Business news

MINSK, 14 December (BelTA) – Electric energy consumption in Belarus is projected to increase by 3 billion kilowatt-hours by 2020, Belarusian Deputy Energy Minister Vadim Zakrevsky told BelTA on 14 December.

“Under the optimistic scenario, electricity consumption will reach some 40 billion kWh by 2020, growing by 3 billion kWh from 2017. This increase includes 2 billion kWh to be used by the real economy and households, and 1 billion kWh due to preventive steps to be made by the Energy Ministry. These are urgent preventive measures which we will undertake on sites. This is about constructing electric boilers, in other words, a certain amount of electricity will be used for cogeneration and heating system water,” Vadim Zakrevsky remarked.

In 2016, electric energy consumption in Belarus stood at 36.3 billion kWh. It is projected at 37 billion kWh in 2017. The first power-generating unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is scheduled for commissioning in 2019. As soon as it operates at full capacity, electricity supply will be growing faster than demand. “This will enable us to make use of the most efficient capacities and put the inefficient ones on hold or take them out of service,” Vadim Zakrevsky clarified.

Belarus has a huge potential for electricity production, the deputy minister underlined. “We need to ensure that customers have an interest in electricity consumption. By means of various documents, including those under the Comfortable Housing program, we stipulated the measures to stimulate the development of electricity grids to provide every customer with access to electricity,” the official added.