Belarus nuclear power plant restarts after equipment replaced (updated)
19/11/2020 08:51
(Adds Litgrid quote)
MOSCOW, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Belarus has resumed operations at
a nuclear power plant inaugurated earlier this month by
President Alexander Lukashenko, the Ministry of Energy said in a
statement on Thursday, following the replacement of faulty
equipment.
The plant was reconnected to the grid after voltage
transformers were replaced and thermal power equipment was
tested, the country's energy ministry said. "The reactor of the
first power unit is currently working at 40% of its nominal
capacity."
Lithuanian grid operator (TSO) Litgrid LGD1L.VL said it
detected the plant's restart at 00.11 GMT on Thursday and it has
reached 350 megawatts (MW) of operating power.
Built by Russian state-owned firm Rosatom and financed by
Moscow with a $10 billion loan, construction of the power plant
near the city of Astravets, in the western Hrodno region, was
vigorously opposed by Lithuania, whose capital Vilnius is 50
kilometres (31 miles) away. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2HT07G
Production at the plant was halted a few days after it
opened, with the energy ministry saying electrical measuring
equipment needed replacing.
Litgrid, located 20km from the plant, said it detected a
production stoppage at 1000 GMT on Nov. 8. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2HV26T
Production had been ramped up to 400 MW on the day
Lukashenko inaugurated the plant, Litgrid said.
(Reporting by Alexander Marrow in Moscow and Andrius Sytas in
Vilnius; editing by Uttaresh.V and Barbara Lewis)
((alexander.marrow@thomsonreuters.com;))