The cost of construction of the nuclear power plant in Astravets may grow by $675 mln, according to a cost sheet introduced into Russia’s Main State Expert Review Board.
The parties decided to increase $675 mln, reports the newsletter of the Accounting Chamber of Russia.
Two years ago, Andrey Barkun, a deputy director of the republican unitary enterprise ‘Belarusian NPP’, said that the cost of the Belarusian NPP would not exceed $11 bn. Shortly before his statement, it became known that Russia would provide Belarus with a loan of up to $10 bn for building the NPP.
Construction period extended as well
The slippage was allowed by both the Belarusian and Russian builders, the newsletter says. For example, non-compliance with the work schedule for the first power unit is 1-3 months, for the reactor compartment – 2-3 months, for a pumping station – up to 2.5 months.
“The main reasons for the schedule slip are our being understaffed and failure to organize full-fledged work in two shifts, the late issuance of working documents by the General Contractor,” the document says.
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The NPP first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2018, the second one – in 2020. The construction of two nuclear reactors is provided in the agreement reached by Belarus and Russia, the reactors being supplied by Atomstroyexport, Russia. The project faced opposition at home and abroad on both safety and political grounds.
Lithuania is the main critic of the idea of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, which is only 20 km from the border and 50 km from Vilnius. Minsk rejects Lithuania’s claims, arguing that nuclear power plants will have high safety standards. Vilnius asked Brussels for involvement of the European Union in the matter.
