The structure of the electric power industry of the Republic of Belarus provides for the import of electricity from Lithuania, Latvia and Russia. By 2020, when the Belarusian NPP will be brought to operating capacity, the situation should change.
Historical background
The Belarusian electric power industry developed as part of a unified system for receiving and distributing electric power in the USSR. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Belarus has not built any of its own facilities. Modernizations of all previously operated were carried out.
In 1986, after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the Byelorussian SSR felt the most terrible consequences of the explosion, and the Gomel and Mogilev regions were seriously affected . For reference: in Ukraine, irradiation was recorded in areas of a 30-kilometer zone in the Zhytomyr and Kiev regions, in the territory of the Russian Federation the Bryansk region was partially irradiated.
The issue of building a nuclear power plant in the Byelorussian SSR was considered as far back as the 90s of the 20th century. Then this issue was recognized as untimely for economic and political reasons.
Diplomatic decisions and white papers
The republic returned to considering the issue of building a nuclear power plant only in the 21st century.
In 2006, experts decided on the territory for the nuclear facility - this is the Grodno region, 18 km from the village of Ostrovets. Due to huge investments, the Belarusian nuclear power plant could not be built by the republic. Therefore, three countries were invited to participate in the construction: Russia, China and the United States.
During negotiations on the consideration of the participation of the United States and China in the project, the Russian side expressed its disapproval of resolving the issue in favor of third countries. As a result of "diplomatic bidding" for five years (from 2006 to 2011), Russia allocated a loan of 10 billion dollars for the construction of nuclear power plants. The problem was finally resolved through direct negotiations V.V. Putin and A.G. Lukashenko in March 2011. At the same time, they additionally announced that Russia agrees with Belarus’s demand for open tenders for the purchase of equipment for nuclear power plants.
Construction of the Belarusian NPP
Excavation began in late 2011. The process started after the President of Belarus signed Decree No. 499 “On the Construction of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant”, where the contractor was determined - Atomstroyexport CJSC (a Russian company comprising Rosatom).
In February 2015, the launch date of the station was adjusted: in 2018, 1 unit should be put into operation, in 2020 - the second.
To date (April 2015), work is on schedule.
Equipment suppliers are identified through open tendering. Naturally, some of them won the enterprises of Belarus. The share of local supplies is 7.9%.
The most successful in this regard are Russian enterprises. Ukraine won part of the bidding (for example, Energomashspetsstal has already supplied billets for the main circulation pump).
To date, 15% of financing has been disbursed, 36% of reinforcement has been installed and 35% of concrete has been laid (April 2015).
What will be the Belarusian NPP (photo)
The station will have two units with VVER-1200/491 reactors, the electric power of each of them is 1150 MW (with a installed capacity utilization factor of 92%). The duration of the reactor between fuel loads is two years.
The Belarusian nuclear power plant will operate on Russian fuel. The Russian Federation will deal with nuclear waste management issues.
By the capacity generated by nuclear power plants, Belarus will be the twelfth of eighteen European countries in which nuclear power plants will operate .
| The country | Power generated by nuclear power plants, MW |
1 | France | 66177 |
2 | Russia | 25242 |
3 | Ukraine | 13835 |
4 | Germany | 12709 |
5 | Sweden | 9769 |
6 | Great Britain | 9203 |
7 | Spain | 7395 |
8 | Belgium | 5758 |
9 | Czech | 3892 |
10 | Switzerland | 3430 |
eleven | Finland | 2820 |
12 | Bulgaria | 2000 |
thirteen | Hungary | 2000 |
14 | Slovakia | 1844 |
fifteen | Romania | 1300 |
16 | Slovenia | 727 |
17 | Netherlands | 515 |
Safety at the Belarusian NPP
The station is being built according to the typical Russian project NPP-2006 (it contains improved technical and economic indicators of the third generation of nuclear plants).
The project provides for the implementation of all IAEA recommendations on protection against earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, even from direct aircraft hits. A feature of the nuclear power plant under consideration will be the creation of an additional passive safety system (without the participation of people) in combination with traditional ones. The Belarusian NPP will be equipped with a unique facility - a nuclear fuel melt trap. This is so far the only invention in the world of such a level: not one of the operating nuclear power plants has such protection.
Personnel for the nuclear power industry of Belarus
The launch of the station is scheduled for 2018, and personnel are being prepared today. Since the Belarusian NPP is being built according to the Russian version of the existing reactors, future specialists are trained at the Novovoronezh NPP. From September 1, 2015, the first 20 Belarusian students will study at the Ural Federal University (Yekaterinburg) in undergraduate studies.
By the end of 2015, the leadership of Belarus guarantees that its own training center for nuclear specialists will be launched. So far, professionals from other countries have been invited to work at the station under construction.