This week they were looking for ways to move towards energy independence in Sochi. The platform of the international forum Atomexpo brought together 2.5 thousand participants from more than 65 countries. They shared their experience. They evaluated the prospects of nuclear power development.
About a dozen countries have joined the development of atom. Belarus is not a newcomer to this business. The first power unit of the Belarusian NPP is already in operation, and the readiness rate of the second unit is high. But this is the first time on the international stage that we have the status of a nuclear power. Belarus received it in 2020.
Experts predict that every state will have such a source in about 50 years, which is aimed at strengthening the economy and the development of related industries, where the nuclear power is not only affordable, but also environmentally friendly.
The largest exhibition and business event of the world nuclear industry: that's how experts assess Atomexpo. This year it was held for the twelfth time. 2.5 thousand participants represented almost all the continents. Many countries that doubted environmental friendliness and safety were pushed to develop the atom at home not only by new technologies, but also by the world energy crisis.
Today, 440 nuclear reactors are in operation worldwide and 50 more are under construction. The Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant is in this list, in spite of the fact that the second power unit is highly ready. In the last 10 years alone, a dozen countries decided to develop the low-carbon sources. Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are on that list.
Energy independence is a trend. Belarus has been developing it since 2020: we are waiting for the second reactor to start up and are looking forward to the near future when the question of what to do with spent nuclear fuel will arise. This has been resolved at the forum: it will be taken away and reprocessed by our Russian partners.
The spent fuel is formed and stored in near-reactor pools. At the turn of 2030s the fuel will require further handling. And by this date we are focused on building logistical chains for its transportation to the Russian Federation.
The reprocessing process will also extract useful elements that can later be used in the fuel cycle of the BelNPP (today's international practice), which is why there is such a lively interest in the topic of the radioactive waste generated in this process. The Belarusian delegation has already studied the system of safe management of radioactive waste in spring at the isolation facility in Sverdlovsk Region, two more facilities are now being built.
Nikita Medyantsev, spokesman for the national radioactive waste handler (Russia):
Such facilities are required by international conventions, by the domestic law of the state where nuclear power is being developed. They must be safely isolated and the danger is reduced because there is a physical property of radioactive substances and such facilities must ensure complete safety.
Safety in everything that concerns the introduction of the atom is the main criterion. The Belarusian plant is fully compliant with international standards and IAEA recommendations: four channels of safety systems, melt containment, double containment of the reactor building, hydrogen removal system, and protection from external influences.
Andrey Butko, General Director of JSC Rusatom Automated Control Systems:
“For the first time, we applied import-independent solutions for automation systems at the Belarusian plant. All the systems are Russian-made. The cycle of the automation system is 15 years and more, and by the time the equipment has reached the end of its life cycle, we will solve the issues of modernization jointly with our Belarusian counterparts.”
Over fifty agreements and memorandums have been signed at Atomexpo 2022.
