Belarusian nuclear plant not generating power for over six months

November 8, BPN. Unit 1 of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has not generated electricity since the start of preventive maintenance on April 25. It has been idle for six months and 13 days, instead of 80 days planned for maintenance.

The unit operated for nearly 18 months since its start-up in November 2020, generating about 9.34 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity.

It could have produced 3.47 billion kWh during its downtime in 2022, almost fully covering the country’s current electricity needs. Belarus consumed about 3.55 billion kWh in the six-month period in 2021, and 3.42 billion kWh, in 2020.

The Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant is located near Astraviec, Hrodna region, some 10 miles away from the Lithuanian border. It has been built with a Russian loan. Lithuania views the plant as unsafe and describes it as a “geopolitical weapon.”