MINSK, 6 May (BelTA) – There has been no damage or destroyed structures at the facilities of the Belarusian nuclear power plant that the customer has accepted, representatives of the Belarusian Energy Ministry told BelTA as they commented on the recent troubling reports by some websites.
“We would like to emphasize that there has been no customer-accepted damage or destroyed structural elements at facilities of the Belarusian nuclear power plant since the construction process began,” said the source.
The Energy Ministry noted that recent reports by some websites claim that part of a bearing structure of the future nuclear safety control building allegedly collapsed in mid-April. An employee of a Pinsk-based construction company, which takes part in the Belarusian nuclear power plant construction project, is quoted as the source of the information. In response representatives of the Belarusian Energy Ministry explained: “It is likely that the report refers to the partial damage of supporting structures of the formwork used to place concrete as part of the ceiling of amenity and utility rooms on 8 April 2016. That case was dealt with as a pre-construction defect. The consequences were fixed in line with the standard construction procedures and technologies. The defect was removed, the ceiling slab was prepared for concrete placement and accepted by the commission in accordance with technical requirements.”
The source went on saying that indeed Eduard Svirid, Head of the Information and Public Relations Department of the state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, had made a comment and the comment had been published by one of the websites. Eduard Svirid reminded that IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano and reporters visited the construction site of the Belarusian nuclear power plant on 19 April 2016. “We were there together with reporters. We welcomed Yukiya Amano. Nothing collapsed,” Eduard Svirid said back then.
The Energy Ministry underlined that a representative office of the Russian nuclear power plant design company AO NIAEP constantly monitors the construction process for the sake of ensuring quality construction and installation work. The state enterprise Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant also exercises customer supervision. The enterprise verifies construction operations for compliance with design documents, civil engineering standards and rules. “The quality of materials and equipment, which are delivered to the construction site of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, is constantly checked,” added the source. Apart from that, the State Standardization Committee, the Committee's Department for Civil Engineering Oversight, and the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry constantly monitor construction operations.
