MINSK, 9 January (BelTA) - Belarus plans to reduce its GDP energy intensity by 4% by 2030, Vitaly Kretsky, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Standardization and Director of the Energy Efficiency Department told BelTA.
“The state program Sustainable Energy and Energy Efficiency for 2026-2030 is aimed at effectively addressing tasks under the priority set by Belarus’ social and economic development program for 2026-2030: enhancing competitiveness, accelerating technological development and digital transformation to build a high-tech, self-sufficient economy, and improving the quality of products, goods, works, and services,” Vitaly Kretsky said.
The goals of the state program are to increase the energy efficiency of the national economy, strengthen the country’s energy self-reliance by incorporating local fuel and energy resources (FER), including renewable energy sources, into the national fuel and energy balance, and to reliably and efficiently meet the demand of the real sector and the population for accessible energy resources. “Achieving these goals will secure the targets set by Belarus’ social and economic development program for 2026-2030: an energy self-reliance level of at least 33% by 2030 and a wear rate for electrical grids not exceeding 45% by 2030,” the department head stressed.
Three subprograms have been developed to achieve the set goals. The subprogram Improving the Efficiency of Fuel and Energy Resource Use will address the task of curbing the growth of gross FER consumption amid the country’s economic development. This will be ensured by modernizing and technically upgrading production facilities through the introduction of modern knowledge-intensive, resource- and energy-saving technologies, equipment, and materials. This includes enhancing the efficiency of technological processes by deepening automation and electrification of industrial production, as well as intensifying public outreach to popularize energy conservation and rational FER use in the residential sector. “In order to increase the efficiency of burning local FER, the state program envisions the conversion of about 150 boiler houses, primarily wood-fired, to pellet use. Their operational efficiency is achieved by replacing old, underutilized wood-fired boilers with new pellet boilers installed according to actual thermal load. Boiler house operations are switched to automatic mode, reducing human involvement and ensuring prolonged boiler operation. Implementing these measures will reduce GDP energy intensity by 4% in 2030 relative to 2025, with GDP growth projected at 115.8%,” Vitaly Kretsky said.
The subprogram Enhancing Energy Self-Reliance envisages the incorporation of domestic energy resources into the national fuel and energy balance. This will strengthen energy independence through the construction, reconstruction, and modernization of energy sources, replacing imported fuels with local FER, including renewable energy sources, and generating electricity at the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant. Plans are in place to create 48 energy sources using local FER in 2026–2030,” Vitaly Kretsky said.
“The subprogram Balanced Development and Modernization of the Energy Sector envisions the balanced development and modernization of generating sources, along with the decommissioning of physically and morally obsolete energy equipment. It also includes improving the accessibility, reliability, and efficiency of heat and gas supply for consumers, digitalizing the energy sector, and ensuring electricity and gas supply for the population in the Belarusian regions affected by the Chernobyl NPP accident,” the deputy chairman said.
“Electricity consumption in the country is met by production at its own power stations. The stated need in the state program to reconstruct power transmission lines of all voltage classes is a measure aimed at creating conditions for a further increase in electricity consumption in the country, due to the commissioning of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant and the adopted decision to construct a third power unit at the existing station. These projects require the anticipatory development of grid infrastructure for reliable power supply,” Vitaly Kretsky concluded.
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