MINSK, 2 July (BelTA) – A cutting-edge facility to produce peat briquettes has been put into operation at the Kolpenitsa peat enterprise, a subsidiary of Peat Briquette Plant Lyakhovichsky, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarusian Energy Ministry.
The launch ceremony was attended by Belarus' Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich.
“I have been here several times and I am happy to see a different cutting-edge plant here. Thanks to the upgrade project, the enterprise will be able step up its performance. Working conditions have also improved,” the minister noted. “I am sure that the facility will perform very well this year, which means increased labor productivity and salaries,” Viktor Karankevich added.
All in all, 18 enterprises of the peat industry employing around 3,000 people are affiliated with the Energy Ministry. Many peat production enterprises are located in towns and villages and are the mainstays of the local economy.
Belarus places fourth in the world in terms of peat extraction, Viktor Karankevich observed. The country annually extracts around 2.5 million tonnes of peat and manufactures 1.2 million tonnes of peat products, 20% of which is bound for export. For example, in 2019 Belarus' export of peat products topped $11 million. About 80% of the output is sold domestically, which helps substitute over 450 million cubic meters of natural gas annually. “This contributes to the strengthening of the country's energy security. Peat accounts for 15% of the local fuel mix,” the minister added.
The press service of the Energy Ministry noted that the Belarusian peat industry has been developing dynamically. The country has been upgrading major enterprises, purchasing advanced equipment and high technologies, implementing new methods of peat extraction. Work is also underway to expand the range of products and get access to new markets.
The Energy Ministry together with the Construction and Architecture Ministry and regional authorities jas been implementing projects to substitute natural gas and coal with peat and peat products.
The new facility will help manufacture high-quality products that will be in demand, Aleksei Kushnarenko, Director General of the state industrial association for fuel and gasification Beltopgaz and a member of the Council of the Republic.
After the ceremony, Viktor Karankevich spoke with the staff of the facility.
