Golovchenko: NPP is most important project for Belarus of decade
The nuclear power plant is the most important project of the decade for Belarus – as stated by Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko after the ceremony of increasing the reactor system capacity of the Belarusian NPP’s second power unit from 40 to 50 percent
“This is the most important project of the decade for Belarus. Today we have taken part in the procedure of increasing the capacity of the second power unit of the Belarusian power plant to 50 percent. We are actually at the finish line, and we have today discussed the schedule of the remaining steps required to put the second power unit into pilot operation and its acceptance for the planned work,” Mr. Golovchenko said at today’s event attended also by Aleksei Likhachev, the General Director of Rosatom State Corporation.
The Prime Minister noted that criticism was directed at Belarus from the West at the stage of preparation for the NPP construction. “We can see now that it was a verified and thoughtful decision. Our critics are now frantically pulling nuclear power plant projects out of their dusty cabinets,” he said.
Mr. Golovchenko added that all measures to stimulate electricity consumption had been taken in the country in advance, “First of all, this applies to individuals – embracing the corresponding tariffs for energy and heat supply, as well as water heating. Compensation is also being made for the capital costs of commissioning a new house using electricity as the main source of heat in order to make it more profitable or, at least, so that the electricity supply of the house is not more expensive than traditional natural gas supply.”
The Prime Minister noted that the Belarusian NPP construction seriously affects the issue of diversification of energy sources – ‘despite the fact that we do not abandon natural gas’, “Meanwhile, the full-fledged commissioning of the second unit and the achievement of nominal capacity by the both systems will enable the country to save 4-5bn cubic metres of natural gas and generate up to 18-19bn kWh of electricity using nuclear power. This is a good help for the domestic energy system.”
Mr. Golovchenko also stressed that the NPP construction means not just the development of nuclear energy in Belarus. It is not simply a matter of generating electricity, but a whole block of technologies and related areas, which will undoubtedly attract the construction of nuclear power plants. At the same time, the Prime Minister emphasised that discussion of further work after the Belarusian station is put into operation will continue with Aleksei Likhachev, “The work does not end at this point. Rosatom is working to modernise and improve the parameters of the current type reactors, and it is also involved into other developments that are of interest to Belarus.”
