Lithuania protests Belarus’ nuclear plant over safety concerns

July 28, BPN. The Lithuanian foreign ministry has sent a note to Belarusian diplomats saying there should be no selective treatment of nuclear safety issues, according to the ministry’s media release today.

It cited reports of Astraviec Nuclear Power Plant’s Unit 2 operating at 100 percent capacity following a power start-up stage.

Vilnius said that Belarus did not consider the plant’s potential transborder impact on the environment and the population of Lithuania.

It called on Minsk to suspend operations until safety issues are resolved and international standards are met.

Belarus builds the nuclear power plant near Astraviec, Hrodna region, using Russian funds and Russian reactor VVER-1200. The general designer and general contractor is the ASE engineering company, a subsidiary of Rosatom.

The pilot operation of the first unit began in November 2020, and commercial operation in June 2021.

The second unit is scheduled to begin commercial operation in October 2023.