Business news

MINSK, 5 October (BelTA) – The Belarusian Energy Ministry will keep developing renewable energy after Belarus’ nuclear power plant goes online as it advocates the harmonious development of all the energy sources, BelTA learned from Sergei Greben, Head of the Department of Energy Efficiency, Ecology and Science of the Belarusian Energy Ministry.

"I am not saying that the renewable energy development program will be stopped. I am talking about harmonious development of all the energy sources as we have the modernized gas capacities which have had a great impact on the country including energy tariff reduction," Sergei Greben said.

He highlighted the specific features of wind and solar energy installations, particularly, their dependence on weather conditions. "They do not produce much electricity now, but after the launch of the nuclear power plant by 2020, the electric power capacity will significantly increase. We can say that it would be almost unregulated electric power as all the installations based on renewable energy can produce energy if sun and wind are available and this electric power should be somehow absorbed. Other power plants are also working during this stage, and therefore we have to stop our energy-efficient power plants. That is why we need to harmoniously develop all the types of energy sources but not to stop some," Sergei Greben said.

He added that after the nuclear power plant is commissioned, the structure of the Belarusian energy system will be the same. The output capacity is growing and will grow by means of renewable energy. Sergei Greben gave the following data: at the beginning of 2017, the total output capacity of all the installations based on renewable energy was 153MW and now it is 262MW. "By the end of 2020, their capacity will be 950MW, which is comparable to one more power unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. We need to regulate the operation of these installations as their capacity is large and to establish them in such a way that they work according to the energy system schedule of the country," he said.