Belarus’ NPP is improved version of best Rosatom’s projects
The Belarusian nuclear power plant is an improved version of Rosatom’s best projects starting from Tianwan NPP in China, head of the process flow diagram development bureau at Atomenergoproekt (Saint Petersburg) Konstantin Ilyinsky told BelTA during the international expo and conference AtomExpo Belarus 2013.
“While designing the Belarusian NPP we kept in mind all accidents that had ever happened at nuclear power plants around the world. The design, technological and hardware solutions of the Belarusian NPP will eliminate the very possibility of problems that emerged at Fukushima-1. We stick to most stringent safety requirements. The Belarusian NPP project boasts an incredible level of safety,” Konstantin Ilyinsky said.
The expert explained that the high level of reference of the Belarusian NPP is associated with its close ties with similar projects implemented by Rosatom. “The reference of the Belarusian NPP project is based on the AES-2006 concept featuring a four-channel safety system with active and passive elements. The major solutions in AES-2006 are referential in general, which means that the requirements to the NPP safety and electric energy generation are in place,” Konstantin Ilyinsky said.
Reference implies practical experience in designing, constructing and operating nuclear power plants using the abovementioned concept, he added. However, reference does not mean that a given NPP should be fitted only with the equipment that is used at all the NPPs built to the same concept.
“As far as equipment and suppliers are concerned, each new NPP is different from the previous one. We try to engage some local suppliers while firmly sticking to all the parameters, especially parameters of equipment that is directly involved in electric power generation. Only ignorant people will question the reference of the Belarusian NPP project just because some details are different,” the expert explained.
“It is important to keep in mind that reference is not just about hardware, but more about people, their professionalism, experience, ideas,” Konstantin Ilyinsky said.
“No other project of our competitors has such a high reference level as the Belarusian NPP by Rosatom. The incomprehensible politicized decision to suspend the implementation of nuclear power projects was detrimental to our competitors. They have not designed or built anything similar to the Belarusian NPP for a long time. Today Rosatom is the world’s number one in terms of the number of NPP projects, their reliability and safety. It is admitted by everyone. And this is one of the factors speaking in favor of the Belarusian NPP project,” the expert said.