The right of countries to their own energy security should be respected

The Belarusian nuclear power plant will be built under any circumstances but Belarus would like to accomplish it in as friendly an environment as possible without any problems because Belarus has never been intent on creating any problems for its neighbors, BelTA learned from Sergei Kizima, Doctor of Politics.

“It is absolutely clear that a nuclear power plant of one’s own is always a good thing while someone else’s nuclear power plant is always a bad thing. It is a traditional formula because everyone would like to have its own source of nuclear electricity without neighbors having the same. It is a routine manifestation of competition, unwillingness to accept successful energy development in another country,” said the political analyst.

“The nuclear station in Belarus will indeed be built, however, we would like to face better understanding, more calm in evaluating the situation, respecting the rights of countries to their own energy security. Because nuclear energy is energy of the future. Today when the shock of Fukushima events is over, some European countries resolutely say that yes, there were certain problems, but we will build nuclear power plants anyway, we will not do without nuclear power,” said Sergei Kizima.

Earlier the Belarusian Foreign Ministry stated that the Lithuanian side shows zero readiness to constructively respond to Belarus’ proposals regarding bilateral cooperation within the framework of the fulfillment of the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context (the Espoo Convention). Belarus makes every effort to ensure preparations for the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant are fully compatible with international requirements. The Lithuanian side has been provided with exhaustive answers to raised questions. A detailed report on transboundary environmental impact assessment translated into Lithuanian has been sent to Lithuania. “All these actions are taken in strict accordance with provisions of the international convention. Nevertheless, we see that this information has not reached the Lithuanian public,” said representatives of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry.

The Belarusian side has repeatedly suggested holding public hearings with the Lithuanian side. The proposals have produced no response so far. Belarus has called upon Lithuania to resume constructive cooperation to fulfill requirements of the international convention in the spirit of neighborhood and mutual understanding.

Belarus plans to build a nuclear power plant at the Ostrovets site in Grodno Oblast. The power plant will feature two power-generating units with the total capacity of up to 2,400MW. The Russian company OAO Nizhny Novgorod Engineering Company Atomenergoproject (NIAEP) - ZAO Atomstroyexport is the designer and the general contractor for the project. The first power-generating unit is scheduled to go online in 2018. The Belarusian nuclear station’s design stems from the AES-2006 design developed by the Saint Petersburg-based institute Atomenergoproject. The AES-2006 design is now used to build the second Leningrad nuclear power plant and the Baltic nuclear power plant. The design meets all the requirements of the national legislation and recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency.