First nuclear unit connected to grid in Belarus

• 3 years ago (2020-11-04)
• David Flin

Europe 1068 Nuclear 643

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Rosatom has announced that unit 1 of the Ostrovets nuclear power plant, the first to be built in Belarus, has been connected to the grid and is supplying electricity. Rosatom said that the VVER-1200 design, of which Ostrovets 1 is the first to be built outside Russia, will be the backbone of its export portfolio.

The Ostrovets plant is located in the Grodno region of the country. Unit 2 of the plant is scheduled to be connected to the grid towards the end of 2021.

There are currently three VVER-1200 units in commercial operation: two at the Novovoronezh plant, and one at the Leningrad plant, both in Russia. A fourth, Leningrad II unit 2, was connected to the grid in October. Ostrovets 1 is the fifth units to be connected to the grid.

Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, said: “The launch of the Belorusian nuclear power plant is a milestone for both Belarus and Rosatom. With the first kWh of electricity suppled to the grid, Belarus has become a fully-fledged member of the nuclear energy club and joined over 30 countries operating a fleet of over 440 reactors, the largest source of low-carbon electricity on our planet. From Rosatom’s perspective, it’s the first VVER-1200 project successfully completed outside Russia.”