Eurasian Integration Yearbook 2012

2011: Data and Reviewswould begin in autumn 2012, after the technical design had been approvedand a construction licence issued. The design of the Belarus NPP is identicalto nuclear power plants being built in the Leningrad and Kaliningrad regions ofRussia, except for the water supply system.Despite stiff opposition from neighbouring Lithuania and occasionaldisagreements between Russia and Belarus on economic issues, preparations forthe construction of the Belarus NPP, which will reduce Belarusian consumptionof Russian gas by 25%, are under way. Belarus has simultaneously proposedcooperation with the Republic of Korea in the field of nuclear energy. Belarusis keen to train nuclear power specialists, and to share Korean technology forconstructing and maintaining nuclear power plants, and protecting personnelfrom radiation exposure.Note:The proposal to build a nuclear plant in Belarus was made by the country’s President Alexander Lukashenko inApril 2007 when his country was facing the inevitable rise in prices for Russian gas (95% of Belarusian powerplants are gas-fired) and Lithuania’s plans to decommission the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant, its largest sourceof electricity, in late 2009. At the time it was decided that the first Belarusian nuclear power station wouldbe constructed by Russia’s Atomstroyexport (part of the Rosatom State Corporation and a leading engineeringcompany with expertise in constructing nuclear power facilities abroad). In addition, Russia was to supplyfuel to the power plant for its whole lifetime, evacuate the plant’s nuclear waste back to Russian territory, andprovide a loan of $7 billion for its construction. Belarusian contractors were to do most of the constructionwork. In return Belarus agreed to trade in the electricity output of the NPP jointly with Russia. Russia pledgedto grant Belarus a loan for building the two NPP reactor units of Russian AES-2006 design with a total capacityof 2.4 GW. The reactors may be commissioned in 2016-2018.UkraineRussia, Ukraine agree upon joint nuclear fuel productionFebruary 3, 2011Expert OnlineIn late January the Ukrainian state-run Nuclear Fuel group of companies andTVEL Fuel Company of Russia drafted a joint venture agreement to producenuclear fuel for Ukrainian nuclear power plants.In autumn 2010 TVEL won a tender to build a nuclear fuel plant and signedthe agreement on October 27, giving TVEL a 50% minus one share in the jointventure, while Ukrainian Nuclear Fuel will retain the controlling stake. Theparties have also resumed technical and economic feasibility studies for theplant, which were suspended after the administration of the then President ofUkraine Viktor Yushchenko switched to partner with Westinghouse. Rosatomand TVEL worked very hard to negotiate the construction of a nuclear fuelplant and long-term fuel supply contracts for the country’s four nuclear power276 EDB Eurasian Integration Yearbook 2012