More effort for building power distribution networks in Belarus' countryside

OSTROVETS DISTRICT, 3 February (BelTA) – Belarusian Deputy Energy Minister Mikhail Mikhadyuk talked to reporters and explained where the energy generated by the Belarusian nuclear power plant will be channeled to, BelTA has learned.

Mikhail Mikhadyuk stressed that once the second unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is commissioned, less cost-effective power plants will be put on standby. The power plants, which are past their service life and are not eligible for refits, will be decommissioned.

“As far as power distribution networks are concerned, the output power lines of the Belarusian nuclear power plant are designed to allow transmitting electricity to all the parts of the country. We are now working hard on power distribution networks. We cooperate with various enterprises on this matter and there are no big problems here,” the official said.

Mikhail Mikhadyuk added there are certain problems with power distribution networks in the countryside due to the growing demand for electricity. “We've received over 80,000 applications concerning the matter and we've realized 84% of them. I'd like to note that in some parts of the country power distribution networks were built bearing in mind the need to deliver as little as 3.5-5kWh per household. At present people want 15-40kWh per household from us. This is why we and the oblast administrations have worked out a program on reconstructing the power grids. It will primarily affect agrotowns and promising population centers. At the same time we don't forget about small communities where pensioners and large families live,” the official noted.

In his words, 2022 saw about 1,700km of power distribution networks upgraded. “This five-year term and the next five-year term we will continue developing power networks taking into account requests and the comfort of life of the population. We are going to step up this work taking into account financial resources because the technical potential of the construction and installation sector allows us to do it,” the deputy energy minister summarized.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant uses the Russian design AES-2006 featuring two VVER-1200 reactors with the total output capacity of 2,400MW. It is an evolutionary nuclear power plant design with third-generation water-moderated reactors with enhanced safety. Such designs boast improved technical and economic parameters. A combination of active and passive safeguards is their key feature. The building housing the reactor is covered by a double protective shell. The reactor can survive an earthquake, a hurricane, or flooding.