Lithuania hopes to persuade Belarus to stop nuclear plant construction

Lithuania hopes to persuade Belarus to abandon the construction of its own nuclear power plant on the border with Lithuania in return for cooperation in the sphere of nuclear energy. On July 12, it was declared by Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius.

“Seeking this cooperation, Lithuania could convince Belarus in that it is “not wise” to build power plant on Belarus-Lithuania border, When we implement our plans to construct our own plant in decisive way, and do not hesitate, we will consult with our neighbors, go forward with our plans step by step, perhaps, our neighbors’ plans to change then. But to achieve this, we should not let the misunderstanding of our plans be”, Lithuanian prime minister said.

In the Baltic region, four states at the time plan to build their own nuclear power plants – Lithuania, Belarus, Poland and Russia. However, Lithuania is sharply against nuclear plant construction in Belarus. Lithuanian authorities, experts and society have expressed their concern that in the case of accident at a future nuclear plant, the territory of Lithuania can be contaminated by 80%, and Vilnius will be destroyed at all. The construction of nuclear power plant was named at public hearings in Lithuania as “genocide of the Lithuanian people”, BelaPAN informs.

At the same time, the work to construct nuclear power plant in Lithuania is going on. Andrius Kubilius expressed his confidence that before the beginning of next year there would be found a strategic investor, and then the construction to begin “together with the Latvians, Estonians and Poles”.

Source: Telegraf

Angra 3 acquires construction permit

Work may now begin to build Brazil’s third nuclear power reactor after regulators issued a construction permit.

Plant owner Eletronuclear said this means it can now pour concrete for the reactor’s foundation slab, which as ‘first concrete’ would mark the official start of construction.

How Angra 3 should look come 2015 (Image: Eletronuclear)

Eletronuclear received the news in a letter from the National Commission for Nuclear Energy (CNEN), in which Alexandre de Arujo Goes Groman granted the licence after determining the company and the project meet requirements.

Angra 3 began life as a KWU pressurized water reactor in 1984 but development faltered two years later. About 70% of the plant’s equipment had already been purchased and this has since been maintained on-site. In June 2007 a return to construction was approved by Brazil’s National Energy Policy Council and this was followed by Presidential approval in July that year. In December 2008, Eletronuclear signed an industrial cooperation agreement with Areva, confirming that it would complete Angra 3 and be considered for supplying further reactors, of which Brazil wants up to 16 in coming years. With the start of construction imminent, Angra 3 should be completed in 2015.

Eletronuclear said 600 million real ($327 million) had already been spent on equipment in the original phase of the project and this would be supplemented by a further 8.4 billion real ($4.5 billion), based on a June 2009 estimate.

The company said that the construction work would create 9000 direct and 15,000 indirect jobs, while during operation it would support 5000 jobs.

Source: World Nuclear News

China conducts nuclear talks with Belarus and Pakistan

Officials have conducted talks on Chinese involvement in civil nuclear power projects in both Belarus and Pakistan, where Chashma 3 and 4 now look closer to reality.

Xi meets Lukashanko on 24 March

Earlier this month China’s Vice President, Xi Jinping, met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk. Belarus has been progressively preparing itself for the use of civil nuclear power over the last few years and Lukashenko took the opportunity to raise the possibility of nuclear cooperation with his Chinese visitor.

Belarus publicised a range of contracts worth some $3.4 billion, as well as a loan for $1 billion and aid from China worth $60 million. Official announcements said that Lukashenko had proposed to cooperate with China in nuclear power, including the construction of a power plant although Chinese official sources did not confirm the conversation. Xi however recalled a 2005 bilateral between the nations that “symbolized a new phase of comprehensive development and strategic cooperation.”

According to Pakistani media, China has also moved forward with cooperation in that country, signing a new deal to construct two new pressurized water reactors at the Chasma plant. A detailed report in the Daily Times said China had agreed a low-interest loan to Pakistan for 82% of the $1.912 billion cost of two 320 MWe units. It added that the cabinet had approved Pakistan’s share of the spending.

Chasma 1 was imported from China in the late 1990s with unit 2 following in the early 2000s and still under construction. In March 2009 Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute announced that it was proceeding with the design of Chasma 3 and 4, with China Zhongyuan Engineering as the general contractor.

However, questions remain about China’s supply of Chashma 3 and 4. Contracts for units 1 and 2 were signed in 1990 and 2000, before 2004 when China joined the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which maintains an embargo on sales of nuclear equipment to Pakistan as a country without full-scope safeguards on nuclear technology and materials.

Source: World Nuclear News

Project risk diagreements delay Belarus’s first nuclear power plant

The signing of a contract between Russia and Belarus to build the ex-Soviet republic’s first nuclear power plant has been delayed due to disagreements over the project’s cost, the Russian ambassador to Belarus said on Wednesday.

The ex-Soviet country, which was one of the most affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, plans to build the plant in its western Grodno region, with the first reactor expected to be put into service in 2016 and the second in 2018. The Russian nuclear equipment export monopoly, Atomstroyexport, is to implement the project.

“We are at the stage of signing an inter-governmental agreement on the construction of the nuclear power plant. There are differences only on one issue – the cost,” Alexander Surikov said.

The Belarusians wanted Russia to cover the project’s risks, which Russia was not willing to do, he said, adding “if the Belarusian government takes upon itself the risks, the issue of financing and constructing the plant is settled.”

Nikolai Grusha, head of the nuclear energy department at the Belarusian Energy Ministry, earlier said estimates for the construction were based on Atomstroyexport’s overseas experience, according to which the contractor financed 85% of construction works and the client 15%.

Belarus, which earlier intended to announce a tender for the construction of its first nuclear power plant, then selected Russia without holding a tender as Moscow pledged to provide Minsk with a loan for the construction.

In May 2009, Belarus asked Russia for a $9 billion loan. In February 2010, Surikov said Russia was ready to provide a loan to its western neighbor, but did not specify the sum, saying the loan would cover only part of the construction works.

Last week, during a meeting with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping in Minsk, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko invited China to participate in the project and Beijing pledged to invest some $10 billion in the Belarusian economy.

Commenting on Lukashenko’s move, Surikov said Russia was likely to withdraw from the project if China was involved.

“We have our own secrets and we do not want to share them with young Chinese firms,” he said.

Source: RIA Novosti

Cooperation agreement for Belarus and Russia

Belarus and Russia have signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Alexander Lokshin, deputy head of Russia’s Rosatom corporation, said: “This document is a framework one and opens opportunities for cooperation in many avenues, including design, construction, exploitation and decommissioning of [a nuclear power] station, supplies of nuclear fuel, and waste treatment.” He added that Belarus and Russia will prepare an agreement in the third quarter of 2009 on the construction of a nuclear power plant in Belarus. Meanwhile, Alexei Kudrin, Russia’s finance minister, has said that Belarus has asked Russia for a $9 billion loan for construction of the plant. He noted, “We already have an application from the Belarusian government and we are looking into it.” Kudrin added, “In order to make a decision we must make sure that the power plant will be built, that sales markets for its electricity will be determined and that these markets will make it possible to return this credit.” Belarus is planning to construct a two-unit nuclear power plant with a capacity of 2000 MWe, with the first reactor coming online in 2016 and the second in 2018.

Source: World Nuclear News