Belarus: Energy Minister talks about planned new nuclear power plant

In an interview with the Belarus 1 TV channel, Belarus’ Energy Minister Denis Moroz talked about the construction of a new nuclear power plant in the country, as well as a new unit at an existing nuclear facility. Moroz said that a feasibility study on the new nuclear plant is in its final stages, providing technical and economic assessments of the project. A report will be soon presented to the government and the President. Moroz also spoke about the issue of radioactive waste disposal, saying that there is a storage facility for such waste on the site of the existing nuclear plant. It is designed to last until 2030. The state plans to build a disposal facility for that date and transport waste from all over the country there for burial. Moroz acknowledged that building such a facility is a difficult task, requiring transparency toward the international community and the Belarusian people. The government is already moving forward based on regulatory documentation from the IAEA and exploring the possibility of locating the radioactive waste disposal site in the Grodno, Mogilev, and Gomel regions.