Belarus, Russia preparing roadmap on cooperation in training nuclear energy industry personnel

MINSK, 8 December (BelTA) – Belarus and the Russian Federation are preparing a roadmap to guide cooperation in training personnel for the nuclear energy industry. Vladimir Aspidov, First Prorector for Principal Activities of the Rosatom Technical Academy, mentioned it in BelTA's press center on 8 December.

Vladimir Aspidov said: “Our cooperation with Belarus began in 2009 with advanced training of professors of Belarusian universities. Several educational courses were organized. We began with a course on control of management of reactor units. Several technological courses and visits to nuclear power plants were also organized. We've made the most significant contribution as part of the contract on training personnel for the Belarusian nuclear power plant. Between 2015 and 2021 we trained 621 specialists, 261 people completed internships at Russian nuclear power plants, about 280 Belarusian nuclear power plant specialists took extracurricular courses.”

The project to train personnel for the Belarusian nuclear power plant was successfully completed in 2021. The same year the Rosatom Technical Academy formulated a proposal on consequent cooperation in the advanced training of personnel. A two-week course on maintenance and repair of nuclear power plant equipment was organized for Belarusian specialists in 2021. Internship opportunities at the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant were available as well as a technical tour to the Leningrad nuclear power plant. In August 2022 a technical assistance mission focusing on the experience of operation of nuclear power plants went to the Belarusian nuclear power plant. The visit was organized in association with the Moscow Center of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO MC). Apart from that, over 40 specialists from Belarus upheld their qualifications in 2022, the official said.

A working visit of Rosatom representatives to Belarus took place in October 2022. Approaches to forming the personnel pool for the sake of development of the nuclear energy industry were discussed. The Russian delegation included specialists of the Rosatom Technical Academy and the Rosatom Corporate Academy, personnel of the Rosenergoatom concern. They were made familiar with the physical infrastructure of the education and training center of the Belarusian nuclear power plant: a full-scale simulator of the central control room and classrooms for training operating personnel where simulators of various systems are installed. The sides discussed possibilities of future cooperation in personnel training and in sharing the best practices between instructors. Avenues of cooperation for building a system of advanced training of executive personnel were sketched out. The need to implement a program on promoting the safety culture was mentioned. A coordinating working group was set up to look into these matters in detail. “I think a roadmap on developing these areas may be drafted by the end of the year,” Vladimir Aspidov added.

In his words, the physical infrastructure of the Rosatom Technical Academy improved a lot in the last two years. The academy now has one full-scale simulator, three multifunctional simulators, and a practical training lab where samples of equipment and systems of nuclear power plants utilizing VVER-1200 reactors are installed. The Rosatom Technical Academy is also ready to assist with training and keeping up the qualifications of professors of Belarusian universities. The academy is also ready to offer internship to students majoring in nuclear industry.