Rosatom CEO on another NPP in Belarus: The only question is its configuration, location

MINSK. May 24 (Interfax) - Russia's Rosatom state atomic energy corporation stands ready to build a second nuclear power plant in Belarus if necessary, Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev said.

"We're ready to do that. The only question is a future unit's configuration and location," Belarus's BelTA state news agency quoted Likhachev as saying.

"We know that [Belarusian President] Alexander [Lukashenko's] wished the construction to be continued. In any case, we stand ready to do that. The question is solely about a future unit's configuration and location," he said.

The parties should first make a decision on the project's timeframe and economic model, he said.

"Our Belarusian partners have acquired a taste for nuclear electricity. Power consumption in Belarus has surged. As far as I understand, Belarus is going to move ahead in this direction and is not going to stop," he said.

"Depending on what the Belarusian government decides along with our Energy Ministry as regards the project's location, timeframe, capacity, and economic model, we'll follow this decision," Likhachev said.

Both units of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant are currently operating at 100% of their rated capacity, and there have been no complaints about their operation, he said.

The first Belarusian NPP is located near the city of Ostrovets (Astravets) in the Grodno region. It has been built in line with the Russian VVER-1200 project and operates two 1.2 GW power units. The general contractor for the NPP construction is ASE Group, the engineering division of Rosatom. A Russian government loan of $10 billion was drawn down to finance the project.

Unit 1 was hooked up to the grid in November 2020 and started commercial operations in June 2021. Unit 2 was hooked up to the grid in May 2023 and started commercial operations on November 1, 2023.

Lukashenko has spoken several times about the feasibility of building a second NPP in Belarus or increasing the number of power units at the existing one.