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The Belarusian nuclear power plant reached a major milestone with the completion of its second power unit, following the 2012 start of construction and the 1200 MW capacity added earlier. Experts estimate the plant will supply about 40 percent of the country’s electricity. During a visit on November 3, the Belarusian President highlighted the achievement, calling the facility outstanding and the newest in every respect. He described the completion of the BelNPP by November 7 as a significant gift to the Belarusian people.
The first power unit was put into operation in the summer of 2021. The two-unit complex near Ostrovets in the Grodno region comprises reactors totaling 2400 MW. The second unit linked to the grid for the first time on May 13, 2023, delivering the initial kilowatt-hours to the national energy system, and reached its design capacity on June 19. To date, the unit has generated more than 2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.
The Belarusian NPP signifies the abroad deployment of III+ generation technologies. Both units contribute steady power to the country’s energy system and have demonstrated reliability. The project’s timely and successful implementation owes much to the coordinated work of Russian and Belarusian experts, according to Vitaly Polyanin, Vice President of Atomstroyexport and Project Director for the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant.
The station marks a landmark collaboration between the state company Rosatom and Belarus. The VVER-1200 units at the Belarusian NPP represent the first abroad of the latest III+ safety generation using Russian technology. Russia already has several similar units in operation in the Leningrad and Voronezh regions.
Rosatom emphasizes several advantages of the Russian design, including active and passive safety systems that boost resilience to external and internal influences. Each unit features a melt trap to localize core damage and other passive safety mechanisms. Reactor power has been increased by about 20 percent compared with conventional designs, the service life of major equipment has been extended from 30 to 60 years, and the option to extend operation by another two decades is available. These enhancements support a robust, long-term energy solution for Belarus. (Source: Rosatom)
Rosatom’s leadership notes that serial production of modern, safe, efficient units is a cornerstone of ongoing expansion. Plans include additional projects in multiple countries such as Turkey, Egypt, and active efforts in China, India, and beyond. The company states that the global market is now a primary focus—assembly lines are delivering reactors to foreign customers. (Source: Rosatom)
The project’s significance for Rosatom lies in demonstrating readiness to supply technically advanced stations abroad, offering top-tier solutions to international buyers. Experts in finance management point to the project’s potential to attract new clients and strengthen confidence in Rosatom’s capabilities, including its financial commitments to international partners. (Source: Dmitry Baranov, leading expert in Finance Management)
For Belarus
Analysts say the two VVER-1200 units will substantially bolster Belarus’s economic and energy security, positioning the country among global leaders in nuclear energy’s share of the national mix. The BelNPP is expected to cover roughly 40 percent of Belarus’s electricity needs, a share currently achieved by only a few nations such as France, Slovakia, Hungary, Belgium, and Slovenia. The shift to nuclear energy will also trim greenhouse gas emissions by up to 10 million tons of CO2 equivalent annually.
The BelNPP project brought together scientific and engineering institutions from Belarus and Russia, dozens of enterprises, and thousands of experts, strengthening the Union State’s production and technologic capabilities. At the project’s peak, more than 9,000 workers were on site. The construction and operation have stimulated the Grodno region’s development, with Ostrovets’ population expanding and modern social infrastructure spreading across housing, schools, kindergartens, and healthcare facilities.
President Lukashenko has framed the plant as a catalyst for life in Belarus’s northwest and a foundation for future growth. He underscored the essential role of clean electricity in national progress and development. Industry leaders indicate broad collaboration opportunities spanning nuclear and non-nuclear technologies, with a vision for a more modern, competitive national economy. The shared program envisions new capabilities in areas like nuclear medicine and agriculture, illustrating a broader industrial transformation. (Source: leadership and partner institutions)
Officials emphasize several benefits: reducing fossil fuel reliance to protect the environment, ensuring energy reliability during external constraints, expanding the qualifications of engineers and technicians, and creating demand for local goods and services that buoy the national budget. The project has also seeded a new era of cooperation with partners across the region. (Source: Dmitry Baranov)
In development
At the second unit’s opening, Belarusian President Lukashenko spoke about broader ambitions, including discussions with Russia on electrifying a Brest–Kazan corridor and developing electric transport infrastructure. He outlined joint initiatives with Rosatom in Belarus, such as a megafactory for storage devices and a nuclear medicine center, potentially launched under the Union State framework. Plans also point toward wind energy collaborations and other areas where technology and industry can converge. The aim is to raise Belarus’s industrial capabilities through a connected, modernized ecosystem. (Source: Union State coordination statements)
Rosatom leadership highlighted a shared roadmap with Belarus to expand competencies in composites, additive technologies, digitalization, environmental initiatives, and wind energy development. Teams are forming, and new projects are being prepared to elevate Belarusian industry and strengthen Russia-Belarus cooperation, signaling a new era of joint development. (Source: Alexey Likhachev, Rosatom CEO)