Belarus Reconceives Energy Security :: Charter'97 :: News

Belarus has radically changed its concept of energy security. The new variant, already approved by President Alexander Lukashenko, calls for reducing dependency on supplies of energy resources from Russia and decreasing the share of natural gas in the fuel balance from 80 to 50 percent by increasing the use of coal and atomic power. They plan to spend $31 billion on it through 2020, $19 billion of which will go for construction of facilities with the rest directed toward conservation.

Vladimir Bobrov, director of the main department of investment development at the Belarusian Ministry of Energy, told journalists that the money would come from the funds of the enterprises involved, ministries` innovative funds, and credits from foreign and domestic banks.

The projected consumption of Russian gas in 2020 has not been made public, but unofficially it is said that the projected 25 billion cu. m. has been cut to 20 billion cu. m. In 2006, Belarus consumed 21 billion cu. m. of Russian gas. The previous concept of energy security was approved by Lukashenko in 2005 and assumed equal pricing for natural gas for Belarus and Russia. Since then, the price Belarus is paying for natural gas has increased dramatically, raising from $46.68 per 1000 cu. m. to $100 per 1000 cu. m. this year.

Ninety percent of the electricity in Belarus is generated from Russian resources. The new concept foresees energy resources coming from the Caspian, Black and Baltic Sea regions, Iran and Venezuela. Belarusians are conducting geological exploration for new oil deposits in Iran and the country is also developing possibilities for coal deliveries through ports on the Baltic Sea. New coal-operated electric plants with a total capacity of 800-850 MW will be built. Two of them, in Zelva, Grodno Region, (600 MW) and Brest (100 MW) will be completed by 2011. Another plant will be built in Gomel Region later.

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