China Eximbank issues $323.8 million preferential buyer’s credit to support Power Distribution System for the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) Project (Linked to Record ID#67001)

Project narrative

On July 16, 2013, China Eximbank and the Government of Belarus signed a $323,817,000 preferential buyer’s credit (PBC] agreement [CHINA EXIMBANK No. PBC (2013) 28 (272)] to support the Power Distribution System for the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) Project. The PBC carries a 15 year maturity. Its interest rate and grace period are unknown. The proceeds of the PBC were to be used by the borrower to finance 95% of the cost ($340.86 million) of a commercial contract between RUE Grodnoenergo (РУП "Гродноэнерго”) and North China Power Engineering Co Ltd. (a subsidiary of China Power Engineering Consulting Group Co Ltd.). The purpose of this project was to construct 1,032.5 km of new 330 kV overhead transmission lines and reconstruct 672.4 km of existing 110-330 kV transmission lines. It involved the construction of six major transmission lines from the BNPP in Astravyets District within the Grodno Region (locational coordinates: 54°45′40″N 26°5′21″E): BNPP to Smorgon, BNPP to Minsk-Severnaya, BNPP to Postavy No. 1, BNPP to Postavy No. 2, BNPP to Molodechno, and BNPP to Columns. It also involved reconstruction of four substations and the construction of a new 330 kV Pastvy substation. North China Power Engineering Co Ltd. — a subsidiary of China Power Engineering Consulting Group Co Ltd. — was the EPC contractor responsible for implementation. The project was commenced on March 3, 2014. In August 2017, the 330 kV Pastvy substation, which located in the northern state of Pastvy, was put into operation, delivering 110 kV of power to the states of Grodno, Vitebsk and Minsk. It connects the first nuclear power station in Belarus and the Ignalina Nuclear Power Station in Lithuania. Then, on December 5, 2018, voltage was applied to the 330 kV gas insulated switchgear (GIS) from the first external line Postavy-1. Then, between July 18, 2019 and July 20, 2019, the equipment of the GIS-330 kV NPP was energized, the high-voltage 330 kV transmission line from BNPP to Minsk Severnaya (which received supplemental funding from China Eximbank, as captured in Record ID#67001) was put into operation, and the high-voltage 330 kV transmission line from BNPP to Minsk Smorgon was put into operation. The project was officially completed on December 29, 2018. However, one project milestone occurred after the project’s official completion date: the commissioning of a seventh and final transmission line from BNPP to Ross on October 3, 2020.