Belarusian nuclear
power plant

The construction site of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (BelNPP) has become a tourist attraction, the plant's Information and Public Relations Office told BelTA.

“The facilities of the nuclear power plant arouse great interest among people. Around 1,250 tourists have visited the construction site this year alone,” the specialists said. Among the tourists there were students, school children, teachers, and representatives of public organizations.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant provides guided tours and technical tours to the construction site near Ostrovets according to its policy of cooperation and transparency. The tours to the BelNPP facilities are organized as part of the tour around the historical sites of Ostrovets District by a travel company from Minsk.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is being built 18km away from the town of Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The BelNPP will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW). The Russian merged company OAO NIAEP – ZAO ASE is the general designer and the general contractor of the project. The first power-generating unit of the nuclear power plant is scheduled for launch in 2018, the second one in 2020.

Belarus’ most powerful hoisting crane has been installed at the construction site of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, BelTA learned from the Information and Public Relations Office of the enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant.

“A Liebherr 11350 hoisting crane with the lifting capacity of 1,350 tonnes has been installed at the construction site of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. The primary arm of the crane is 72m long while the auxiliary arm is 36m long,” said the source.

The crane uses caterpillar treads and can move as fast as 1.08kmph. The crane will be used to perform lifting and transportation operations with heavy objects and structures, including the installation of the molten core catcher, the reactors, and steam generators.

The crane was delivered to the construction site of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in a completely knocked down state to be then assembled at the construction site of the first power-generating unit.

BelTA has been told that on 5 November the construction workers started concreting operations for the internal protective shell of the building where the reactor of the first power-generating unit will be located. The construction of the internal protective shell began in late August 2014. Now the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is in its aboveground phase.

The internal protective shell is a complex piece of engineering meant to prevent the release of radioactive substances into the environment even in an emergency.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is being built 18km away from Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast using the AES-2006 design developed by the Saint Petersburg-based R&D company Atomenergoproject. The power plant will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW). The Russian merged company OAO NIAEP – ZAO ASE is the general designer and the general contractor of the project. In line with the general contract for building the nuclear power plant the first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2018, with the second one to go online in 2020.

The construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (BelNPP) is a flagship project, Nikolai Spassky, Deputy Director General, Director of the International Operations Division of the Russian state nuclear energy industry corporation Rosatom, told BelTA.

“This is our flagship project. No other construction project we run abroad is progressing so fast. It is really so. This is a unique project,” Nikolai Spassky said.

In his words, some minor issues arise along the way, however all of them are resolved. “Most importantly, we are greatly satisfied with the cooperation with our Belarusian partners. Suffice it to say what we will achieve by the end of this year,” he underlined. Nikolai Spassky emphasized that the ground part of the BelNPP first power-generating unit has already reached 20 meters. According to Nikolai Spassky, “this is a great advancement”.

Deputy Energy Minister of Belarus Mikhail Mikhadyuk confirmed that the BelNPP project is making steady progress. “Our plan for the first power-generating unit is to reach 22 meters,” he informed. He added that the work on the second power-generating unit is going on as planned.

According to Mikhail Mikhadyuk, some RUB8.4 billion worth of construction and installation works will be performed at the Ostrovets site in 2014. Talking about the equipment to be used by the nuclear power plant, he said: “The equipment that takes much time to manufacture has been ordered and is being produced in line with the schedule. The auxiliary equipment is being purchased in line with the project documents”.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is being built 18km away from the town of Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The BelNPP will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW). The Russian merged company OAO NIAEP – ZAO ASE is the general designer and the general contractor of the project. The AES-2006 design developed by the Saint Petersburg-based R&D company Atomenergoproject was chosen for building Belarus’ first nuclear power plant. The first power-generating unit of the nuclear power plant is scheduled for launch in 2018, the second one in 2020.

The core catcher made by the Volgodonsk-based branch of OAO AEM Technologies for the second power-generating unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant has been delivered to the construction site of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, BelTA learned from Inna Vavulina, Press Secretary of OAO Atomenergomash.

The source specified that the core catcher was delivered using water transport and automobile transport. The water part of the way involved the rivers Dnieper, Volga, Sheksna, Svir, and Volkhov. The route was about 3,000km long. A new route was worked out for the transition from water transport to automobile transport near the city of Veliky Novgorod. The new route was then authorized by Russian Railways, the city administration, the federal road services and motorway police. As a result, the large and heavy parts of the core catcher have been successfully delivered to the construction site of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, said Inna Vavulina.

According to OAO AEM Technologies Director General Yevgeny Pakermanov, a lot of work has been done to deliver the equipment to the Belarusian nuclear power plant using the new route. In the future it will allow delivering equipment to the nuclear power plant via Russia and Belarus without transit via third countries.

The core catcher is a specialized system designed to protect nuclear power plants. The conical structure is meant to catch and keep liquid and solid radioactive materials if an accident destroys the reactor. The device will prevent dangerous radioactive elements from leaking out of the shell even in the direst of emergencies.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is a project to build an AES-2006 type nuclear power plant 18km away from Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The power plant will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW).

The Russian merged company OAO NIAEP – ZAO ASE is the general designer and the general contractor of the project. In line with the general contract for building the nuclear power plant the first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2018, with the second one to go online in 2020. Founded in 2007, OAO AEM Technologies is part of Atomenergomash, which is the mechanical engineering division of the Russian state corporation Rosatom. OAO AEM Technologies operates the head engineering office of AEM Technologies in Saint Petersburg, OAO Petrozavodskmash, and the branch in Volgodonsk (Atommash). Among other things the enterprise makes equipment for the nuclear industry, heat power engineering, gas, oil, and chemical industries.

The construction of the second power-generating unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is 8-10 months ahead of schedule, BelTA learned from First Vice Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko at the joint session of the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus on 31 October.

The first power-generating unit is to be commissioned by late 2018, with the second one to go online by 1 July 2020. “Work on the first unit is in full compliance with the schedule. Work on the second unit is 8-10 months ahead of schedule when it is possible, without any detriment to quality,” said Vladimir Semashko.

The official noted that the Belarusian nuclear power plant will have the most up-to-date and most reliable power-generating units with the full set of passive and active safeguards. Similar units are in use in China and have experienced no malfunctions over the course of three years.

Before the first power-generating unit goes online a considerable amount of work has yet to be done to build the power lines and to build and remodel power substations.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is being built 18km away from Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast using the AES-2006 design developed by the Saint Petersburg-based R&D company Atomenergoproject. The power plant will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW). The Russian merged company OAO NIAEP – ZAO ASE is the general designer and the general contractor of the project. In line with the general contract for building the nuclear power plant the first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2018, with the second one to go online in 2020.