Plans to modernize Belarus' largest conventional power plant unveiled

CHASHNIKI DISTRICT, 15 November (BelTA) – The Lukoml State District Power Plant, which accounts for 30-35% of all the electricity generated in Belarus, will undergo gradual modernization, BelTA learned from Andrei Panchenko, Director General of the Vitebsk Oblast electric company Vitebskenergo.

The country's largest state district power plant was supposed to be optimized and put on standby after the launch of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. The Lukoml State District Power Plant was supposed to generate electricity during scheduled maintenance at the nuclear power plant. But although the Belarusian nuclear power plant operates only one unit and the second one is supposed to go online in 2023, the Lukoml State District Power Plant remains the flagship of Belarus' power engineering industry, Andrei Panchenko said. In his words, the Lukoml State District Power Plant is the largest division of Vitebskenergo. It employs about 1,600 people. It is a powerful power plant that accounts for 30-35% of all the electricity generated in Belarus. “We and the leadership of the Energy Ministry believe that the power plant should be further developed. We are going to arrange gradual modernization of the power plant. A team of professionals operates the power plant. We cannot lose it. All the units will work. I see only good prospects of this power plant,” the executive stressed.

Acting Director of the Lukoml State District Power Plant Kirill Matsarsky said: “Our power plant is a master link. What does it mean? If the nuclear power plant undergoes scheduled repairs, including maintenance of combined-cycle gas turbines, or an inspection team involving foreign specialists arrives, then the Lukoml State District Power Plant uses its own equipment to generate the electricity previously generated by the Belarusian nuclear power plant's equipment undergoing repairs. We are now building a peaking and backup source of power. It is part of the Belarusian nuclear power plant's integration into the power grid. It is going on not only here but also at three other major sites: in Bereza, Minsk, and Novopolotsk.”

Chairman of the Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee Aleksandr Subbotin visited the Lukoml State District Power Plant for the first time. He was impressed by the facility. He was made familiar with the power plant's operation, wondered about its prospects and met with the worker collective of the enterprise. “The purpose of my arrival is to get familiar with Chashniki District among other things. We intend to host a regional harvest end festival here in 2025. It will be an unusual event that will take place in two towns – Chashniki and Novolukoml. We would also like to see how we are going to develop, work out common approaches and ways, how we can gain here. The Lukoml State District Power Plant is a major component of the national power grid. It is my first time here and I am strongly impressed. The technologies used here are both Soviet, quite powerful ones, and modern ones that rely on gas-turbine power units with better efficiency. I think we can develop industrial tourism here, too,” the head of the Vitebsk Oblast administration noted.

As he met with the worker collective, Aleksandr Subbotin discussed the important matters that worried local energy workers. He told them about plans concerning Chashniki District and sketched out the main directions of the oblast's development as a whole.