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MINSK, 14 January (BelTA) – Belarus intends to import some 2.8 billion kWh of electricity from Russia in 2015, spokesperson for the Energy Ministry of Belarus Zhanna Zenkevich told BelTA.

“This accounts for around 7% of Belarus' planned electricity consumption,” Zhanna Zenkevich noted and added that the consumption of electric power in 2015 is projected at 38.5 billion kWh.

She also emphasized that from year to year Belarus reduces the amount of electricity import. “For example, in 2014 we imported half as much electric power as in 2012. In 2012 the figure stood at 7.9 billion kWh, in 2013 it was 6.7 billion kWh, and in 2014 Belarus imported 3.8 billion kWh of electricity,” Zhanna Zenkevich explained.

She also pointed out that in 2015 Belarus will buy only Russian electric power. No contracts on electricity supplies from Ukraine have been signed.

On 13 January some mass media reported on the complete cessation of electricity exports to Belarus and Moldova from Ukraine with reference to the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry. Zhanna Zenkevich commented that Belarus had not been importing Ukrainian electricity since October 2014 when the Belarusian Energy Ministry received a letter from the Ukrainian electrical company Ukrenergo reading that the Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Ministry had decided to stop supplying electricity to Belarus as of 1 October 2014. In October 2014 Ukrainian electricity accounted for about 4.5% in Belarus' electricity balance. Belarus planned to import 3 billion kWh of electricity from Ukraine and about 1 billion kWh from Russia in 2014.

The Energy Ministry said that Belarus’ electric power system is connected to the power systems of its neighbor states (Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic countries) via electricity transmission lines of 330-750 kW, which allows choosing electricity suppliers taking into account the electric power balances of these countries. Belarus generates most of the electricity it consumes using it own energy sources.