OREANDA-NEWS. On 11 th July 2013 the Belorussian NPP construction control panel held a meeting under the chairmanship of Vladimir Semashko, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus.

The attendees of the meeting included Vladimir Potupchik, Minister of energy, Anatoly Nichkassov, Minister of architecture and construction, representatives of the government of the Republic of Belarus, Main Department of nuclear power plant construction directorate (building owner), JSC NIAEP - JSC Atomstroyexport (prime designer and contractor), Belorussian subcontractors and administration of the Hrodna oblast.

The attendees of the meeting examined the construction site and discussed the progress made in building the facilities of the construction base and the nuclear plant.

At present an active preparation is under way to start the main construction works: technically everything is ready to start concreting the main buildings as soon as the license is obtained.

Valery Limarenko, president of JSC NIAEP, stressed that “We are completely ready from the technical point of view to pour the first concrete at the first power unit construction site. We are waiting for the documents to be executed as they ought to be and for issuance of the decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus and the license. The effective collaboration with Belorussian co-workers allows us to build the Belorussian plant significantly ahead of the original schedule”.

According to Vladimir Semashko, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus, the license for construction of power unit N 1 is planned to be issued on 15 th August.

As a matter of fact, according to the contract originally the concreting works of the main construction stage were scheduled for the fourth quarter of the year 2013. Thus, the plant construction is several months ahead of the schedule.

The license for construction of power unit N 2 is planned to be issued in September 2013.

According to Yury Pustovoy, director of the Belorussian construction project, JSC NIAEP, the construction plan for the power units N 1, 2 and the construction base for the first half of the year 2013 has been implemented taking RUR 1,8 bn, which is 2,5 times more than for the same period of the last year.

In September it is planned to complete works at all 62 facilities of the construction base and the off-site networks and structures that provide for the construction base.

The main target is to complete the works and to deliver the high-priority facilities before the State commission on 15 th August:

Off-site networks and structures for fire fighting, utility and drinking water supply; a 500 people canteen;

Off-site networks and structures for the sewer system;

Off-site networks and structures for the storm water removal system;

Buildings for cold store of steelworks and reinforcement bars.

The remaining facilities of the construction base are to be delivered before the State commission according to the schedule during September - October.

Belorussian NPP

On March 15th, 2011, in Minsk , during a meeting of Council of Ministers of the Union State , a cooperation agreement was signed between Government of the Russian Federation and Government of the Republic of Belarus , concerning NPP construction on the territory of Belarus . According to the agreement the Russian party will implement a turnkey construction contract.

JSC Atomstroyexport will act as General Contractor, while Directorate of NPP construction (GU “DSAE”) will be Customer.

Belorussian NPP will have two power units of total capacity up to 2 400 (2x1200) MW to be erected on Astroviec site in Hrodna Oblast. For construction of the first plant in Belarus the “AES- 2006” project was selected. The project fully complies with the IAEA international standards and recommendations.

On 11th October, 2011, a framework agreement on NPP construction in Belarus was signed. It is a general agreement that defines the main mandatory provisions of the General Contract on Belorussian NPP construction.

The landmark of the recent period is the Intergovernmental Agreement on loan to Belarus for NPP construction. Signed on 25th November during the meeting of the High Council of the Union State , the agreement establishes the legal base necessary for the project financing.

On 31 st January, 2012, a contract for survey works, development of basic and detailed design documentation for Belarus NPP project was signed.

On 18 th July, following the meeting of the Council of ministers of the Union state of RF and Belorussia, the general contract on the Belorussian NPP construction project was signed in Minsk in the presence of Prime ministers Dmitry Medvedev and Mikhail Myasnikovich.

Valery Limarenko, director of JSC NIAEP - managing body of JSC ASE, signed the general contract on behalf of the Russian party. On behalf of the Byelorussian party - Mikhail Filimonov - director of Directorate of NPP construction (GU “DSAE”) signed the contract .