Assembly of reactor vessel at Belarusian NPP suspended, other work continuing - ministry
MINSK. Aug 2 (Interfax) - The assembly of the reactor vessel at the first generating unit of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant has been suspended following an incident, but other work is continuing as usual, Belarusian Deputy Energy Minister Mikhail Mikhadyuk told reporters on Monday.
"Construction and installation work is being conducted today at more than 110 sites. It is proceeding as usual. This decision was made by the customer and the regulatory body immediately after the incident," Mikhadyuk was reported as saying by state agency BelTA.
Speaking about possible further developments, Mikhadyuk said "only two scenarios are possible: either the use of this vessel, but with confirmation of materials validating its safety, or its replacement."
"It's now up to specialists. We are primarily going by the need to unconditionally ensure the safety of the NPP," he said.
After the incident, Belarus immediately demanded all of the necessary materials from the general contractor, he said. "The general contractor arranged for the necessary technical assessments to determine the condition of the reactor vessel. Materials have been sent and continue to be sent to our specialists for study. They are now being studied," Mikhadyuk said.
"The general contractor notes that the paint of the reactor vessel has been damaged. It must be said that there are marks from the sling. But we have demanded a more in-depth analysis of the condition of the metal and reactor vessel. Such assessments have been done by the Russian side, materials on their results have been provided to us, but time is needed to sort things out and issue a final verdict," Mikhadyuk said.
He also said that possible costs due to the incident with the reactor vessel will be carried by the general contractor in line with the general contract. "The incident occurred during work at the site being conducted by the general contractor, the general contractor must carry all costs in line with the conditions of the general contractor," Mikhadyuk said.
As for possible adjustments to the work schedule at the site of the plant due to the incident, he said it would be necessary to wait for the results of the work being done by Belarusian experts. "Depending on this, the general contractor will adjust the work schedule," Mikhadyuk said.
He also confirmed information from Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom that the employees of the subcontractor who committed the violations that caused the incident have been dismissed from work at the construction site of the Belarusian NPP.