Business news

MINSK, 2 July (BelTA) – China is interested in assembling electric cars at the BelGee factory in Belarus. Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko made the relevant statement on the air of the TV channel Belarus One, BelTA has learned.

The official said: “While electricity seems pricy, charging an electric car is 4-5 times cheaper than refueling a car with gasoline or diesel fuel for travelling the same distance. It is a nice incentive for switching to electric cars. As far as the vehicles are concerned, China is ready to assemble a certain number of electric cars at the BelGee factory. But we need to prepare the infrastructure for this kind of transport and iron out all the kinks. I think the factory will also assemble electric cars in two or three years. The National Academy of Sciences of Belarus is supposed to design Belarus-made super condensers by the end of the year. But it is not the only component we should make domestically. We should make motors, all the electronic components and converters. This is why work is in progress.”

Speaking about the future of the Belarusian energy industry after the nuclear power plant is commissioned, the official noted that the prime cost of electricity in Belarus will be much lower than that, for instance, in the Russian Federation. “If we are talking about ex-USSR, we have the most effective energy industry,” said Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Vladimir Semashko. Once the Belarusian nuclear power plant is commissioned, the country will be able to sell its surplus electricity on the Eurasian market without barriers. Negotiations on selling electricity to the European Union are underway.

It is time to phase out the cross subsidizing of electricity costs. It is time for Belarusian households to pay the full cost of electricity, noted Vladimir Semashko. “We’ve calculated the approximate rates. But it is still a complicated matter,” he said. “All in all, the phasing out of the cross subsidizing will last till 2025.”