MINSK, 2 February (BelTA) – The first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (BelNPP) has produced the first billion kWh of electricity since it was connected to the grid, BelTA learned from the press service of the Energy Ministry.
“Currently, the first unit is undergoing a stage of pilot operation, testing systems and equipment at the nominal power level,” the press service said.
With the commissioning of the two BelNPP power units into commercial operation, the electricity output will be about 18 billion kWh per year. According to the press service, the plant will meet about 40% of domestic needs for electricity and will replace about 4.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually.
The Belarusian nuclear power plant uses the Russian design AES-2006 featuring two VVER-1200 reactors with the total output capacity of 2,400MW. The plant is being built near Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The first unit was commissioned in 2021, the second one is due to go online in H1 2022.
