The Belarus NPP under construction in the Ostravets district of the Hrodna Region will not result in a surplus of electricity, Deputy Prime Minister Uladzimir Syamashka told the National Assembly on 1 July. The NPP's two 1,200MWe VVER reactors are expected to be put into operation in November 2018 and July 2020.The government has set up a working group and developed a programme to ensure that the additional electricity is used efficiently, he noted.
The government plans to increase the use of electric power in the industrial sector, build steam accumulators at steam power plants within the next few years and put electric urban buses into widespread use. Belkamunmash will build 10 electric buses for Minsk this year, Syamashka said. Efforts to electrify the railways will be increased as currently only 18% of railroads are electrified.
President Alexander Lukashenko said in April that it would be difficult to sell the electricity generated by the NPP. "Neighbouring countries are unlikely to buy this electricity," he said. "There is a surplus in Russia. Ukraine has enough electricity as well. Europe produces electricity for itself. This is a commodity and it will be difficult to sell it given the competition. That is why ... it is necessary to be prepared to use electricity instead of gas and oil."
