Latvia adopts methodology to suspend electricity trade with Belarus upon launch of Astravyets NPP

<p> MINSK, Nov 2 - PrimePress. The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) of Latvia has approved a methodology for the suspension of electricity trade with Belarus after the launch of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (Astravyets District, Grodno Oblast), PUC head Rolands Irklis told reporters on October 31, 2020. </p> <p>   </p> <p> “The Latvian Public Utilities Commission has approved a methodology that will prevent electricity produced by the Belarusian NPP in Astravyets from entering Latvia. The basic principle of the methodology among other things stipulates that Russia, which has a grid interconnection with Belarus, will have to provide confirmation that the electricity supplied to Latvia from Russia is not produced in Belarus,” Irklis said. </p> <p>   </p> <p> He said this method has already been approved by Latvia and Estonia. Lithuania is expected to do the same. </p> <p>   </p> <p> As previously reported, the Latvian government heard an Economy Ministry’s report on trade in electricity with Belarus on August 25, 2020. According to the media, taking into account the recent developments in Belarus and associated risks for compliance with international nuclear safety standards at the Belarusian NPP in Astravyets, the ministers stated that if the NPP was launched, Latvia would suspend trade in electric energy with Belarus. The Economy Ministry was instructed to work out jointly with the electricity transmission operator and in cooperation with Estonia, Lithuania and the European Commission a solution for electricity trade with third countries, including with the use of the Latvian-Russian wiring interconnections. </p> <p>   </p> <p> Lithuania’s Litgrid transmission system operator was notified earlier by Belenergo national electric company of Belarus that the NPP would likely start generating electricity on November 1-10, 2020. </p> <p>   </p> <p> On October 27, 2020, Lithuania handed in a diplomatic note to Minsk on Tuesday over plans to launch power production at the Belarusian nuclear power plant in a hastily manner, disregarding Lithuania and EU’s objections. According to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, Lithuania and the European Union call on Belarus to meet the highest safety and environmental protection standards and comply with the EU stress test recommendations as soon as possible. Earlier, Lithuania passed a bill that prohibits the admission of electricity from the Astravyets nuclear power plant to its market, and urged the neighboring countries to boycott electricity from the unsafe NPP. </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 nuclear reactor of the first power unit was started in October 2020. According to the schedule, the first start of the first power unit is planned for November 7, 2020. The first power unit is expected to be put into commercial operation in the first quarter of 2021, the second power unit – in 2022. End </p>

2020-11-03

Primepress