Belarus’ Energy Minister: need to build second NPP or another power unit being studied

According to Belarus’ Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich, the energy department faces such tasks, and now issues related not only to the construction, but also to the further operation of the station are being considered: organisational, technical, economic

In future, the official noted, the BelNPP will provide over 40 percent of the country’s domestic electricity needs. At the same time, taking into account forecasts for further growth in electricity consumption by the real sector of the economy, the population, and electric transport, the energy system must be ready to meet these needs.

“We should analyse not 2030 or even 2035, but 2040,” he stressed. “In future, industry will develop in our country, and there will be an increase in demand for electricity among the population. Electric transport is also actively developing. If we view, e.g., the transition of 30-40 percent of the country’s entire vehicle fleet to electric traction, then this is a serious increase in energy consumption. The country’s energy system must be ready for this.”

Viktor Karankevich also reminded that the transition of individual housing to the use of electricity for heating continues.

“We plan that this work will continue not only in this five-year period, but also in the next one,” he noted. “Moreover, we also hope to build new electrified housing and new industrial facilities, with a possibility of modernising existing facilities with a subsequent increase in electricity consumption. Now we are analysing this so that later the energy system will be ready.”