The first power unit of BelNPP is connected to the united power system of Belarus
The first power unit of the Belarusian NPP (BelNPP) is connected to the united power system of the country. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Belarus.
“At 12:03 (local time, coincides with Moscow), the turbine generator of the first power unit of the Belarusian NPP was connected to the united power system of the country”, the ministry said.
The NPP is being built near the Ostrov in the Grodno region according to the standard Russian project of the new generation “III +”. The BelNPP will consist of two 1200 MW power units each. The general contractor is Atomstroyexport (part of Rosatom).
Rosatom notes that the first power unit of the Belarusian NPP has become the first operating unit of the latest generation “III +”, built according to Russian technologies abroad. Currently, three power units of this type are operating in Russia: two at the Novovoronezh NPP and one at the Leningrad NPP.
"The supply of first "atomic" kilowatt-hours of electrical energy into the united power system of Belarus is a historic event that marks the beginning of the atomic era for the republic. This became possible thanks to the long and productive work of a large team of Belarusian and Russian experts. There is still a lot of work, but today we can talk about the success of the project of the Belarusian NPP, the first nuclear power plant of generation “III +”, built according to Russian technologies outside of Russia, "the head of the state corporation Alexei Likhachev said in a statement.
Rosatom shows that in comparison with the previous generation power units with a VVER-1000 reactor, an innovative generation power unit “III +” with a VVER-1200 reactor has a number of advantages that increase its safety and economic characteristics.
"The project implements a full range of technical solutions to ensure the safety of the power unit and prevent the release of radioactive products into the environment. In particular, the power unit is equipped with two protective shells. The inner containment ensures the tightness of the volume where the reactor facility is located. The outer shell is able to withstand natural and man-made influences, including tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. Passive safety systems of the power unit are capable of functioning even in the event of a complete loss of power supply and can perform all safety functions without the participation of active systems and operator intervention", the state corporation reports. The official ceremony dedicated to the start of operation of Unit 1 of the Belarusian NPP is scheduled for November 7. The commissioning of the first power unit of the BelNPP is scheduled for early 2021. According to the plans of the Belarusian authorities, the commissioning of the second block should take place in 2022.
On October 30, the Ministry of Energy reported that a trial run of the turbine at the first power unit of the BelNPP was successfully completed. At the same time, the communications department of the engineering division of the Rosatom state corporation reported that the unit is undergoing a phased, stepwise increase in turbine capacity to 40%, and in the coming days, a series of tests will be carried out on equipment and technological systems as stipulated by the power unit commissioning program.