The Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant stands as one of Rosatom’s largest joint projects with Belarus, but cooperation between the two countries extends far beyond it. Today, the Russian nuclear corporation is working with Belarus on the projects covering nuclear fuel management, IT, additive manufacturing, workforce training, and more. Rosatom and Belarus stay closely engaged: in March and April alone, we counted five major events.
In early April, Rosatom participated in the Mechanical Engineering / Metalworking 2025 international exhibition in Minsk. Its booth featured a number of interesting items: 3D-printed pump components and a mock-up of an exhaust mixer for a compact gas turbine engine, a welding robot, and additive manufacturing powders.
At a roundtable titled ‘Prospects for Additive Manufacturing in Belarusian Industry’, Ilya Kavelashvili, Director for Additive Technologies at TVEL (Rosatom’s Fuel Division), spoke to representatives from over 50 Belarusian manufacturing companies about the nuclear corporation’s achievements in establishing an end-to-end 3D printing supply chain. Among other things, Rosatom has developed and launched mass production of a range of 3D printers, including those using the most established technologies (SLM, DMD, EBM, and FDM). The company also runs metal powder production facilities and has built additive technology centers offering 3D printing services.
Additive technologies are important for Belarus and have been recognized as a priority through 2030. “We are ready to advance collaboration under the bilateral cooperation roadmap signed with Russia in 2023,” said Ilya Chepikov, Head of the Science and Technology Department at the Belarusian Ministry of Industry. “Rosatom companies have made significant strides in additive technology. We are ready to supply finished products for the Belarusian industry, share best practices, and jointly develop cutting-edge solutions,” added Stanislav Levitsky, Director of Rosatom’s Country Office in Belarus.
A few days later, TVEL President Natalia Nikipelova visited Belarus with a delegation from the Fuel Division of the Russian nuclear corporation. She met with Belarusian Vice Premier Viktor Karankevich and Minister of Energy Denis Moroz to discuss fuel supplies for the Belarusian NPP and plans for a national radioactive waste repository. TVEL proposed new nuclear fuel designs that will enable transitioning to an 18- or 24-month refueling interval to improve the plant’s economics.
The delegation shared updates on the development of final disposal sites in Russia, suggesting that the existing site in Novouralsk and the one currently under construction in Ozyorsk could serve as models for a similar facility in Belarus.
The meeting also covered two joint programs: Crystals and Detectors, and Safety of Radioactive Waste Management. The first aims at establishing local production and substitute imports of certain types of diagnostic equipment used in the nuclear industry. The second focuses on establishing a system for radioactive waste storage and ultimate disposal in Belarus. Both initiatives are being developed within the framework of the Union State, with Russia prepared to contribute and hoping for support from Belarusian partners in having the programs approved by national authorities.
The parties also explored partnerships in electromobility, energy storage systems for electric transport and power engineering, and additive manufacturing.
At April’s Healthcare Belarus forum in Minsk, Rosatom showcased its medical innovations: the Brachyum gamma therapy device for high-dose brachytherapy and the Tianox nitric oxide treatment system. During business meetings and sessions at the forum, Russian and Belarusian experts discussed modernizing oncology centers, sharing best practices, and adopting new therapies. Women’s nuclear medicine associations from both countries signed a cooperation memorandum. “We are committed to long-term partnerships with Belarus in high-tech medicine, creating new opportunities to improve the quality of diagnostics and treatment for patients,” Stanislav Levitsky said.
In late March, Belarusian NPP specialists visited Russia’s Smolensk NPP to study best practices in safety. Belarusian nuclear engineers were particularly impressed by the streamlined operation of a special laundry facility for personal protective equipment. The process has become a lean production benchmark. “Some of the solutions presented will be adapted and deployed at our plant,” said Oleg Bobovich, Deputy Head of the Belarusian NPP Decontamination Department.
Training nuclear professionals and students from Belarus is a standard practice for Rosatom. This September, the nuclear corporation will pilot a week-long workshop on 3D modeling for Belarusian students at one of Rosatom’s supporting universities in Moscow. Participants will learn the basics of CAD systems, gain skills in industrial design, and create models for additive manufacturing. By the end of the course, students will have to make a 3D model of the Belarusian NPP, which will then be printed at Rosatom’s Additive Manufacturing Center.
Photo by: Rosatom State Corporation, Rosatom State Corporation Engineering Division, TVEL, Smolenskaya NPP
