A chain of hydroelectric power stations will be constructed on the Dnieper by 2011, Sergei Nikitin, head of the energy strategy laboratory of Belarus’ NAS Energy Institution, said at a roundtable on December 17. According to him, the search for possible construction sites is underway. The potential of the Belarusian hydro-electric engineering is estimated at 800MW. The construction of the 17MW Grodno Hydroelectric Power Station on the Neman has already been launched. Technical documents have been prepared for the construction of the 23MW Hydroelectric Power Station on the Western Dvina in the Polotsk region. “Belarus does not have such fossil fuels as oil and gas: oil reserves total 60 million tonnes, gas reserves – 3-4 billion cubic metres. It is possible, however, to substitute them for other energy resources, such as local fuels and atomic energy. Belarus has big deposits of peat (four billion tonnes), slates (11 billion tonnes), brown coal (150 million tonnes). The rational use of wood waste will give additional 2.7-3 million tonnes of fuel equivalent per year,” Sergei Nikitin said. Belarus has a potential to develop alternative energy – solar, wind and bioenergy. There are 1,800 sites in Belarus appropriate for installing wind mills with the potential of more than three billion kWh. There are also some pilot projects on the use of fast-growing woods.

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