Business news

SOCHI, 14 May (BelTA) – Belarus has considerably increased electricity export in 2018, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko told reporters during the Atomexpo forum in Sochi on 14 May, BelTA has learnt.

According to the vice premier, since the start of the year our country sold about 420 million kWh abroad. The Energy Ministry had informed earlier that electricity export stood at around 150 million kWh in 2017 and was estimated at 160 million kWh in 2016.

The export is increasing as the country has brought to zero electricity import. “Some 5-10 years ago, when our electricity consumption stood at 32-33 billion kWh, we imported up to 7.5 billion kWh from Russia. Another 2.5 billion kWh we bought from Ukraine. In 2018 we stopped electric energy import, because we had upgraded our own power grid. We are self-reliant and can provide ourselves with our own electric energy,” Vladimir Semashko said.

Belarus is set to remain an electricity exporter even after the establishment of the common electricity market in the EAEU. The launch of the country’s own nuclear power plant is expected to contribute to that. “Our energy is cheaper and it will be on demand on this market,” the vice premier believes. Apart from that, the country considers a possibility to sell electric energy outside the EAEU.