Lithuania hands in note over Belarus’ NPP start-up Nov 4, 2020
<p> MINSK, Nov 4 - PrimePress. On November 4, 2020, the Foreign Ministry of Lithuania sent to the Foreign Ministry of Belarus a note of protest against the power start-up of the first power unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (Astravyets District, Grodno Oblast), which took place on November 3, 2020. </p> <p> </p> <p> The Energy Ministry of Belarus said on November 3 that the first power unit of the NPP was connected to the national grid. On the same day, Lithuanian transmission system operator Litgrid suspended electricity trade with Belarus under Lithuania’s law on Measures against Threats Posed by Unsafe Nuclear Power Plants in Third Countries. </p> <p> </p> <p> “Belarus is urged to suspend further operation of the nuclear facility until the highest nuclear safety standards and environmental requirements are met,” reads the statement. </p> <p> </p> <p> According to the Lithuanian MFA, “the operation of the Astravyets nuclear power plant runs counter to the Espoo and Aarhus Conventions. Moreover, the EU stress test recommendations have not been implemented yet.” </p> <p> </p> <p> The MFA says that “the questions about the proper assessment of seismic safety, impacts on the environment and the population of Lithuania, the ability of the nuclear power plant to withstand a crash of a heavy passenger plane, etc. remain unanswered.” </p> <p> </p> <p> On October 27, 2020, Lithuania handed in a diplomatic note to Minsk over the plans to start 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. The first power unit of the NPP was connected to the national grid on November 3, 2020. End </p>
2020-11-05
Primepress
Lithuania hands in note over Belarus’ NPP start-up Nov 4, 2020
MINSK, Nov 4 - PrimePress. On November 4, 2020, the Foreign Ministry of Lithuania sent to the Foreign Ministry of Belarus a note of protest against the power start-up of the first power unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (Astravyets District, Grodno Oblast), which took place on November 3, 2020.
The Energy Ministry of Belarus said on November 3 that the first power unit of the NPP was connected to the national grid. On the same day, Lithuanian transmission system operator Litgrid suspended electricity trade with Belarus under Lithuania’s law on Measures against Threats Posed by Unsafe Nuclear Power Plants in Third Countries.
“Belarus is urged to suspend further operation of the nuclear facility until the highest nuclear safety standards and environmental requirements are met,” reads the statement.
According to the Lithuanian MFA, “the operation of the Astravyets nuclear power plant runs counter to the Espoo and Aarhus Conventions. Moreover, the EU stress test recommendations have not been implemented yet.”
The MFA says that “the questions about the proper assessment of seismic safety, impacts on the environment and the population of Lithuania, the ability of the nuclear power plant to withstand a crash of a heavy passenger plane, etc. remain unanswered.”
On October 27, 2020, Lithuania handed in a diplomatic note to Minsk over the plans to start 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.
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. The first power unit of the NPP was connected to the national grid on November 3, 2020. End