Will experimental nuclear reactor be installed in Belarus?

ERB has got to know about backstage talks concerning a nuclear power plant between Belarus and Russia in Nizhnii Novgorod. Russia proposed Belarus to build a reactor that had never been built before because the Belarusian network system would not manage to work with any other. A water-moderated reactor will most likely be built in Belarus. The deputy Minister of Energy Mihail Mihadzuik informed ERB about it on Thursday. According to him, it is the safest reactor possible:

“It is the most up-to-date and the safest reactor – that is the opinion of the Ministry of Energy and the Belarusian Academy of Sciences.  It is used all over the world – in Europe and in America”.

The decision was probably taken after the visit of a Belarusian delegation leaded by the vice Prime Minister Andrei Kabyakou to a Research and Development Institute in Nizhnii Novgorod. This is the leading Russian institution in the sphere of designing of reactors and nuclear power plants. ERB decided to find more details of that visit.  The Research and Development Institute informed that Andrei Kabyakou was invited by the Region’s Governor Shantsev. Kabyakou was said to be satisfied with the visit and added that it was not the last meeting. However, all further negotiations have to be conducted by specialists.

ERB found out that water-moderated nuclear reactors #1000 and #300 were shown to the Belarusians. According to Alexandr Zaglyanov, the deputy head of the foreign economic policy of Afrikantov Scientific Research and Development Bureau, model #300 drew more attention. The reactor can serve to 300 thousand people (a city similar to Babruisk or Vitsebsk), which is rather surprising. Such a reactor is meant to be operated for the period of 60 years.

But the fact that it is only an experimental project that does not even exist is even more surprising.

Alexandr Zaglyanov: “This is a ship reactor designed by Afrikantov Scientific Research and Development Bureau; this is their hobby-horse. Besides Belarus, Khazahstan is interested in it. The power of 300 is not very big, it is local. Russian network works on the basis of reactor #1000. However, the Belarusian network will not cope with such power”.

Interestingly, Belarusian news “on the subject” is being monitored by the Research and Development Institute in Nizhnii Novgorod. All latest announcements of Belarusian officials concerning the construction of a nuclear power plant were mentioned in the talk. It was also added that the idea of buying a reactor in France was not likely to interest Belarus because of the price. Moreover, the French reactor is too powerful for the Belarusian network.

ERB found out that besides Belarus, Russia proposed such projects to Ukrainians, Kazakhs and Chileans.


That is what the inside of a nuclear reactor looks like:

This is the body unit (1 — reactor, 2 — steam generator, control and security system drives)


This is the main building of the power-generating unit (1 — reactor, 2 — cooling pond, 3 — reload device, 4 — security system rooms, 5 — low leakage containment building,
6 — containment building, 7 — turbogenerator, 8— deaerator, 9 — condenser)

Schemes by — www.okbm.nnov.ru
Photo by — forgettablememories