Business news

MINSK, 28 October (BelTA) – The CIS Heads of Government Council passed a resolution to adopt the forecast of production and consumption of energy resources for the period till 2030. The decision was made during the CIS Heads of Government Council session in Minsk on 28 October, BelTA has learned.

The energy resources production and consumption forecast relies on a conservative development scenario and on a target-oriented one, with milestones set every five years till 2030.

Both scenarios expect the Commonwealth of Independent States to have a sufficient total energy potential to satisfy demand for all kinds of energy resources. Thanks to energy saving programs the energy intensity of the GDP of the CIS states is supposed to go down faster according to the target-oriented development scenario in comparison with the conservative development scenario.

The special tasks include reducing the role of natural gas as fuel and changing the electricity production structure by developing nuclear energy (Belarus) as well as alternative energy sources — solar power, wind power, biomass, and energy from small rivers (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). Russia and Tajikistan intend to build major hydropower plants.

Despite existing difficulties all the scenarios expect the renewable energy industry in the CIS member states to develop at a faster pace.