Belarus decided to switch to self-reliance with electricity from the New Year. This was announced on Wednesday, December 20, by the Minister of Energy of the Republic Vladimir Potupchik. According to the minister, negotiations on import of electricity from Russia recently took place, but ended not in the interests of Belarus. "At the prices offered by Russia, we refuse to buy. We will replace our own workings. Since 2018, we will completely abandon the import of electricity, "- quotes the official of" Belta ". Actually, Minsk has already announced its intention to live completely on its electricity. But it was expected that this will happen closer to 2020. , when the first power unit of the local nuclear power plant will begin to operate and will be integrated into the Belarusian energy system. According to the plan, the launch of BelAES should take place in 2019. As Vladimir Semashko, the Prime Minister of the republic, said earlier, from this moment Belarus will have even surplus electric power, therefore preliminary negotiations on export are already underway. Meanwhile, until now Belarus has been buying a large amount of energy abroad. In particular, with Russia in 2017. there was a contract for the supply of 2.5 billion kW / h and another 1 billion kWh was reserved just in case. But this autumn the Belarusian Ministry of Energy began to say that imports from Russia cost the country very expensive, but it is necessary, since local capacities were built in the Soviet times and more money is spent for their repair than for buying electricity from neighbors.

Even earlier, electricity was supplied to Belarus from Ukraine, but in 2017. this stream has dried up. BelAES is being built in the Grodno region under the Russian NPP-2006 project by Russian Atomstroyexport for money received from the government of the Russian Federation and Vnesheconombank. A total of two power units with a capacity of 1.2 thousand. MW.