The ENSREG mission will visit the Belarusian NPP in May-June 2021
The mission of the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG) in Belarus is planned for May-June 2021, the Department for Nuclear and Radiation Safety of the Ministry of Emergencies (Gosatmnadzor) of the Republic of Belarus reports, BelTA has learned.
On February 9-10, ENSREG experts already visited the Belarusian NPP as part of a partnership review of the national action plan based on the results of stress tests. Experts will prepare a preliminary report on this technical visit, which should be expected in March. Visitors were shown the facilities, systems and equipment of the Belarusian NPP, important in terms of the plant’s resistance to external natural influences and the implementation of the national plan based on the results of stress tests.
In addition, a 1.5-week ENSREG mission is planned for May-June 2021 (exact dates will be determined based on the current epidemiological situation). The mission will present the final version of the ENSREG report on the peer review of the national plan to be published.
Belarus conducted stress tests of the Belarusian NPP according to the procedure of the European Union on its own initiative in 2016-2018. Tests showed the availability of “safety margins” on the requirements established by national law. The test criteria included checking the reliability of the station in case of natural disasters, in particular earthquakes and floods, as well as man-made accidents.
In July 2018, the European Commission and ENSREG approved the report on the results of the peer review of stress tests by the authorized ENSREG group and provided recommendations to the Gosatmnadzor. The national plan based on the results of stress tests was formed taking into account the results of all stages of the text. The national plan was reviewed by ENSREG experts and 150 questions were asked. 95 questions were also received from Austria and Lithuania. The Belarusian side prepared and sent responses to ENSREG.
We remind, that on February 11, at the plenary session in Brussels, the European Parliament adopted a resolution demanding to suspend the launch of the Belarusian nuclear power plant “due to serious reservations about its safety.”
