Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 8 October (BelTA) - Belarus is interested in the German experience in the use of renewable energy, Belarus Deputy Energy Minister Olga Prudnikova said during the opening of the Belarusian-German Energy Forum, BelTA has learned.

Olga Prudnikova stressed that Belarusian is set to ensure harmonious development of its energy sector using various kinds of energy resources. “Projects on the large-scale use of renewable energy implemented in germane are very interesting for us. We would like to learn more about the experience of Germany with a view to balancing our energy system including after the launch of Belarus' NPP,” she noted.

Promising areas of cooperation also include the development of the construction sector, housing and utilities services. Belarus is interested in Europe’s best practices in digital energy, development of smart cities, use of electricity for heating, and also the harmonization of national standards in energy saving and energy efficiency with European ones, and also other Sustainable Development Goals.

Belarus still uses a lot of hydrocarbon fuels for heat supply. "One of the important areas is the use of electricity for heating. We must ensure energy efficiency and energy saving starting from production and ending with its consumption. This is one of the issues we are going to discuss at the forum,” the deputy minister added. According to Germany’s Ambassador to Belarus Peter Dettmar, the two countries can conduct a fruitful dialogue regarding the achievement of the goals of the Paris Agreement. “We need to take additional efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

The Belarusian-German Energy Forum is designed to bolster cooperation between Belarusian and German companies, facilitate the assimilation of cutting-edge technologies, the manufacturing of innovative products in addition to bringing foreign investment to Belarus. The program of the forum includes four panel discussions: New energy policy in cities, Technologies for accumulating energy and merging sectors, Network digitalization and management, Opportunities for financing projects in renewable energy and energy effectiveness. The event has been organized by Belarus’ Energy Ministry and the German Energy Agency.