MINSK, 16 April (BelTA) - The indicator of Belarus’ energy independence, taking into account the BelNPP, is 27.5%, Vitaly Kretsky, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Standardization (Gosstandart) of Belarus - Director of the Department of Energy Efficiency, told a press conference in BelTA’s press center on 16 April, BelTA has learned.
According to Vitaly Kretsky, two priority goals in terms of the energy efficiency of the national economy are to reduce Belarus' dependence on energy imports and to bring the energy intensity of GDP closer to the world average.
"The indicator of our energy independence, taking into account the BelNPP, is already 27.5%. Increasing the share of domestic energy resources in the fuel consumption mix plays a significant role in achieving this indicator. These are mainly biomass, peat, and renewables. The share of domestic energy resources stands at 17.4% (excluding energy from the BelNPP)," Vitaly Kretsky noted.
Today, the country consumes about 3.2 million tonnes of fuel from its own energy resources, which makes it possible to replace about 3 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually.
"We have been working to increase the share of local energy resources for about 14 years. During this time, we commissioned about 398 energy sources running on local fuels with a total capacity of 1.8GW. Over the past three years, we have put into operation 40 energy sources as part of the relevant state program. We are planning to deliver about 50 more by the end of the five-year term," Vitaly Kretsky said.
