Opinions & Interviews

Lukashenko: Belarusians’ confidence in nuclear energy has grown

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MINSK, 14 November (BelTA) – Belarusian citizens’ attitudes toward nuclear energy have improved following the construction and five years of operation of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a meeting to discuss the performance of the BelNPP, electricity consumption, and proposals for the construction of new nuclear energy capacity, BelTA has learned.

“Belarusians’ attitudes toward nuclear energy have changed. According to sociologists, at the beginning of the construction of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, 60% of the population supported it, and today, taking into account its operation and other positive factors, it is already over 80%,” the head of state remarked. 

He pointed out that the economic benefits of nuclear energy are being acknowledged worldwide, not just in Belarus. Currently, 416 nuclear reactors are in operation worldwide, with another 63 under construction. “Everyone who can is building,” the president noted.

According to IAEA forecasts, the total capacity of nuclear power plants worldwide will more than double in the next 25 years, while the share of nuclear energy in global electricity production will rise to 12%.

“Just yesterday, many Western politicians were trying to rely exclusively on renewable energy. Today, they are already talking about the advantages of building nuclear power plants; a new term has even emerged: ‘renaissance of the nuclear industry.’ This also applies to neighboring countries – Poland and Lithuania – which vehemently opposed the construction of our nuclear power plant,” the Belarusian leader noted. “All this confirms the correctness of the path we have chosen.”

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