The loading of nuclear fuel into the reactor of the first power unit of the Belarusian NPP will begin on Friday, August 7. It is located in Ostrovets, Grodno region.
According to the interlocutor of the RIA Novosti agency, this process will begin the stage of the physical start-up of the power unit.
It is planned to use 163 fuel assemblies. The physical start-up will be followed by an energy start-up, only then the power unit will generate electricity. This stage is scheduled for autumn.
The commissioning of power unit No. 1 of the BelNPP is scheduled for the first half of 2021. It will consist of 2 power units with VVER-1200 reactors with a total capacity of 2,400 MW. BelNPP is a typical Russian NPP-2006 project of a new generation “three plus” with improved performance.
Earlier, the press service of the Ministry of Finance of Belarus reported that the term of the Russian loan for the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant was extended by two years, the loan rate was reduced to 3.3 percent per annum, and its regime was changed from floating to fixed. The protocol on making the appropriate changes was signed in Moscow on July 14.