Organization of Belarus' radioactive waste management system explained

MINSK, 20 December (BelTA) – Belarusian Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich was in BelTA's press center and explained how the radioactive waste management system will be organized in Belarus.

Viktor Karankevich said: “The Belarusian nuclear power plant will generate approximately 180m3 of radioactive waste in the course of its operation or as much as 95% of the country's total. Work is still in progress to select the site for burying radioactive waste. Survey work is in progress. Technologies used in other countries are under consideration. Public hearings about this topic will be organized. The first stage of the facility has to be built by 2030.”

Established in February 2023, Belarusian Radioactive Waste Management Organization (BelRAO) takes care of matters concerning the creation of a system in the country for long-term storage and burying of radioactive waste. This is radioactive waste generated not only by the Belarusian nuclear power plant but also by the healthcare system, manufacturing sector, science, agriculture, other branches of the economy that use sources of ionizing radiation. The enterprise will act as the customer for carrying out a complex of predesign work, design work, survey work, and for building the national radioactive waste storage facility. Once the facility is operational, the organization will take care of centralized collection, transportation, processing, conditioning, and storage of radioactive waste.