Some context:

  - https://www.ft.com/content/a98322de-96f7-11e7-b83c-9588e51488a0

  - https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-launched-nuclear-power-plant-despite-safety-issues-/30928660.html

  - https://www.euronews.com/2020/05/21/belarus-nuclear-plant-minsk-set-to-fire-up-reactor-just-45km-from-vilnius

Basically, Belarus mostly ignored numerous safety recommendations by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other parties. There were several accidents during the construction of the power plant, including the one where workers dropped the 330 ton reactor vessel. All that raised many questions about the general quality standards in the Belarusian project.

Lithuania issued several diplomatic notes and protests, requesting to address the safety issues, but there was little cooperation from the other side.

So that's how you build a nuclear power plant in 6 years.

I wonder if the Chinese are just more efficient at this or do they cut corners as well?

I don't know about China, but I would guess that the economies of scale might have an impact. If you are planning to building 100 power plants, you can probably design your processes such that after the initial production, the further ones could be built much quicker.. as you already have your assembly lines ready and busy.

That reminded me of a Wired article I read many years ago (turns out that it was in 2009) that got me optimistic about China and the development of safe nuclear power:

Let a Thousand Reactors Bloom

https://www.wired.com/2004/09/china-5/

Stop lying. All you links you provided do not contains any factual information. Just some unjustified claims.

Do you have a proof that Belarus ignored numerous safety recommendations by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other parties. If you check IAEA site you would notice that Belarus fulfilled most of their recommendations.

About dropping the 330 ton reactor vessel.That reactor vessel was changed and construction was delayed because of it.

About so called safety issues. First of all - there is IAEA and other organisations that checks nuclear plant safety. Lithuanian Ministry of International affairs does not have competency or knowledge to analyse nuclear plant safety. In fact, they do not provide and reliable information, just political claims.

Recent EU resolution (with more details) regarding safety situation in this nuclear power plant : https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2021-0109_...

The EU inspectors haven’t even finished their work yet, but the European parliament is already sure the plant is unsafe:

> https://twitter.com/RosatomGlobal/status/1361996208928153604

If you read the resolution it says that inspectors have not finished everything. But what worries EU is what they already found, and what recommendations they made, which are still not implemented by Belarus. Have you read the resolution? It's only 3 pages long.

Do you actually read them? Which recommendations are you referring?

Such an inspection is incremental. What will be found later won't undo what was found previously.

Does European parliament has knowledge or competency to analyse plant safety?I guess, not. They are politicians, not scientist. There are some other organisation that do that job. Primary one is International Atomic Energy Agency.

> And why are the Baltic states pulling out of the Belorussian energy network?

To protest the operation of the new power plant. Belarus has no reason to operate it in the first place if they don't have buyers for the electricity. They'll probably exchange with Kalinigrad and mainland Russia anyway and electricity from the Astravets NPP could end up in the Baltics via the Russian grid. It's just that they make it more expensive this way. Latvia wants to ask for origin certificates for Russian electricity, which is kind of silly. How does one discern between a Russian or a Belorussian megawatt?

https://www.reuters.com/article/litgrid-belarus-idUSKBN27J2C...

Also, this is a politically motivated move that actually reduces safety because if the NPP's somehow gets disconnected from the grid and the exchange with the Baltics is shut down as well, they have a loss of coolant accident on their hands. I really hope they have working diesel generators in good condition and good interconnects with Russia and Poland.

Belarus has a lot of reason to operate NPP. First of all - to get cheaper electricity. Secondly - to shutdown a lot of old thermal plant. Thirdly - to spend less on Russian oil and gas. Finally - to decrease CO2.

Several Dutch, German and Luxembourg cities and states have been trying to shut down a Belgian nuclear reactor (Tihange) due to safety concerns, but I don't think it has come to drills yet.

Probably because all countries you've mentioned are members of EU and transparency level is high. Meanwhile Belarus already tried to hide accidents in the power plant while building it and haven't allowed inspection from foreign countries. I assume (and hope) such cases won't happen in Belgium PP.