Signing contracts on nuclear power station fell apart

Earlier the contract was planned to be signed before the end of 2009, and terms were said to be running out.

However signing of the contract on construction of the first Belarusian nuclear power plant has been postponed again for at least half a year, as it is not ready yet, the European Radio for Belarus informs.

“The contract is being prepared yet, it is drafted,” said the spokesperson of the Russian company which plans to construct the nuclear power station in Belarus, Olga Tsyleva. Atomstrojexport hopes that before the end of 2010 Q1 the contract would be prepared. But it is a political decision, so everything depends on the highest leadership.

“It is possible that time is up, in this situation that does not depend on us. We are simply a company which is engaged in construction, and these are political decisions. It depends on highest leaders, how that would be done. We are still expecting Q1 of 2010, but it is still hard to say what it would be like in reality,” Olga Tsyleva said.

As said by the spokesperson of Atomstrojexport, nothing is known as before about possible prices of the future contract.

But as mass media estimated, expenses for infrastructure, changeover of energy networks, building satellite town for nuclear power plant workers, and considering inflation, the nuclear power plant is to cost about $9 billion for Belarus.

Anatoly Bondar, chief engineer of Belarusian nuclear power plant construction managerial board says that the board had adopted the following terms: the contractual arrangement is planned to be signed before the end of Q1 2010, and the general contract before June 30, 2010. Only after that active works are to be started.

“If the complete contract is to be signed following the contractual arrangement (before the middle of the year), then the way would be cleared, there would be green light. Te abovementioned documents would e signed, and then there would be movement. You know, we have taken to our marks, and as soon as a hand cue is made, runners are to start immediately,” Anatoly Bondar said.

And before the hand cue, early works are carried out at the site of the future nuclear power plant. The first house has been built.

“We are following the procedural matters: readiness of justification of investment, issues related to IAEA and public conventions,” said Anatoly Bondar. “It is not a secret that the first house had been built. Offices of the organisation are to be situated at the lower floors: the Nuclear power stations’ front office, BelNIPIenergoprom, Belenergostroj and so on”.

We remind that earlier the contract was planned to be prepared before the end 2009, as deadlines were nearing.

“Now the contract is being prepared. And the next step would be signing the contract,” Olga Tsyleva stated before. “But we plan tat this contract would be prepared by the end of the year (2009). Proceeding from the fact that the first power unit is to be ready in 2016, the concrete should be poured in 2010. So we have very tight deadlines”.