Emergencies ministry approves commercial operation of nuclear plant’s Unit 2

October 24, Pozirk. The board of the Ministry for Emergency Situations has issued a license for the commercial operation of Unit 2 at the Belarusian nuclear power plant (NPP).

The commercial operation of Unit 2 still needs the approval of a special commission headed by Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Parchomčyk.

Similar procedures were implemented in June 2021 for Unit 1, when eight days passed between the issue of the license and acceptance of the unit for commercial operation.

Located near Astraviec, Hrodna region, some 10 miles off the Lithuanian border, the Belarusian NPP has been designed by Russia’s Rosatom and built with a Russian loan. Lithuania views the plant as unsafe and describes it as a “geopolitical weapon.”

Unit 1 started pilot operation in November 2020, and commercial operation, in June 2021. It was disconnected from the grid on October 6 for maintenance. Unit 2 has been operating in a pilot mode since May 13. It successfully completed the 15-day equipment tests in mid-October, according to Russia’s Rosatom.