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Belarus: Preparations for nuclear power?

Nuclear Monitor Issue: 
#495
07/08/1998
Article

(August 7, 1998) Fearing that Belarus, independent since July 27 1991, becomes the most forgotten country in Europe, OOA Denmark and Youth Ecological Movement Belaya Rus wrote the brochure: "About the Republic of Belarus". Belarus suffers under the totalitarian-populist regime of President Lukashenka and the economic and political situation is worsening day after day.

(495.4890) WISE Amsterdam - International assistance to Belarus decreased dramatically between 1992 and 1998. The country is the most affected by the Chernobyl disaster as 70% of the radio- nuclides emitted fell down on the territory of Belarus. Belarus forwards about 20% of the yearly national budget to overcome the consequences of the accident, which is far from enough.

As Belarus does not have the natural resources to be fully independent in its energy production, it has to rely on importation. For instance, gas and oil from Russia. Belarus has a hard time paying its energy bill to Russia. The country can only pay partially and with long delays. In April 1998, the Byelorussians' unpaid bill to Russia for gas totalled US$225 million. Recently, Gasprom accepted a barter for its gas of 70% goods and 30% cash money to relieve the Byelorussian government of its debt.

The idea of building a nuclear power plant in Belarus was developed in the beginning of 1983 by the Soviet authorities. The idea then was that the biggest part of the needed energy in the year 2010 should come from nuclear energy. After the Chernobyl disaster, no one dared to raise the idea of a nuclear reactor in Belarus any longer.
However, 12 years after the catastrophe, the idea is coming back. Since 1993 the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has developed seven large projects in Belarus, spending a total of US$450.000. Some of the projects aim to "analyze the role of nuclear power as the energy supply of the future", "to raise public awareness of potential risks and benefits of nuclear technology", and to "develop a comprehensive system of accreditation and certification consistent with international recommendations".
In Belarus there is a changing attitude towards the disaster of Chernobyl. The officials are minimizing the consequences of Chernobyl for the people's health, and people are allowed to live in contaminated areas, and to resettle in evacuated areas (see article "Graduates assigned to radiation zones"). Monitoring of some contaminated areas and indications of them as "Dangerous radioactive areas" have been abandoned. All this can be seen as preparation for the idea to start the construction of a nuclear power plant in Belarus.
Minister of Fuel and Energy (now called BelEnergo) V.V. Gerasimov claimed that "there is no other alternative to nuclear power". An order of the Council of Ministers ordered the preparation work at possible sites in Bechov, Shklov and Dubrovno. On March 31, 1998, Prime Minister Serguei Ling ordered the creation of a committee of 34 members to assess reasons to develop a nuclear power plant in Belarus.

The report "About the Republic of Belarus" published on June 20 1998, is available at OOA, Ryesgade 19, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark.
Tel: +45-35-355 507; Fax: +45-35-356 545
E-mail: ooa@email.dk
WWW: http://www.ooa.dk
or at:
YEM Belaya Rus, PB 53, 220027 Minsk, Belarus,
E-mail: pa_eco@ecodept.unibel.by