Belarusian NPP’s Stress Tests To Be Carried Out By Russian Company

By the end of 2016 the authorities plant to carry out stress tests on the nuclear power plant which is being constructed under Astravets.

As the head of the of the Belarusian NPP operations service Viktar Turelski told journalists, by signing the Declaration of nuclear regulating operators of European neighbouring countries in 2011, Belarus has taken on the obligation to hold stress-tests of the NPP, that is, “to carry out risk and safety assessments considering external factors of natural or manmade character,” – BelaPAN informs.

In 2014 a decision to carry out such stress-tests was passed at the level of the government. In 2015 a document was elaborated, containing a number of requirements to stress-tests. For today a We have already prepared the Terms of Reference have been prepared. The document has been reviewed by Belarus' Gosatomnadzor.

As said by Turelski, in March the administration of the Belarusian NPP put out a tender for specialized companied for holding stress-tests. At the moment there are only two bids from Russian companies – Atomproyekt and Atomenergoproekt (NIAEP).

“Stress-tests are planned to be held by the end of 2016, considering the results of the tests held at Leningrad NPP-2 – the prototype of the Belarusian NPP,” – the expert said.

As said by him, the results of the tests are to be forwarded to the Russian body of nuclear regulations – Ristekhnadzor, and the Belarusian Gosatomnadzor. “After the results of these stress-tests are analyzed, they are to be forwarded for consideration by the European Commission,” – Turelski concluded.