Security Council approved construction of nuclear power plant

The Security Council of Belarus took a final decision on construction a nuclear power plant in the country.

“A final political decision on construction of our own nuclear plant in Belarus has been taken at the sitting of the Security Council on Tuesday,” Interfax learnt from the press service of Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

A site for nuclear plant construction is to be chosen in spring, and the exact place for location of the plant is to be determined yet till the end of the year. The decision on a main constructor of the plant hasn’t yet been taken, but it was said it would be made in accordance to the law.

“It will be a territory of about 100 sq. km, and then a place (10-12sq km), where a station will be situated, will be defined within the territory. A concrete place for of the location of the nuclear plant will be determined till the end of 2008,” Uladzimir Syamashka, first vice-premier noted. Now, according to him, some possible sites for nuclear plant are being under consideration, including Kukshynauskaya and Krasnapalyanskaya sites.

According to official information, a project of nuclear power station construction is estimated at USD 4 billion. “A source of financing of the project is budget means, foreign loans, fund of national development and innovation fund of the Ministry of Energy,” Mikalai Korbut, head of the Belarusian Ministry of Finance, said.

Lukashenka declared at the sitting of the Security Council that construction of the nuclear plant should be started yet this year. He also noted that third and forth power units might be constructed, but only after successful construction of the first two units.