A draft of a Belarusian-Russian agreement on the construction of a nuclear power plant was discussed in Minsk on August 7, the press office of Atomstroiexport, said on Monday.
The meeting was organized at the suggestion of the Belarusian energy ministry. Experts of Russia`s Atomstroiexport participated in the discussion of the draft, giving their approval to it, the press office said.
The construction of the 2,000-MW plant is expected to start in the Hrodna region near the Lithuanian border at the end of 2009. It is expected to account for 27 to 30 percent of the total domestic electricity output. One of the two 1000-MW reactors is to be put into operation in 2016 and the other in 2018.
The Belarusian government selected Atomstroiexport as the prime contractor.
The Friday meeting in Minsk also yielded a plan of priority action to begin the construction of the nuclear power plant in Belarus this year. Under the plan, Atomstroiexport is scheduled to host a meeting in which representatives of the customer, prime contractor, Belarusian and Russian engineering companies will take part. The gathering will discuss the development of an investment feasibility conclusion for the nuclear power plant project.
Belarus’ deputy prime minister, Uladzimir Syamashka, said at the end of June that the Russian government had confirmed its readiness to consider lending $9 billion to Belarus for the nuclear power plant project.
