Lithuania has capped the amount of electricity that can enter its grid from Belarus as part of measures to avoid importing power from the Ostrovets nuclear power plant. Grid operator LitGrid said the interconnection would be limited to 262 MW, with throughputs calculated every day.

The European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group has started its second review at Belarus' Ostrovets nuclear power plant. Experts from eight European countries will spend three days verifying that recommended safety improvements have been carried out.

An International Atomic Energy Agency team of experts last week completed a nuclear security advisory mission in Belarus, which was carried out at the request of its government. The two-week International Physical Protection Advisory Service mission reviewed the national security regime for nuclear material and associated facilities and activities.

Unit 1 of the first nuclear power plant to be built in Belarus was put into commercial operation today, Russia's Rosatom has announced. The milestone took place following the transfer of the 'acceptance certificate', signed by the general designer and general contractor of the project - Rosatom subsidiary AtomStroyExport - to the customer, Belarusian NPP. ASE. is responsible for the "operability" of the power unit equipment during the unit's warranty period, Rosatom said.

Unit 1 of the first nuclear power plant to be built in Belarus was yesterday issued with an operating licence, the country's Ministry of Emergency Situations has announced. The licence was granted after a safety evaluation conducted by joint energy and nuclear research institute Sosny, which is part of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, and a public hearing held in April by nuclear regulator Gosatomnadzor.

The loading of 'dummy' fuel assemblies began yesterday at unit 2 of the new nuclear power plant in Ostrovets, Belarus. "This process is a prerequisite and, in a way, a dress rehearsal for the loading of nuclear fuel into the reactor," Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom said.

The European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group has approved the preliminary report on a peer review of the new Belarusian nuclear power plant in Ostrovets. Adopted by consensus on 3 March, the report follows a mission by Ensreg technical experts to the plant site on 9 and 10 February.

The European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy has approved a draft resolution on the safety of the Ostrovets nuclear power plant in Belarus. Committee members voted 66 in favour and two against the resolution, with seven abstentions. The document, which was initiated by Lithuania, will be discussed at the plenary session of the European Parliament next week.

Unit 1 of the nuclear power plant under construction in Belarus reached 100% of its capacity on 12 January, Russia's Rosatom said yesterday. The reactor, near Ostrovets in the Grodno region of Belarus, is of the AES-2006 design, which is the latest version of the VVER-1200 and the first of its kind built outside Russia.

Unit 1 of the first nuclear power plant to be built in Belarus started pilot operation yesterday, Russia's Rosatom has announced. Pilot operation is the final and longest check of a power unit before commissioning. The unit is be the first of the VVER-1200 design to be built outside Russia.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has inaugurated the country's first nuclear power reactor. Lukashenko visited the site in Ostrovets on 7 November, where he witnessed the increase in the generating capacity of unit 1 to 400 MW. The unit, which was connected to the grid five days ago, is the first of the VVER-1200 design to be built outside Russia.

Unit 1 of the first nuclear power plant to be built in Belarus has been connected to the grid and is supplying electricity, Rosatom announced today. The Russian state nuclear corporation describes the VVER-1200 design, of which the Ostrovets unit is the first to be built outside Russia, as "the backbone" of its export portfolio that comprises 36 units across 12 markets.