Belarus to cut electricity import by 37% in 2014

Belarus is planning to reduce the import of electricity by 37% in 2014, Belarus Deputy Energy Minister Leonid Shenets told media, BelTA learned.

"Last year the country imported 6.7 billion kWh. This year we aim for 2.5 billion kWh," said Leonid Shenets. The main importers of electricity will be Russia (about 1 billion kWh) and Ukraine (around 3 billion kWh). Belarus is reducing the import as it has commissioned some new generating facilities. This fact helped reduce the import price during the negotiating process as the cost of electricity produced in Belarus also decreased.

The price for Ukrainian electricity has been reduced from 6.15 cents per 1 kWh to 6.1 cents, that for Russian electricity to 5.7 cents per 1 kWh. "Our own electricity is getting cheaper, and it was a good bargaining chip during the negotiating process," said Leonid Shenets.

Deputy Academician-Secretary of the Department of Physics and Engineering of the National Academy of Sciences Academician Alexander Mikhalevich said that the new national energy security concept is aimed at ensuring self-sufficiency and creating an economic environment that will allow Belarus to do without the import of electricity. Technologically Belarus could give up on electricity imports now, but given the low prices in neighboring countries and the need for reserve capacity, part of the electricity generation facilities in Belarus remain idle as their electricity is more expensive in terms of the use of fuel resources.

According to Director General of Belenergo Evgeny Voronov, electricity self-sufficiency is possible: the national electricity production industry has been pursuing upgrade effort for several years already. It now produces more electricity without having to increase fuel input. Today Belarus is the CIS leader in terms of reducing fuel input. For the past eight this figure has been decreased from 274.6 grams of fuel equivalent per 1 kWh to 256.1 grams per 1 kWh. The level of wear and tear of the fixed assets decreased from 60.7% in 2005 to 41% in 2013. The previous national energy security concept 2006-2013 saw the commissioning of new facilities able to generate 1242MW. It also elped save 2.64 million tonnes of fuel equivalent.