MINSK, 5 July (BelTA) – Belarus has suggested a technical cooperation project on the operational safety of the Belarusian nuclear power plant to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), BelTA learned from Valery Senyut, Deputy Director General of the state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant.
According to the source, the enterprise and the Nuclear Energy Department of the Energy Ministry have put together a concept of the project for technical cooperation in 2020-2021. The project is designed to improve operational safety of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in the course of commissioning and operation of the nuclear power plant. The project is based on Belarus' needs at the current stage of the nuclear energy program's implementation. Belarus has nearly finished building the nuclear power plant, this is why preparing the operating company for the commissioning of the nuclear power plant and further reliable and safe operation of the nuclear power plant are high-priority tasks.
The new program cycle of technical cooperation between Belarus and the IAEA will help enhance the personnel training system, introduce an integrated control system, and improve safety culture.
The key bodies the technical cooperation project will involve are the Nuclear Energy Department of the Energy Ministry, the state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, and the Belarusian national electric company Belenergo. Apart from that, the Emergencies Ministry, the Healthcare Ministry, the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry, and institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus will contribute to the project.
Valery Senyut reminded that Belarus takes an active part in the IAEA's technical cooperation program. Interaction is steered in line with priority areas of cooperation stipulated by the framework document on the structure of the IAEA's technical cooperation program for Belarus. In line with this document the key areas of Belarus-IAEA cooperation are the development of the nuclear energy infrastructure for preparing the Belarusian nuclear power plant for operation, the reinforcement of the nuclear and radiation safety system and the system of response to nuclear or radiation emergencies, the application of nuclear technologies in healthcare, and the rehabilitation of areas affected by the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
