Nuclear plant’s Unit 1 still off after repairs

September 8, BPN. Unit 1 of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has not resumed electricity production two and a half weeks after the Ministry of Energy announced the completion of planned preventive maintenance.

Neither the ministry, nor the state-run power provider Biełenerha nor NPP management have officially announced the restart of the power unit. Moreover, the data on electricity production by Unit 1, published daily on the energy ministry’s website, have not been updated since late April.

Repairs of the power unit started on April 25 and lasted for 119 days instead of planned 80 days. On August 22, the energy ministry announced the completion, noting that “routine start-up operations are carried out at the facility” to be followed by the power set-up of the reactor unit and switching the unit back on line.