In Soviet times, Belarus' energy supply was largely determined by the supply of electricity from nuclear power plants built near its borders in Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country had to import from 20% to 30% of the necessary electricity from these sources. According to Alexander Mikhalevich, back in 1992, the Institute of Energy Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus addressed the government with a proposal on the need to develop its own nuclear energy. The rationale for this proposal was made public in September 1993 at the plenary session of the international symposium of the Uranium Institute (now the World Nuclear Association) in London in the reports of the then Minister of Energy of Belarus Valentin Gerasimov and Alexander Mikhalevich, who held the position of Director of the IPE NAS at that time.
The decision to build its own nuclear power plant in Belarus was made in 2008. A long way has been passed since then. The second power unit is scheduled to be commissioned next year.
"Taking into account the recent unprecedented jumps in world prices for natural gas, it can be argued that nuclear energy has become the key to ensuring the energy security of Belarus, which does not have any significant own hydrocarbon reserves. We have no other options for energy supply for the sustainable development of the economy and social sphere of the country both in the near and in the distant future," the scientist is convinced.
Modern science believes that in order to ensure the safety and reliability of nuclear energy and nuclear technologies in each country, an appropriate level of the so-called nuclear safety culture is necessary. "This is a very capacious concept. It includes not only modern technology, the training of highly qualified personnel, the creation of a legislative and regulatory framework, but also the mentality, ensuring an appropriate level of education for the entire population, not just power engineers, and so on," Alexander Mikhalevich drew attention. - The foundations of this culture were laid back in Soviet times, when we developed unique projects for special-purpose nuclear power plants. In addition, the experience of minimizing the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster has taught us a lot."