MINSK, 20 May (BelTA) – The Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor) continues issuing permits to perform operations involved in the use of nuclear energy to specialists of the state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, Gosatomnadzor representatives told BelTA.
Permits have lately been issued to the chief engineer of the enterprise, the head of the nuclear materials control and accounting lab, the head of the nuclear safety department, and the head of state nuclear physics lab.
The completion of the established procedures and the acquisition of the permits by these specialists are of urgent interest and importance taking into account this year's future delivery of fresh nuclear fuel for the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant and the accompanying efforts to make ready the nuclear power plant and the personnel for the delivery, including the nuclear materials control and accounting system.
The permits have been previously issued to a number of other officials, including Director General of the state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant Mikhail Filimonov.
Gosatomnadzor reminded that at the end of May Belarus will welcome a State Systems of Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Material (ISSAS) mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The mission will evaluate the country's system as a whole and how this work is organized at the Belarusian nuclear power plant.
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.
