The need to purchase nuclear fuel for the NPP will not affect Belarus's energy security - Ministry of Energy

July 23, Minsk /BelTA/. The need to purchase nuclear fuel for the NPP will not affect Belarus's energy security. This opinion was expressed by Deputy Minister of Energy of Belarus Mikhail Mikhadyuk on July 22 in Minsk at a meeting with journalists from EU countries, BelTA correspondent reports. The Deputy Minister noted that arguments that Belarus will become dependent on imported nuclear fuel with the construction of the NPP are debatable. Thus, a nuclear reactor is loaded for at least a year, so possible difficulties in the negotiation process with suppliers can be resolved within a year. In addition, according to Mikhail Mikhadyuk, nuclear fuel can be purchased for 5-10 years, as "it does not spoil and, unlike coal and gas, does not require large storage facilities." Mikhail Mikhadyuk also said that fuel for the NPP is planned to be purchased from Russia, however, fuel technologies are currently developing so rapidly that the emergence of new suppliers on the market in the future is not ruled out. The press tour of journalists from EU countries to Belarus will last until July 24. 13 journalists represent media outlets from Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, and Great Britain. "The purpose of the visit is to familiarize citizens of EU member states better with specific projects that the EU is implementing in Belarus within the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP)," the organizers of the visit note.