MINSK, 21 October (BelTA) – The volume of construction of apartment houses whose residents will use electricity for heating, hot water supply, and cooking is supposed to be doubled in 2021. Belarusian Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich mentioned it as he met with employees of the government agency in charge of overseeing the safe operation of energy and gas installations in Minsk and the oblast on 21 October, BelTA has learned.
The official noted that close attention is paid to the construction of all-electric housing in the country in view of the forthcoming launch of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. The volume of construction of all-electric housing is supposed to reach 135,000m2 in 2020. It is necessary to double the figure in 2021, he noted.
Efforts to encourage single-family homes to go all-electric will continue. Nearly 16,000 applications were filed in January-August 2020 by home owners who would like to use electricity for heating, hot water supply, and cooking. As many as 78% of the applications were accepted. Information about those whose applications were denied is being accumulated and is used in the course of making power grid reconstruction plans.
The energy minister talked about key results of modernization of the Belarusian energy system in the last ten years. He briefly described progress in building the Belarusian nuclear power plant and touched upon the promotion of electric transportation in the country. Viktor Karankevich also answered questions concerning prospects of modernization of the power grid, questions about electricity rates, the epidemic situation, possible enhancement of the physical infrastructure of the government agency.
“Such an open dialogue with workers is an excellent opportunity to get feedback and hear about the existing issues and proposals on site,” the Belarusian energy minister concluded.
