Details: Belarus preps to get operation first unit of Astravyets nuke plant

<p> MINSK, Jan 18 - PrimePress. The first power unit of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (BelNPP, Astravyets District, Grodno Oblast) was disconnected from the grid on January 16, after the generator protection system tripped, the Energy Ministry said in a statement. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Earlier, on January 12, the BelNPP first power unit was brought to its nominal, 100% capacity level. The Ministry of Energy of Belarus reported that the thermal capacity of the unit is 3,200 MW, while the electric capacity is 1,170 MW. At this capacity level, the unit’s static and dynamic testing continued for several days. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Ukraine’s helping hand </p> <p>   </p> <p> On 16 January 2021, Belarus imported 0.077m kWh of Ukrainian electricity as part of emergency aid, which accounts for 0.06% of the total daily electricity consumption in Belarus, the press service of the Belarusian Energy Ministry told PrimePress. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The import of Ukrainian electricity to Belarus on January 16 was due to a peak increase in electricity consumption in conditions of severe frost, the Ministry of Energy explained. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The Ukrainian side, however, claims that the neighbours needed help because of the emergency shutdown of the power unit at the BelNPP. According to Ukraine’s portal Energoreforma, which cites the head of the Verkhovna Rada specialized committee Andrei Gerus, Ukraine provided short-term emergency aid to Belarus on January 16 to ensure the stable operation of its energy system. “This situation was caused by an emergency shutdown of a nuclear power plant unit from the power system of the Republic of Belarus (...) The emergency aid lasted 18 minutes in total, but helped stabilize the work of the Belarusian energy system,” Gerus was quoted as saying by the portal. </p> <p>   </p> <p> According to the Ukrainian side, the emergency assistance was provided at the same time of the day when the power unit shut down. </p> <p>   </p> <p> No deadline for Unit 1 launch </p> <p>   </p> <p> The green light to the commercial operation of the first unit of BelNPP will be given by the acceptance commission after the successful completion of comprehensive testing of equipment. </p> <p>   </p> <p> To this end, static and dynamic testing must first be completed at the maximum power level, followed by a comprehensive testing of the power unit equipment at nominal parameters within 15 days. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Earlier, Mikhail Mikhadiuk, Deputy Minister of Energy of Belarus, said that the nuclear power plant is considered to be commissioned after the completion of the pilot operation, the entire cycle of works, including reaching the rated capacity. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Now the first unit is at the stage of pilot operation. According to the Ministry of Energy of Belarus, the degree of readiness of the first unit of BelNPP is 99%. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The schedule of the authorities (ordinance No. 447 of November 30, 2020) stipulates that the first unit of BelNPP will be commissioned in 2021, the second unit in the first half of 2022. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Initially, the authorities had planned to get the first unit of the BelNPP launched in February 2021. However, BelNPP chief engineer Anatoli Bondar suggested in November 2020 that a more realistic date for commissioning the first unit would be the end of the third quarter of 2021. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Given the January 16 outage of the first unit after the generator protection system tripped, it is unlikely that it will be commissioned in February. </p> <p>   </p> <p> The Ministry of Energy estimates that the commissioning of BelNPP will reduce costs by $500 million. These estimates are made based on the launch of two units of BelNPP, which will reduce annual imports of Russian gas by 4.5 bcm from the current 20 bcm, which the country buys at the price agreed with Russia (in 2021, $128.5 per thousand cubic metres). </p> <p>   </p> <p> Since no specific timeline for the commissioning of the first unit has yet been given, it is difficult to assess whether Belarus will receive any commercial benefits from the startup of BelNPP this year. </p> <p>   </p> <p> As for the second unit, the Belarusian Ministry of Energy estimates its readiness at 75%. Currently, BelNPP Unit 2 is at the stage of pre-commissioning. This stage includes acceptance of systems and equipment from installation; post-installation cleaning of equipment and pipelines; tightness and strength tests, as well as idle running tests of machines and mechanisms. It also includes preparation of reactor plant equipment for cold and hot running-in conditions. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Peak reserve facilities not fully available </p> <p>   </p> <p> As part of the integration of BelNPP into the country's energy system, 800 MW of peak reserve capacity and 836 MW of electric boiler capacity need to be commissioned. The reserve capacity is needed to balance electricity generation and consumption after the BelNPP launch. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Earlier it was expected that the construction of the peak-and-reserve power sources based on gas turbine units or gas piston units of up to 800 MW capacity would be completed during 2016-2021, but the government shifted this deadline by one more year - now they are to be completed in 2022. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Another project - the issuance of power and the connection of BelNPP to the power grid - was completed on time - about a month before the inauguration of BelNPP in autumn 2020. </p> <p>   </p> <p> In addition to the construction of 1.033 thousand kilometres of 330 kV overhead transmission lines in the Grodno, Minsk and Vitebsk Oblasts, this project included the reconstruction of power transmission lines, construction of a new 330 kV substation Postavy and other facilities. The project was implemented as part of a contact between Grodnoenergo and North China Power Engineering Design Company LLC under the Chinese Electricity Engineering and Consulting Corporation. Its cost is $340.86 million, with 95% of the project financed by a soft loan from the Export-Import Bank of China and 5% by Grodnoenergo's own funds. End </p>

2021-01-19

Primepress