MINSK, 8 April (BelTA) – The preparations for the launch of the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (BelNPP) has reached the final stage, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said in his video address to Russia's nuclear industry workers, BelTA has learned.

“The works on the first unit are at the hottest, final stage. On 31 March the acceptance of engineering and technical means of physical protection of the unit was held. Now the unit is ready to receive fuel,” Alexey Likhachev said.

On 5 April the unit was placed under protection of the Belarusian police, the Rosatom chief said.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is being built near Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast using a Russian design featuring two VVER-1200 reactors with the total output capacity of 2,400MW. The first unit is supposed to go online in 2020, with the second one scheduled for launch in 2021.