The first electricity generated at Unit 1 of the Belarusian NPP will be supplied to the network in the first quarter of 2019, BelTA informs.
Now the first unit is undergoing installation work. It is completed by 90%.
“All the main reactor and turbine equipment has been installed, post-installation flushing is starting,” explained the head of the NPP reactor department Alyaksandr Kanyuk.
Hydraulic tests with circulation washing are to begin this summer. A simulated zone (imitates real nuclear fuel) will be installed in the reactor vessel, the circuit will be filled with desalinated water, then the pump units will be turned on. The water of the primary circuit will be heated to the required parameters, at the same time the pressure will increase.
“This will confirm the reliability and strength of the main pipeline circulation, then we will enter the next phase – a comprehensive test of equipment and hot running-in. This is one of the final stages in preparation for the launch of the unit, “said the head of the reactor workshop.
Nuclear fuel will be imported at the end of this year. It will be transported from the Russian manufacturer to the site in Astravets by rail.
The first power unit of the Astravets nuclear power plant is planned to be put into operation in December 2019, the second one — in July 2020.
The project has repeatedly been criticized by certain EU states because of danger and environmental threats. Official Minsk has been ignoring appeals of Western partners to stop construction.
