Almost every country has its unique experience of energetics development. Italy, for example, is famous for its achievements in the sphere of wind energetics. Poland considers solar energy to be economically sound. Czechia and Slovakia succeeded in building of mini-TPPs on wood fuel. In Germany enterprises producing the goods at fewer expenses have material support. Finland is a good example of efficient energy consumption. Climate and natural resources are almost the same that we have but energy consumption is several times less. And what about Belarus? What are our prospects in energy security provision?We are by right proud of the fact that economy of our country for the recent years is under dynamic development. But we need more and more energy for maintenance of sustainable growth rate. We get energy resources not for free buying oil at the world prices that slowly but surely grow. For the time being there are no reasons to suppose that energy sources cheapening will happen. Moreover, any a bit serious trouble in oil-extracting regions and even careless declaration of a politician may provoke price explosion for “black gold”. We should remember as well that oil and gas are non-renewable energy resources. In other words, their stores are limited, they cannot become cheaper a priori. As deputy Minister of energy Leonid Shenets declared, it is planned to reduce energy consumption of GDP in Belarus by no less than 31 percent till the year 2010, and to bring the share of local energy types up to 6.4 million tons. At the expense of what can we reach the set goals?
According to the head of Centre of energy efficiency of the National Academy of Sciences Alexander Mikhalevich, primarily we need new, more efficient technologies on increase of the performance index of equipment at boiler installations and mini-TPP.
The first energy-conserving installation had been already implemented at Orsha TPP under the project of Belarusian scientists. It is planned to create cascade of hydroelectric stations on the rivers Sozh, Dnepr, Pripyat. Actually, specialists do not deny windmills and solar batteries. Although, in the countries that have access to sea, i.e. climate favorable for work of windmills, power ratio of wind motors is not high. However, for the time being any variant alternative to oil and gas is worth its weight in gold. Talking about the possibility of wind power usage, deputy Minister of energy Leonid Shenets stated that for the time being two wind installations work in our country. Totally there are 1840 grounds that potentially may be used for wind energetics.
Besides, Belarusian scientists defined three new sources of non-conventional energy obtainment being profitable for the country. These are brown coal, bio fuel and hydrogen energetics.
But we shouldn’t write off good old peat. Modern technologies of its processing can do incredible things. More than fifty derived products of this natural raw material are known, beginning with fertilizers and finishing with absorbents, colorants, sealants, medical drugs and cosmetics.
At last, one more important source of energy is atomic power stations. For the time being a real atomic bounce happens in the world. In France, Lithuania, Slovakia, Belgium, South Korea, USA atomic power stations provide more than half of country energy demands.
For sure, all that requires high expenses. According to the chairman of Plenary Committee of Industry, fuel-and-power sector, transport, communications and entrepreneurship of the Chamber of Representatives of the National Assembly Anatoly Pavlovich, investments to Belarusian energetics will amount to more than 30 billion dollars up to the year 2020. Moreover, according to the deputy, legislative basis on energetics development is not worked out enough. That’s why for the time being parliamentarians are actively working under the project of the law on non-conventional and renewable power sources and on atomic energy usage.
Vladimir Doroshevich
