MINSK, 16 December (BelTA) – The electricity the Belarusian nuclear power plant will generate will be used to charge electric vehicles at charging stations, BelTA learned from Andrei Pilipchuk, Deputy Head of the Office for Regulating the Impact on Atmospheric Air and Water Resources of the Belarusian Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry, on 16 December.
The Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry representative spoke in favor of developing electric transport in Belarus at a faster rate. “To make it happen, we need the charging infrastructure. Construction is slow for now because electric vehicles are few and far between in Belarus. We have to break the vicious circle. We are going to do that with a new program on charging infrastructure. We are working on it together with the Energy Ministry and [the Belarusian national electric company] Belenergo,” explained Andrei Pilipchuk.
Apart from that, in December the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry forwarded a draft plan on developing green economy to the Cabinet of Ministers. The draft plan provides for creating the infrastructure to charge electric vehicles. Plans have been made to build at least five charging stations per every 50,000 residents in major cities every year. There are plans to open charging stations near transit motorways.
“Once the nuclear power plant goes online, Belarus will have some electricity to spare. It will have to be used somehow. Building charging stations for electric vehicles is an option. A lot will depend on electricity rates, on how profitable driving an electric car will be,” concluded Andrei Pilipchuk.
The Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry representative reminded that the number of electric vehicles is expected to rise all over the world in the next few years. The growth will be fueled by cheap electricity and by breakthrough technologies for storing and distributing electricity. Besides, the world's top automakers believe that the prime cost of electric vehicles will be able to match the prime cost of diesel vehicles by 2025.
