KYIV, Ukraine — Belarus' first nuclear power plant stopped generating electricity the day after it was formally opened by President Alexander Lukashenko and some of its equipment needs to be replaced, a Belarusian official told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Lukashenko inaugurated the Russian-built and -financed Astravyets plant on Saturday. The plant stopped producing power Sunday because some electrical equipment broke down, according to Oleg Sobolev, a consultant at the Belarusian Emergency Ministry's department of nuclear and radiation safety.
The problem didn't pose a threat either to Belarus or to neighboring Lithuania, Sobolev told the AP. Lithuanian officials long opposed the plant, citing nuclear safety concerns.
"The turbine is stopped. There is indeed no electricity generation at the nuclear power plant, but this does not affect nuclear and radiation safety," he said.
During the weekend ceremony opening the plant, Lukashenko said the project "will serve as an impetus for attracting the most advanced technologies to the country, and innovative directions in science and education."
Lithuania long opposed the plant, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) southeast of its capital, Vilnius. Lithuanian authorities said construction was plagued by accidents, stolen materials and the mistreatment of workers.
Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, which built the plant, has rejected the Lithuanian complaints, saying the plant's design conforms to the highest international standards as confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In line with a law banning electricity imports from Belarus once the nuclear plant started up, Lithuania's Litgrid power operator cut the inflow of electricity from Belarus when the plant began producing electricity last Tuesday.
