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NUCLEAR POWER IN BELARUS AND WORLDWIDE
BELARUSIAN ECONOMY
Rosatom makes fuel to start second unit of Belarusian nuclear power plant
MINSK, 21 May (BelTA) – Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (part of Rosatom's TVEL Fuel Company) has finished inspecting a batch of nuclear fuel made for the second unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, TVEL Fuel Company representatives told BelTA.
Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant made a batch of 152 fuel rod arrays for a VVER-1200 reactor in line with the contract signed by TVEL Fuel Company and ASE Company. The latter is the general designer and general contractor for the project to build the Belarusian nuclear power plant. The company represents the engineering division of the Russian state nuclear industry corporation Rosatom.
Representatives of the customer, AO VPO ZAES (the company licensed for inspecting nuclear fuel), the state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, and the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor) took part in the outgoing inspection of the batch of nuclear fuel. The inspectors received all the necessary documents. They were also made familiar with the manufacturing process in Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant and multiple quality control stages. They saw how the products are packed into containers designed for transporting nuclear fuel. They also examined the freshly made fuel rod arrays.
A similar outgoing inspection of the initial batch of nuclear fuel for the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant took place at Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant in November 2018.
Senior Vice President for Production at TVEL Fuel Company Mikhail Zarubin noted: “Rosatom's fuel division has honored its commitments to make fuel for the first and second units of the Belarusian nuclear power plant exactly on time. Later on fresh nuclear fuel can be made not only by Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant but also by OAO Mashinostroitelny Zavod in Elektrostal. Although the two companies have their own specializations as part of TVEL Fuel Company, both can make fuel for a VVER-1200 reactor.”
The state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant and TVEL Fuel Company signed a contract in December 2017 to enable direct nuclear fuel deliveries for both units of the Belarusian nuclear power plant starting with the second loading.
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. The first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2019, with the second one to go online in 2020.
TVEL Fuel Company is part of the Russian state nuclear industry corporation Rosatom. The company comprises enterprises for fabricating nuclear fuel, for converting and enriching uranium, enterprises that make gas centrifuges, research and design divisions. TVEL Fuel Company is the only supplier of nuclear fuel for Russian nuclear power plants. TVEL Fuel Company provides nuclear fuel to 76 power reactors in 15 countries across the globe, research reactors in eight countries, and transport reactors for Russian nuclear-powered sea vessels. Every sixth power reactor in the world uses fuel made by TVEL Fuel Company.
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