Belarus hosting IAEA nuclear infrastructure review mission

MINSK, 24 February (BelTA) – Belarus is hosting an Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR 3) mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Press Secretary of the Belarusian Energy Ministry Zhanna Zenkevich told BelTA.

From 24 February till 4 March the IAEA mission will be analyzing all 19 nuclear infrastructure issues that are put forth in the IAEA Milestones Document for emerging nuclear energy countries.

The mission is set to look into such issues as human resource development, accident management, emergency preparedness and response, public outreach, radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel management, nuclear security, legal framework, state policy in nuclear energy, and so on.

Taking part in the INIR 3 activities are representatives of the Belarusian Energy Ministry, Emergencies Ministry, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry, Education Ministry, the joint energy and nuclear research institute Sosny of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the national electric company Belenergo, the state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, and other stakeholders.

During their visit, the IAEA experts will consider the Belarusian report on the development of all branches of the nuclear infrastructure and meet with Belarusian specialists to discuss each of the nuclear infrastructure issues. “On the basis of the collected data and information, the IAEA experts will prepare an appropriate report on the results of the mission,” the Energy Ministry added.

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. Rosatom's engineering division – ASE Company – is the general contractor. The first unit is supposed to go online in 2020, with the second one scheduled for launch in 2021.