General Information about the Construction of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant

Characteristics of the Belarusian NPP

The Belarusian NPP will consist of two power units with a total capacity of up to 2400 (2x1200) MW.

Its location is the Ostrovets site of the Grodno region.

For the Belarusian NPP the Russian project “NPP-2006” was chosen with water-cooled reactors (VVER) of the third generation. Generation 3 - advanced reactors of increased safety and reliability. This project complies with modern international requirements for nuclear and radiation safety.

Main technical and economic characteristics of NPP-2006:

• the installed rated power of the power unit is 1200 MW (e);

• the number of units - 2;

• the service life of the unit is 50 years;

• coefficient of performance (net) - 33.9%;

• Electricity consumption for the station's own needs - no more than 7.48% of the rated power.

Peculiarity of the NPP-2006 project is a new reactor with additional safety systems; namely:

• passive heat removal system;

• system of reset and clean the environment from containment;

• double protective containment;

• a fuel melt trap in a beyond design basis accident.

According to the same project, the Baltic NPP, the Novovoronezh NPP-2 and the Leningrad NPP-2 are being ore already built in the Russian Federation. A similar station is already in operation in China - the first stage of the Tianwan NPP, which is recognized by the IAEA experts as one of the best in the world in safety parameters.

The chronology of the main decisions and contracts related to the construction of the Belarusian NPP:

• September 2007 - the adoption of the Energy Security Concept of the Republic of Belarus, which envisages the involvement of nuclear fuel in the energy balance of the Republic of Belarus and the construction of nuclear power plant. The formation of a system of state regulation of nuclear safety has begun.

• November 12, 2007 - Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 565 “On some measures for the construction of a nuclear power plant”. Identified: the customer for the implementation of preparatory and design and exploration work, the general designer to coordinate the implementation of design and estimate documentation for the construction of nuclear power plant, the government authority responsible for ensuring nuclear and radiation safety.

• December 27, 2007 – the Decree of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus No. 165r, in accordance with which a State Commission was established to select the location for the construction of a nuclear power plant in the Republic of Belarus.

• January 31, 2008 - Resolution of the Security Council of the Republic of Belarus No. 1: to build a nuclear power plant in the Republic of Belarus with a total electrical capacity of 2,000 MW with the commissioning of the first power unit in 2016, the second - in 2018.

• July 30, 2008 - Law of the Republic of Belarus No. 426-З “On the Use of Atomic Energy” adopted. Together with the Law of the Republic of Belarus of January 5, 1998 No. 122-3 “On the radiation safety of the population” it formed the legal basis for the development of nuclear and radiation safety in the Republic of Belarus.

• December 20, 2008 - Act of the State Commission on the choice of the site for the Belarusian NPP. Ostrovets site of the Grodno region is determined by the main (priority) one.

• September 15, 2011 - Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 418 “On the location and design of a nuclear power plant in the Republic of Belarus”, according to which Ostrovets site in the Grodno region is determined by the site of the NPP location.

• October 11, 2011 - a contractual agreement for the construction of power units No. 1 and No. 2 of the Belarusian NPP between Atomstroyexport CJSC (Russian Federation) and the State Institution “Directorate for Construction of Nuclear Power Plant”.

• July 18, 2012 - General contract for the construction of the Belarusian NPP between the Open Joint-Stock Company Nizhny Novgorod Engineering Company ATOMENERGOPROEKT (the managing organization Atomstroyexport CJSC) and the State Institution NPP Directorate.

Key organizations and Internet-resources:

• The state institution "Directorate for the construction of nuclear power plant" (further transformed into State Enterprise “Belarusian NPP”) is the customer of the preparatory and design and exploration work for the construction of a nuclear power plant.

• The design research republican unitary enterprise "Belnipienergoprom" is the general designer who coordinates the implementation of design and estimate documentation for the construction of nuclear power plants.

• Atomstroyexport JSC (further – ASE, Russian Federation) is the general contractor for the construction of the Belarusian NPP.

• The State Scientific Institution "Joint Institute for Power and Nuclear Research - Sosny" of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus provides scientific support for the construction of nuclear power plants.

• The Ministry for Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus is responsible for organizing and implementing state administration in the field of nuclear and radiation safety. To carry out state supervision in the field of ensuring nuclear and radiation safety, a Department for Nuclear and Radiation Safety has been established in the Ministry.

Additional Information. A selection of news and other reports on the construction of the Belarusian NPP is available in a special section of the BelTA website.