BelNPP first unit startup planned for July 2020

The physical launch of the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (BelNPP) is planned in July 2020, its power startup - in September-October, Belarus’ Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich said in an interview to the ONT TV channel, BelTA has learned.

“This year we plan the physical launch of the [first] unit and its power startup, which means the production of first kilowatt-hours for the country’s energy system. We are scheduling the physical launch in July and the production of first kilowatt-hours of electricity in September-October,” Viktor Karankevich said.

In his words, the Energy Ministry stays focused on this timetable for now. “If there are any changes, we will do our best to make prompt adjustments,” Viktor Karankevich said.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is being built near Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast using a Russian design featuring two VVER-1200 reactors with the total output capacity of 2,400MW. Rosatom’s engineering division is the general contractor. The first unit is supposed to go online in 2020, with the second one scheduled for launch in 2021.