constructed in the Republic of Belarus under the Russian design “NPP-2006” of “SPb Atomenergoproekt” OJSC. The Ostrovetskaya site in Grodno Region was selected for the plant location. The designed capacity of the NPP is 2400 (2х1200) MW. The first power unit commissioning is planned in 2016 and the second one – in 2018.
Reference:On November 28, 2008 the Government of the Republic of Belarus addressed the Government of the Russian Federation with a message, in which it had pointed out that Belarusian specialists preferred the Russian NPP design, and proposed to proceed to implementation of this project. On May 28, 2009 in Minsk during the meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Union State an Agreement was signed between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on cooperation in the field of nuclear power use in peaceful purposes. In the IV quarter it is planned to sign an Agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Belarus on cooperation in the NPP construction in the territory of the Republic of Belarus.
During the quarters I-II, 2009 “Atomstroyexport” JSC jointly with Russian organizations prepared and submitted to Belorussian departments and organizations a considerable scope of technical information necessary for Belorussian specialists for preparation of the NPP construction in the territory of the Republic of Belarus. In August 2009 there was established a joint Russian-Belorussian Working Group for the development of the concept and structure of the Contract Agreement on the construction in the territory of the Republic of Belarus of a nuclear power plant on a “turn-key” basis. The Working Group prepared the draft Contract Agreement, and conducts an active work upon its agreement. In Minsk on September 29, 2009 a regular meeting of the Working Group was held, at which the provisions and articles of this document were considered. The signing of the Contract Agreement is planned on December 2009.
“Atomstroyexport” and RUP “Belnipienergoprom” signed an agreement on the development of the justification of the investment in the Belorussian NPP construction. The investment justification development must be completed in December 2009. It is planned to sign an agreement for the development of the technical assignment for the NPP design in the territory of the Republic of Belarus.
