MOSCOW, 26 September (BelTA) – The Belarusian nuclear power plant (BelNPP) has had a positive impact on the country’s development, despite initial concerns about an electricity surplus, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, BelTA has learned.
“I must tell you we were also concerned. We did not have an energy deficit [before the construction of the BelNPP]. We were worried: if we built the plant, what would happen next?” the head of state said.
Yet, the surplus electricity gave rise to new sectors of the economy. The number of electric vehicles is rising, along with the construction of charging stations. “The most important thing (we have already tested it) is switching residential housing to electric power [for heating and hot water supply],” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
In this context, Vladimir Putin noted that there is also an opportunity to boost development in AI and data center construction.
“Our gas-fired power stations are now kept in reserve mode. We use them for cryptocurrency mining and other purposes. This brings foreign currency into the budget while keeping the stations functional. Therefore, we are practically purchasing and will continue to purchase the same gas volumes from Gazprom. I think Gazprom will not be at a loss here. Everyone needs natural gas today,” the Belarusian president said.
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