Electricity export named secondary goal in Belarusian nuclear power plant project

OSTROVETS DISTRICT, 9 October (BelTA) – The nuclear power plant will take care of Belarus' energy security while matters of electricity export are secondary, BelTA learned from Director General of the state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant Mikhail Filimonov as foreign reporters visited the nuclear power plant on 9 October.

The official said: “Before launching the construction of the nuclear power plant we thought long and hard about what we will need it for. Our independence from one kind of fuel, in particular, natural gas was the initial goal. The main task the nuclear power plant is supposed to accomplish is to ensure a steady supply of electricity. The nuclear power plant was initially envisaged as part of the national power grid. The matters of export are secondary. They depend on markets, the market situation, and the rest.”

When asked by an Egyptian reporter about the cost of the nuclear power plant, Mikhail Filimonov explained it depends on many factors. “The cost and designs can vary depending on what deal Egypt can secure in the course of signing the contract. The cost depends on various parameters – whether the nuclear power plant needs to be built using the turn-key principle or not, how much the country contributes to the project. Even if I tell you our figure, it will not benefit you,” he added.

As for the credit agreement with the Russian Federation, the official reminded that proposals on improving the credit's terms are available at a higher level. “It is a routine process. The main thing for us is that we have the credit agreement and the terms are observed both by the Belarusian side and the Russian one,” he said.

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. ASE Company is the general designer and general contractor in the project to build the Belarusian nuclear power plant. It also represents Rosatom's engineering division.

The Russian Federation has granted a loan of up to $10 billion to Belarus to cover 90% of the construction cost while Belarus is supposed to pay the remaining 10%.