Belarusian Prime Minister Aleksandr Turchin met with Director General of the Rosatom state corporation Alexey Likhachev.
“November is a landmark month for our relations. Five years ago, the Belarusian nuclear power plant started producing electricity. Two years ago the plant was officially commissioned. Thank you very much for your assistance and cooperation. The time has come to discuss specific steps for our further interaction. I would like to use today's meeting to explore possible options, new ideas. I am looking forward to a frank conversation,” Aleksandr Turchin said.
The Rosatom head noted that Belarus has burst into the elite of the world’s nuclear energy sector. “40% of electricity is generated by the nuclear power plant. The Belarusian NPP is not only a symbol of Belarusian-Russian cooperation and a factor in the development of Belarus's economy. The nuclear power plant has become a showcase for the entire global nuclear community. Our partners from near and far abroad tell us: 'We have been to Belarus, and we want it exactly like this.' We also thank you greatly for generously sharing your experience; Belarusian specialists are working with us in third countries,” Alexey Likhachev emphasized.
On 13 November, the second unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant was taken offline for scheduled maintenance. “Everything is proceeding normally. We will involve spent nuclear fuel into a process of recycling, for reuse. We see the plant in Ostrovets as an element of a closed fuel cycle,” he said.
Alexey Likhachev also thanked the Belarusian side for its attention to non-nuclear technologies. The National Center for Additive Technologies has opened in Minsk. The project was implemented as a joint venture between the Belarusian Horizont Holding Company and the Rosatom state corporation. According to the Rosatom chief, interest in the center is enormous, and there are plans to increase its capacity. “We are also working on energy storage systems,” Alexey Likhachev added.
Photo: BELTA
