Electricity consumption in Belarus in January-September increased by almost 2 billion kWh
The volume of electricity consumption in Belarus for the nine months of 2021 increased by 1.95 billion kWh compared to the same period last year and amounted to 29.5 billion kWh. Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich said this at a meeting with the personnel of the Grodno TPP-2, the press service of the Ministry of Energy said.
At the same time, electricity consumption by the real sector of the economy during this period increased by 1.12 billion kWh, by the population - by 200 million kWh, by the energy system - by 630 million kWh.
According to Viktor Karankevich, last year the volume of electricity consumption in the country amounted to 38 billion kWh. This year it is predicted that it will exceed 40 billion kWh, and by the end of 2025 it will grow to 44 billion kWh.
"Throughout 2021, there has been a steady growth in electricity consumption," said Viktor Karankevich. According to him, this was facilitated by comprehensive measures taken at the level of the head of state and government. In particular, an cross-industry set of measures is being implemented to increase electricity consumption until 2025, within the framework of which new production facilities are being created and existing ones are being modernized. The volume of electrification of the housing stock is growing.
This work is organized in three main areas - electrification of multi-apartment housing stock, conversion of multi-apartment buildings from the use of solid fuel to electricity, as well as electrification of individual housing stock for heating and hot water supply.
The number of applications to energy supplying organizations for the issuance of technical specifications for the connection of electrical installations of single-family residential buildings to electrical networks in the country is still increasing. This is facilitated by incentive tariffs for the population, approved at the level of the head of state, as well as the possibility of reimbursing part of the cost of electricity supply.
In January - September 2021, energy supplying organizations received 20.4 thousand such requests, of which 16.7 thousand, or 82%, were satisfied. In total, from 2019 to the expired period of 2021, 49 thousand applications were received, of which 39.2 thousand were satisfied. The applications that were not satisfied were included in the long-term plans for the reconstruction of power grids, approved by energy supply organizations in agreement with the regional executive committees and the Minsk City Executive Committee.
"The use of electricity for heating and hot water supply creates additional comfortable living conditions for our citizens, primarily in rural areas," the minister stressed. In total, there are more than 23 thousand rural settlements in the country, of which about 3.5 thousand are gasified. At the same time, access to electricity is available in all settlements. "Where there are technical conditions, people need to be given the opportunity to use electricity for heating and hot water supply," he said.
To expand these opportunities, the modernization of the power grid infrastructure will continue. The task is to increase the volume of construction and modernization of power lines from 1.6 thousand km to 2.7 thousand km per year.