New Reactor Pressure Vessel Delivered to NPP Construction Site in Belarus

A replacement shell made by Russia for a nuclear reactor under construction in Belarus has arrived at the site of the Belarusian power plant, local media reported Thursday.

MINSK (Sputnik) – The reactor needed a new pressure vessel, which contains a reactor core and coolant, after falling several feet from a crane last July. Russia’s nuclear agency Rosatom denied damage had been done but agreed to replace the shell.

The new pressure vessel was made at Russia’s nuclear engineering firm Atommash and transported to Belarus by car and river boat and then by rail to the Belarusian city of Astravyets, the Belta news agency said.

Russia has been helping Belarus to build its first nuclear power plant near Astravyets. It will have two nuclear reactors. The first power unit was due to go online in 2018 and the second one in 2020.