The Belarusian NPP with 2 VVER-1200 reactors with the total output capacity of 2,400 MW is located in Grodno Oblast. A Russian Generation III+ design was chosen for building Belarus' 1st NPP
Minsk, February 1 – Neftegaz.RU. The 1
st unit of the
Belarusian nuclear power plant has allowed substituting about 1.8 billion m
3 of
natural gas, the press service of the Belarusian Energy Ministry told BelTA.
Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich said that since the 1
st unit was connected to the power grid, it has generated 6.9 billion kWh of
electricity.
It has allowed substituting about 1.8 billion m
3 of natural gas, which is roughly what the country's population consumes per year.
Viktor Karankevich also mentioned progress in work on the 2
nd unit of the Belarusian
nuclear power plant.
Fresh
nuclear fuel has been loaded into the reactor as part of the physical launch stage.
The energy minister noted:
- We are at a substage when the reactor unit – the primary circuit and the secondary one – has to pass hydraulic testing
-
Later on the reactor unit will have to reach a minimal controlled power level and the relevant tests and inspections will commence
-
Power startup and transferring electricity to the national power grid will be the next stage
Once the 2
nd unit of the nuclear power plant is commissioned, the NPP will be able to generate about 18.5 billion kWh of electricity per annum, which will allow substituting 4.5 billion m
3 of natural gas every year.
