Fuel loading began at the first unit of Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on Friday, the country's first nuclear plant, Russian Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom announced.
The first fuel assembly was loaded into the first of two reactors of the Belarusian NPP, marking the beginning of launch operations.
A total of 163 assemblies will be loaded before the end of the month.
According to the company's statement, following the fuel loading, the reactor will reach the minimum controllable level and relevant tests will be performed. From that moment on, the reactor acquires the status of a nuclear power facility.
After reliability and safety of the power unit at its design parameters are verified, the next stage of the power start-up will begin and the reactor will be connected to the grid for the first time.
Belarusian NPP unit 1 became the Russia's first VVER-1200 unit abroad, the company's Generation III+ PWR-type reactor.
Currently, three power units of this type are successfully operated in Russia, two at the Novovoronezh NPP and one at the Leningrad NPP.
Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Finland, Hungary and Turkey are other countries where VVER-1200 power unit projects are at various implementation stages.
By Firdevs Yuksel
Anadolu Agency