Lithuania’s Radiation Protection Center does not detect accident at Belarus’ NPP
<p> MINSK, Dec 2 - PrimePress. The Lithuanian Radiation Protection Center did not detect an accident at the first power unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (Astravyets District, Grodno Oblast). The early warning stations did not detect an increase in the natural radiation background after the reports on a possible incident at the NPP on December 1, 2020, Acting Director of the Center Ramunė Marija Stasiūnaitienė told Delfi on December 1, 2020. </p> <p> </p> <p> Spokesperson for the State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate of Lithuania Asta Mensonė says that on December 1, 2020, the Inspectorate requested fr om the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus 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. No information about the incident was received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Energy, Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate or the Lithuanian Radiation Protection Center. </p> <p> </p> <p> The Belarusian Energy Ministry said on December 1 that comprehensive tests at the first power unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant revealed that the lids of the steam noise absorbers needed an additional adjustment. According to the report, “the tests will continue in accordance with the phase schedule, and the first unit is currently connected to the power grid.” </p> <p> </p> <p> As previously reported, the Foreign Ministry of Lithuania handed on November 11, 2020 a diplomatic note to the Foreign Ministry of Belarus over the official information about the incident that had occurred during the commissioning of the Belarusian NPP when a turbine at the first power unit was shut down due to a voltage transformers failure. The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry once again urged Belarus to stop the NPP power launch until the high nuclear safety standards are fully complied with, and the recommendations that followed the stress tests are implemented. Similar requests were contained in a note dated November 4, which the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry sent to Belarus in connection with the launch of the first power unit of the NPP on November 3, 2020. </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 of Belarus 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> On November 25, 2020, the Lithuanian government endorsed the proposal to join the 1997 Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, which established a public international fund in case of a nuclear accident. The contracting parties are to make monetary contributions of up to 300 million euros under a pre-agreed mechanism. The size of the fund does not depend on the economic situation and decisions of the government of the country wh ere the nuclear accident occurred. </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>
2020-12-03
Primepress
Lithuania’s Radiation Protection Center does not detect accident at Belarus’ NPP
MINSK, Dec 2 - PrimePress. The Lithuanian Radiation Protection Center did not detect an accident at the first power unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (Astravyets District, Grodno Oblast). The early warning stations did not detect an increase in the natural radiation background after the reports on a possible incident at the NPP on December 1, 2020, Acting Director of the Center Ramunė Marija Stasiūnaitienė told Delfi on December 1, 2020.
Spokesperson for the State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate of Lithuania Asta Mensonė says that on December 1, 2020, the Inspectorate requested fr om the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus 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. No information about the incident was received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Energy, Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate or the Lithuanian Radiation Protection Center.
The Belarusian Energy Ministry said on December 1 that comprehensive tests at the first power unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant revealed that the lids of the steam noise absorbers needed an additional adjustment. According to the report, “the tests will continue in accordance with the phase schedule, and the first unit is currently connected to the power grid.”
As previously reported, the Foreign Ministry of Lithuania handed on November 11, 2020 a diplomatic note to the Foreign Ministry of Belarus over the official information about the incident that had occurred during the commissioning of the Belarusian NPP when a turbine at the first power unit was shut down due to a voltage transformers failure. The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry once again urged Belarus to stop the NPP power launch until the high nuclear safety standards are fully complied with, and the recommendations that followed the stress tests are implemented. Similar requests were contained in a note dated November 4, which the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry sent to Belarus in connection with the launch of the first power unit of the NPP on November 3, 2020.
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 of Belarus 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.
On November 25, 2020, the Lithuanian government endorsed the proposal to join the 1997 Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, which established a public international fund in case of a nuclear accident. The contracting parties are to make monetary contributions of up to 300 million euros under a pre-agreed mechanism. The size of the fund does not depend on the economic situation and decisions of the government of the country wh ere the nuclear accident occurred.
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