MINSK, March 10 (BelTA) – Construction of the nuclear power plant will begin in 2010, Mikhail Mikhadiuk, Deputy Energy Minister of Belarus, told a press conference on March 10.

Mikhail Mikhadiuk noted that the construction schedule of the future plant, the first energy unit of which should be ready by 2016, will be discussed with the Rosatom State Corporation. “If there are no problems, these terms are feasible.

Design and exploration work at the Ostrovets location, which has been chosen for building the nuclear power plant, will start soon, said head of the Nuclear Power Plant Construction Directorate Mikhail Filimonov in the air of the ONT TV channel on December 20.

“Design and exploration work for various preparation bases will start first, for the construction of housing infrastructure. Then the work on the nuclear power plant design will begin,” he said.

The construction of the nuclear power plant will give a strong impetus to the socio-economic development of the Ostrovets region, Adam Kovalko, chairman of the Ostrovets regional executive committee, told BelTA.

According to him, the sociological polls conducted in Ostrovets and in the countryside shows that the locals welcome the decision to construct the nuclear power plant in Ostrovets.

Belarus’ nuclear power plant will be built at the Ostrovetskaya site in the Grodno oblast. The State Commission for Belarus’ Nuclear Power Plant Location has taken the relevant decision on December 20, BelTA learnt from Lyudmila Zenkovich, press secretary of the Energy Ministry of Belarus.

The choice was made after the examination of the Ostrovetskaya, Krasnopolyanskaya and Kukshinovskaya sites.

The German side was informed about the performance of the energy industry, short- and long-term development and reform programmes.

During the meeting the sides discussed the priority areas of cooperation between Belarus and Germany in the energy area.

MINSK, 25 September (BelTA) – The Polish company Elektrobudowa SA is interested in setting up joint ventures with Belarusian producers of electric equipment, BelTA learnt from Belenergo.

Representatives of the Polish company have visited Belarus to have talks with representatives of the Belarusian Energy Ministry, Industry Ministry and Belenergo. The Polish guests visited the Minsk Electrotechnical Plant, Belelectromontazhnaladka, Raton, Gomelkabel, Belselelectrosetstroi and the Belozersk Electromechanical Plant.

BelNIPIenergoprom is the developer of a report on assessing the environmental impact of the future nuclear power plant. The document is compiled for the Nuclear Power Plant Construction Directorate.

Taking part in the discussions will be Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Austria, Ukraine and Russia.