Business news

18 Apr 2024

Belarus attends 14th session of IRENA Assembly

MINSK, 18 April (BelTA) - Belarus' experience in the use of biofuels was presented at the 14^th session of the Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) which is running in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates on 17-18 April, BelTA learned from the Energy Efficiency Department of Belarus.

The event is held under the overall theme “Tracking COP28 outcomes: Tripling renewable power capacity by 2030".

Belarus’ position was presented by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Belarus to the United Arab Emirates Andrei Luchenok. The report sent by the Energy Efficiency Department of Belarus to the Organizing Committee of the 14th session of the IRENA Assembly reads: “The Republic of Belarus, which is located in the center of Europe and is 40% covered by forests, together with other countries from all continents, celebrated the first International Clean Energy Day on 26 January this year, noting that electrification and energy efficiency, underpinned by renewable energy sources (RES), clean hydrogen and sustainable biomass technologies, remain the most realistic way for countries to keep global warming much below 2°C in line with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement."

The actual electricity generating capacity of renewable energy installations in Belarus has increased 14 times since 2009, when IRENA was founded, and amounted to 632MW as of the start of 2024. Yet, as the report notes, the results of the work could have been much higher, but Belarus, a country in the very center of the European continent, has to counter the harmful influence of unilateral coercive measures taken by Western countries against sovereign states without the mandate of the UN Security Council.

The most important way of increasing the energy security and energy independence of Belarus is the involvement of its own energy resources, including renewable energy sources, in its fuel and energy consumption mix.

Belarus has built a framework for systemic and consistent work to achieve Sustainable Development Goal No. 7 "Ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy sources for all". The work encompasses efforts to improve the legislation, to fulfill the sixth five-year state program "Energy Saving" for 2021-2025, to promote scientific developments and innovative technologies of renewable power engineering, and international cooperation.

Thanks to the major energy-saving projects already implemented as part of the country’s state program, Belarus saves about 0.5 million tonnes of fuel equivalent annually through energy saving measures and increased use of RES. This is our contribution to the reduction of global climate change. These data are taken into account by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection when preparing the Nationally Determined Contribution of the Republic of Belarus to the fulfillment of obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement.

“Biomass is the main renewable source in the consumption of such energy resources. Wood resources are available in all regions of our country without exception, which makes it accessible to a wide range of consumers. The housing and utilities sector features about 3,800 boiler houses, 73% of which use biofuel. The development of modern technologies for processing wood into more usable forms - wood chips and pellets – helps expand the area of application for this sort of fuel,” the document says.

All the necessary infrastructure has been created for the use of biomass, including the production and delivery of fuel. There are manufacturers of special-purpose machinery. The country also has its own manufacturers of boiler equipment, who offer the whole range of services: from project development to turnkey delivery of the boiler house.

Belarus is interested in the export of its equipment, turnkey construction of boiler houses, and the delivery of wood fuel (pellets) to run the equipment.

The country has 64 wood fuel pellet production facilities with an annual capacity of about 894,000 tonnes. Belarus is ready to supply pellets to IRENA member countries and is open for cooperation for the benefit of renewable energy development worldwide.