Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 21 December (BelTA) – Belarus will be able to stop importing electricity thanks to the modernization of the national power grid, BelTA learned from First Deputy Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich on 21 December.

In today’s world it is more profitable for Belarus to generate and consume its own electricity than import it.

Yevgeny Voronov, Director General of the national electrical company Belenergo, noted that there is nothing sensational about the decision to stop importing electricity. The Russian company Inter RAO, which is in charge of importing and exporting electricity, knows about the Belarusian decision. “It is a good partner of ours. We maintain very close relations. But out of economic expediency we’ve decided not to buy electricity. We have a very flexible system of relations. If necessary, we can buy or sell electricity if it is profitable,” said the official.

Yevgeny Voronov confirmed that at present it is more profitable for Belarus to use its own electricity. “It is in our economic interests. If it was unprofitable for us, we would buy some electricity and sign contracts in a calm manner. We don’t intend to import right now, including for the duration of the repair campaign,” he added.

Belarus will stop importing electricity as from 2018. Belarusian Energy Minister Vladimir Potupchik was quoted earlier as saying that the decision had been prompted by economic reasons. Belarus has been working to make it possible for a long time, gradually reducing electricity import and modernizing its own power grid. In 2017 fuel spending on generating electricity totaled some 230g of oil equivalent per 1kWh. It is one of the most important indicators of the power grid’s performance.