By Yury Chernyakevich
We tend to associate sandwiches with food but ‘sandwich-panels’ are used in the construction of energy-efficient residential buildings, as presented by BelPromEnergo at the international exposition, with support from the Belarusian State University. They help insulate homes, reducing the cost of heating. The Belarusian State University design has already won a number of prestigious international awards and is being widely applied in new building across Belarus.
The forum focused on energy efficiency, with various Belarusian and foreign companies showing their latest, innovative products. The international trend for eco-friendly goods brought over 200 enterprises to the event, from twelve countries: a record number. One privately owned company, based in Mogilev, showed a mini-plant for cleaning waste water, while another displayed a hot air heat convector which runs on sawdust. Solar panels being used to power energy efficient homes in Minsk were also on show, alongside artificial emeralds (produced by Belarusian scientists), new methods for processing recyclable materials, and new models of machine tools. The bureau chief of the ‘Center’ production association, at the National Academy of Sciences, Alexander Lyapko, notes that such tools are greatly accelerating production volumes. Last year, the Academy of Engineering Sciences in Belarus produced goods worth more than half a billion dollars.
The Ministry of Architecture and Construction presented an energy-efficient home at the forum, showing how to save huge amounts of thermal energy through the use of super-thermal glazing, individual systems of ventilation and heating materials which ‘resist’ the cold.
The next stand presented a private company’s balance for weighing vehicles — even those made by BelAZ — as noted their representative, Valery. The Belarusian Automobile Works provided samples, so demonstrations could be achieved. Their 90-tonne capacity dump truck was so huge that children could walk under its 3m tall wheels.
BelAZ was a major force at the event, joining other enterprises in giving talks, presentations and technical advice. Naturally, such meetings led to some agreements being signed and investors coming forward, fulfilling the purpose of the grand forum.
