OREANDA-NEWS. President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed the decree “Regarding Construction of Belarus Nuclear Power Plant.”
 
According to the law “On the Use of Atomic Energy,” the head of state makes decision regarding construction of a nuclear power plant or its power unit. This decree allows the principal contractor – Atomstroyexport, part of ROSATOM – to start building Belarus NPP.
 
By date Belarus has completed the necessary preparatory work, including in frames of its international commitments, for the nuclear construction to begin.
 
The infrastructure necessary for construction of NPP has been built in the plant host region and the project documentation has been produced and approved by a resolution of the Council of Ministers. Also, the customer of the facility – the public entity Nuclear Power Plant Construction Directorate – was granted a license to carry out activities in the field of the use of atomic energy and ionizing radiation sources as regards construction of nuclear installations.
 
According to officials of the Ministry of Energy of Belarus, the first concrete will be poured in the foundation of Belarus NPP in the coming days, after the foundation plate blocks pass acceptance check.
 
Also, to ensure meeting the construction schedule, easy administrative procedures and reduce expenditures being financed from the state budget, the said decree provides for running the land allotment procedure in parallel with construction works. Wood cutting and sale will be carried out by organizations, which are responsible for forestry at the properties in question.
 
It is also possible that the customer or its cessionary hands over temporary buildings and structures of NPP for gratis use for the period of NPP construction.
 
The customer is relieved from compensating for agricultural and forestry losses due to withdrawal or temporary engagement of agricultural and forestry land provided for NPP construction.
 
Besides, the decree relieves foreign nationals and persons without citizenship, who are engaged in construction of NPP and its operation during the warranty period, from paying the state due for granting temporary residence permits.
 
Belarus NPP will be built to the design AES-2006 on the site in Ostrovets, Grodno Region. This design fully meets international standards and recommendations of the IAEA.
 
Belarus NPP will consist of two power units of a total capacity of up to 2,400 MW. The first unit is planned to commission in summer 2018 and the second one in 2020.
 
The architect general and construction contractor of the plant is the United Company NIAEP-Atomstroyexport.
 
The general contract for construction of the plant was signed by Russia and Belarus in Minsk in July 2012. In 2011 the intergovernmental agreement concerning the cooperation in construction of NPP (March) and the contractual agreement on construction of NPP (October) were signed. In November 2012 the parties signed the intergovernmental agreement on giving a Russian state export loan of up to USD 10 Billion to Belarus. In January 2012 the first set of priority agreements and contracts for NPP construction was signed.