27 Feb 2023 11:26

Belarusian ministry sets up radioactive waste management operator

MINSK. Feb 27 (Interfax) - The Belarusian Energy Ministry has set up a radioactive waste management operator that will build a national storage facility for such waste, Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich said.

"An organization to manage radioactive waste has been created in Belarus. This decision is contained in a resolution of the Energy Ministry that was adopted in accordance with the functions entrusted to it," Karankevich was quoted as saying by the ministry's press service.

The Belarusian Radioactive Waste Management Organization, a state company, will work on creating a system for long-term storage and disposal of radioactive waste, he said.

"This is radioactive waste that is generated not only at the Belarusian nuclear power plant, but also in medicine, industry, science, agriculture and other sectors where sources of ionizing radiation are used," Karankevich said.

The operator's main job will be to build a national radioactive waste storage point, the first phase of which is scheduled to open by 2030, after the selection of a site, design and construction, he said.

The Belarusian government approved a three-stage strategy for radioactive waste management in February that encompasses the period beyond 2050.