Belarusian nuclear power plant has received fresh nuclear fuel for the first refuelling of unit 1, Rosatom’s Fuel Company TVEL said on 18 June. The acceptance inspection has been completed and fuel assemblies will be placed in the fresh nuclear fuel storage facility unti they are required.
This is the first batch of fuel manufactured for the Belarus NPP at the Mashinostroitelny Zavod in Elektrostal as well as the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (NCCP). The initial fuel loading for Belarus 1 was supplied by NCCP. “Both fabrication plants, which are part of the TVEL Fuel Company, have successfully mastered the production of fuel for VVER-1200 reactors,” said TVEL Senior Vice President for Production Mikhail Zarubin. “This gives us not only flexibility in shaping the production programme, but also increases the reliability of fuel supply to these power units. Today, there are already five VVER-1200 units in operation, and their number will grow as Rosatom's foreign projects are implemented.”
The design strategy for the use of fuel in the Belarus NPP VVER-1200 reactors provides for a four-year fuel cycle with one refuelling every 12 months during the scheduled preventive maintenance outage. Start-up loading and the first refuelling at each power unit are included in the general contract for the construction of the plant. Fresh fuel supplies under a direct contract between TVEL and the Belarusian NPP will begin in 2022.
Belarus NPP, will consist of two VVER-1200 power units. Pilot operation of Belarus 1 was completed on 24 May and commercial operation began on 10 June. Unit 2 is 85% complete and is expected to begin commercial operation in 2022.
Image: Fresh nuclear fuel has been delivered to the Belarus nuclear power plant for first refuelling of unit 1 (Photo credit: Rosatom)