Experts consider agreement on construction of Belarusian nuclear power plant

MINSK, June 23 (BelTA) – The draft agreement on construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is being considered now, Vladimir Vysotsky, head of the sci-tech policy and regulatory department of the Energy Ministry told the national seminar dedicated to the construction of the nuclear power plant.

According to Vladimir Vysotsky, in Q3 this year, the governments of Belarus and Russia are expected to sign the agreement on cooperation in construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. The capacity of each power units will make up 1200MW.

The draft agreement has been already developed. Experts are considering it now.

According to Vladimir Vysotsky, the sides are preparing the contract agreements on construction of the nuclear power plant. According to the contract agreement, the Russian company Atomstroyexport will become the general contractor of the future construction. Belarusian organizations and equipment will be used to the uttermost. The contract is expected to be inked in Q4 this year.

BelTA reported earlier that a Belarusian-Russian intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in peaceful uses of atomic energy was inked in Minsk on May 28. It is a framework document outlining major avenues of cooperation in the development, design, construction and operation of the nuclear power plant, provision of nuclear and radiation security as well as scientific cooperation, personnel training and other areas. The sides are supposed to set up a joint advisory board for executing the agreement. Signing an agreement on building the nuclear power plant should be the next step. Rosatom head Sergei Kirienko said on June 17 that the agreement may be signed by this autumn.

There are plans to build a nuclear power plant in Belarus with the capacity close to 2,400MW. The first power unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is supposed to go online in 2016, the second one — in 2018. The Russian company Atomstroyexport is the general contractor. It is a state engineering company run by Rosatom and implements intergovernmental agreements for building nuclear energy installations abroad. At present the orders Atomstroyexport fulfils account for about 20% of the global market.