The inspection began with a kick-off meeting, during which the goals and objectives of the upcoming inspection were discussed with the management of the nuclear power plant and the heads of the enterprise’s structural divisions.

Opening the meeting, First Deputy Director General - Chief Engineer of the NPP Anatoly Bondar noted that this is the first WANO-MC peer review in the history of Belarusian NPP and expressed hope that it will take place in an atmosphere of mutual understanding, openness and cooperation.

"I think that in these 2 weeks we will be able to demonstrate to the WANO-MC team of experts our ability to ensure a high level of safety and reliability in the operation of the power units of the plant. And all the proposals and recommendations of the team will be positively received and taken into account in the future operation of the NPP," Anatoly Bondar emphasized.  

In his response, the head of the expert team, Dmitry Zerkal, said that the goal of WANO peer reviews is “to maximize the safety and reliability of NPPs worldwide by making joint efforts to evaluate, compare with best practices and improve operations through mutual support, information exchange and the use of positive experience.”

The team of experts was provided with information on the main indicators and current operational status of power units No. 1 and No. 2 of Belarusian NPP, after which the experts, accompanied by the management and employees of Belarusian NPP, toured the buildings and structures along various routes as part of the WANO peer review program.

The planned peer review of WANO - MC will last until March 27, 2025. The team of experts includes experienced specialists from 4 countries: Bulgaria, Iran, China and Russia.