Belarusian premier orders energy ministry to attract private investments

The prime minister made the order when visiting on July 5 a small hydroelectric power plant at the Chyzhowskaye Water Reserve in Minsk to inspect the newly built facility before its launch. “You are a monopoly that produces electricity and pushes it to everyone at your own prices,” Mr. Sidorski told Energy Minister Alyaksandr Azyarets who accompanied him on the visit.

The Belarusian authorities are ready to offer investors various benefits such as exemption from the payment of tax on land used for the construction of facilities, the premier said.

Mr. Sidorski emphasized the need to encourage private initiative in the domestic energy sector.

He also directed that the government’s small-scale power generation program for the period between 2011 and 2015 be revamped to improve conditions for investments.

When talking to reporters following the visit to the hydroelectric power station, Mr. Sidorski announced the government’s plans to build more than 160 power plants burning local fuels across the country in the next five years. “Such a station will appear almost in every small and medium-sized city,” he said.

Up to 100 small hydroelectric power plants similar to the station at the Chyzhowskaye Water Reserve are also projected to be built, the premier said, noting that the annual electricity production of the industry was expected to reach one million kWh by the end of 2015.

He suggested increasing the use of household waste and sludge as energy sources. “Housing maintenance authorities should build biogas plants to process the waste and generate power,” he said. “We will carry out such a project in Minsk next year. The same efforts would be made in other parts of the country as well.”

Source: naviny.by