First power unit of Belarus’ NPP is back on grid ¬– Energy Ministry
<p> MINSK, Dec 22 - PrimePress. The power start-up phase at the first power unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (Astravyets District, Grodno Oblast) is over. The turbine generator of the first unit is back on the national grid since December 21, 2020, the press office of the Belarusian Energy Ministry reports. </p> <p> </p> <p> “All technical tests and operations have been completed. All in all, 246 tests have been conducted, including load shedding when the turbine generator's output dropped from 500MW to zero. The turbine generator of the first energy unit was reconnected to the power grid at 19:48 on December 21 with the subsequent increase of output to 500 MW,” reads the report. </p> <p> </p> <p> The pilot commercial operation of the first unit will begin shortly after the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor) gives permission. As part of this stage reactor’s output will be raised to 75%-90%-100% while conducting the necessary tests, including load shedding of the turbine generator to zero. </p> <p> </p> <p> “After the successful tests, a comprehensive testing of the unit will be carried out for 15 days at the rated power. Once it has been completed, the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant will be accepted for operation by the commissioning team in a prescribed manner,” says the ministry. </p> <p> </p> <p> Energy Minister of Belarus Viktor Karankevich says the first unit of the NPP is 99% ready for operation. Construction and assemblage works on the second unit have been completed by 75%. The basic hardware, process pipelines and installation and cables are in place. </p> <p> </p> <p> As previously reported, the State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate of Lithuania requested from the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus on December 1, 2020 the information on possible malfunctions of the reserve cooling system of the reactor of the first power unit, the system status and the impact of possible malfunctions on safety of the first unit. The request was made after the Belarusian anti-nuclear campaign released a statement on a possible incident related to the failure of the reserve cooling system. The Energy Ministry of Belarus said on December 1 that comprehensive tests continued at the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. One of them involved the discharge of steam to test the systems and equipment. The tests revealed that the lids of the steam noise absorbers needed an additional adjustment. The ministry refuted online media assumptions that an incident happened in the firs unit’s cooling system. </p> <p> </p> <p> The NPP management said on November 9 that the first unit’s turbine was stopped due to a malfunction of voltage transformers. The Energy Ministry said on the same day that some electrical measuring equipment needed a replacement under the standard operating procedure. The NPP was reconnected to the national power grid on November 19. </p> <p> </p> <p> Belarus’ first nuclear power plant in Ostrovets (a town in the Grodno Oblast also referred to as Astravyets) will have two units with a combined capacity of up to 2,400 megawatts. The AES-2006 Russian standard design of (generation 3+) was chosen for its construction. Rosatom’s division Atomstroyexport acts as the general contractor for the NPP construction. The Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant RUE is the project customer and the future operator of the NPP. The ceremony of the official launch of the NPP took place in early November 2020. According to presidential decree No.447 of November 30, 2020, the first power unit of the NPP will be put into commercial operation in 2021, the second power unit – in the first half of 2022. End </p>
2020-12-23
Primepress
MINSK, Dec 22 - PrimePress. The power start-up phase at the first power unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (Astravyets District, Grodno Oblast) is over. The turbine generator of the first unit is back on the national grid since December 21, 2020, the press office of the Belarusian Energy Ministry reports.
“All technical tests and operations have been completed. All in all, 246 tests have been conducted, including load shedding when the turbine generator's output dropped from 500MW to zero. The turbine generator of the first energy unit was reconnected to the power grid at 19:48 on December 21 with the subsequent increase of output to 500 MW,” reads the report.
The pilot commercial operation of the first unit will begin shortly after the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor) gives permission. As part of this stage reactor’s output will be raised to 75%-90%-100% while conducting the necessary tests, including load shedding of the turbine generator to zero.
“After the successful tests, a comprehensive testing of the unit will be carried out for 15 days at the rated power. Once it has been completed, the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant will be accepted for operation by the commissioning team in a prescribed manner,” says the ministry.
Energy Minister of Belarus Viktor Karankevich says the first unit of the NPP is 99% ready for operation. Construction and assemblage works on the second unit have been completed by 75%. The basic hardware, process pipelines and installation and cables are in place.
As previously reported, the State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate of Lithuania requested from the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus on December 1, 2020 the information on possible malfunctions of the reserve cooling system of the reactor of the first power unit, the system status and the impact of possible malfunctions on safety of the first unit. The request was made after the Belarusian anti-nuclear campaign released a statement on a possible incident related to the failure of the reserve cooling system. The Energy Ministry of Belarus said on December 1 that comprehensive tests continued at the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. One of them involved the discharge of steam to test the systems and equipment. The tests revealed that the lids of the steam noise absorbers needed an additional adjustment. The ministry refuted online media assumptions that an incident happened in the firs unit’s cooling system.
The NPP management said on November 9 that the first unit’s turbine was stopped due to a malfunction of voltage transformers. The Energy Ministry said on the same day that some electrical measuring equipment needed a replacement under the standard operating procedure. The NPP was reconnected to the national power grid on November 19.
Belarus’ first nuclear power plant in Ostrovets (a town in the Grodno Oblast also referred to as Astravyets) will have two units with a combined capacity of up to 2,400 megawatts. The AES-2006 Russian standard design of (generation 3+) was chosen for its construction. Rosatom’s division Atomstroyexport acts as the general contractor for the NPP construction. The Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant RUE is the project customer and the future operator of the NPP. The ceremony of the official launch of the NPP took place in early November 2020. According to presidential decree No.447 of November 30, 2020, the first power unit of the NPP will be put into commercial operation in 2021, the second power unit – in the first half of 2022. End