“For the first time since 1991 a reactor vessel for the Belarusian nuclear power plant has left “Atommash” Russian television reported about the shipment of the first reactor vessel for the Belarusian NPP over the last 25 years. Exactly one year later the press-service of “Rosatom” announced the shipment of the second body from the Russian city of Volgodonsk, which will be installed at the Astravets NPP. However, it is not clear whether it was done in place of the damaged body of the first reactor or the one at the second power unit.
“Everything is so strange, and there is no information”
“There has been no information so far about what will happen with the body and where they will take it. There likely was no back shipment. Allegedly, there were plans to bring the reactor from another nuclear power plant. Finally we decided to ship it from this plant. All this is strange, and we received no information,” says Dzmitry Kuchuk, deputy chairman of the ‘Green’ party.
Decision to replace the housing was made by the Belarusian side this August after the incident at the Astravets NPP site. On the night of July 10, the reactor vessel was transferred from one place to another at a height of several meters, when the crane broke. The case was not properly secured. For half an hour it was hanging there, leaning more and more, until it fell to the ground. The official Minsk recognized the incident only 16 days later, saying that the case had just a few scratches. That time it was the President who volunteered to correct journalists.
The reactor was taken away, but concern remained
However, against the background of the lack of complete information about the incident, Lithuanian and Belarusian public expressed concern and even appealed to the international and European institutions for help to put pressure on the government of Belarus.
Experts point out that the construction of a reactor vessel takes an average of two years to make. It will be two-three months more, before the reactor reaches Belarus. The first Belarusian NPP unit is to start operation in 2018. However, given the circumstances and occasional incidents at the site of the future nuclear power plants, including those with fatal victims, this term is under a big question.
Vital Babin, Belsat, photo aemtech.ru
