IAEA inspects Belarusian NPP, nuclear research institute

MINSK. June 23 (Interfax) - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is conducting scheduled inspections at the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant and the Sosny Joint Institute for Power and Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (NASB).

"Belarus is welcoming the IAEA's regular scheduled inspection in line with the Agreement for the Application of Safeguards in Connection with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons," the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry's Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department (Gosatomnadzor) said.

The IAEA is inspecting the Belarusian NPP on June 23 and the Sosny institute on June 24. The program includes physical inventory of nuclear material, maintenance of IAEA surveillance and containment systems, and verification of reporting documentation.

The IAEA safeguards are an integral part of the international safety system and represent a complex of technical measures that are applied to nuclear facilities and nuclear material used by states, Gosatomnadzor said.

The plant in Ostrovets consists of two Russian-designed VVER-1200 reactors and was built by Rosatom's ASE Group. A Russian state loan of $10 billion was used to finance the project.

The first power unit of the BelNPP was connected to the network in November 2020 with commercial launch in June 2021. The second was connected in May 2023 with commercial launch on November 1 that year.