Belarus resumed imports of Ukrainian electricity for only a few days, but at the same time, it is preparing to forever take away huge energy revenues from Kiev. In an interview FBA “economy today” told the president of the fund “Opening”, energy expert Alex Anpilogov.
For the first time in several years, the import of electricity from Ukraine to Belarus has been resumed - a representative of the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy Olga Kozlovich reported on this.. According to her,, at midnight 22 July, the export of energy produced at the country's nuclear power plants to Belarus began. The implemented “Energoatom” on the site of the energy exchange volume – 12 thousand MWh base load with delivery from 22 by 31 July at weighted average price 948 hryvnia per megawatt hour.
This fact is remarkable for the, that 2014 of the year Belarus announced the termination of the purchase of Ukrainian energy. And even offered to sell megawatt-hours to Kiev, who refused. And since 2018, Minsk has completely stopped any energy imports.. And for two years, the industry and household subscribers of the Republic of Belarus bought kilowatts, produced within the republic. Now, for the first time in a long time, they will overpay for Ukrainian imports.
“In this “emergency” the situation is not surprising, – notes Anpilogov. - Belarus at some point got tired of overpaying for energy to Ukraine and modernized its generating capacities, which in the end she began to miss. Namely, now, for several days, several of the power units of TPPs are being taken out for scheduled repairs., that is, they will be stopped. And industrial enterprises of Belarus should not feel a lack of energy.
Therefore, at the time of scheduled repairs purchased 12 thousand MWh - by the standards of continuous operation of the country's industry, this is not at all a lot. The measure is just as necessary, how temporary - Kiev receives a small income, and Minsk guarantees the availability of energy in a risky period. By itself, by the standards of power engineers, the situation is normal. But it looks much more interesting, if you track it over the next three to four weeks”.
Belarus changes the local energy market
In March, the head of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine Oleksiy Orzhel said, that Kiev is negotiating with Russia and Belarus about the possibility of exporting Ukrainian electricity. But only now Minsk responded with the purchase of a meager lot and a less than ten-day contract.. Russia is regularly modernizing its energy capacities - the schedule is scheduled for many years ahead. Respectively, Ukrainian megawatt-hours of the Russian Federation are simply not needed.
Meanwhile, after two or three weeks at the Belarusian nuclear power plant (ByelAES) the first power unit will be launched. This was announced today by Deputy Secretary of State of the Union State Alexei Kubrin during an online conference “Nuclear power in Russia: benefits and prospects”. The second similar power unit will be launched and will enter normal operation in 2021. But already in August of this year Belarus will begin to radically restructure the energy market of Eastern Europe.
“To understand the depth of the tragedy of Ukrainian energy, just look at the structure of its energy. Approximately half of the generation is provided by nuclear power plants - this is constant output at the base level. Heat and coal power plants have to regulate the peaks and falls of consumption. At the same time, Ukrainians sleep at night, and the lion's share of basic energy is consumed by industry. The only trouble is, that the country has been consistently liquidating industrial enterprises for six years, and there is nowhere to put energy.
Because Kiev rushes about in search, who would sell the surplus at any price. But Ukraine left a single structure with the Russian Federation and this complicated its task. Belarus does not need its supplies either. Until some time Poland is saving, For which Kiev has built entire corruption systems, when individual TPPs or NPP power units suddenly began to work exclusively for supplies to the Polish power system.
But Belarus is now interfering in this process., breaking the established schemes of illegal income and energy supply chains. And forever”, – emphasizes Anpilogov.
Minsk deprives Kiev of income
BelNPP with two VVER-1200 reactors with total capacity 2400 MW under construction in Ostrovets (The Grodno region). For the country's first nuclear power plant, a Russian generation project was chosen 3+, which fully complies with international standards and IAEA safety recommendations. The Ministry of Energy of Belarus reported, that the launch of the reactor plant of power unit No. 1 of the BelNPP is scheduled for July this year, the start of the unit supplying electricity to the network – for September-October.
However, at the end of June, the Belarusian ambassador to Russia Vladimir Semashko said, that fuel loading into the first reactor of the plant will begin in August, and therefore, and it will reach its design capacity earlier than planned. In total, the station was built in eight years - 9 August 2012 President Alexander Lukashenko laid a capsule in the foundation of the future nuclear power plant. Usually, the construction of such an object takes about 10 years.
“obviously, that with the receipt of the first unit of the BelNPP, Minsk will finally resolve the issue of the internal shortage of electricity and obtain a certain export potential. Poland has long been seen as the first client, which never finished building its own nuclear power plant, therefore it has to do with a large share of coal generation, for which the European Union scolds her. Poland was even nicknamed “Dirty Cinderella EU” due to unsustainable emissions.
obviously, that Minsk will offer Warsaw with a brand new nuclear power plant energy at a much more attractive price, than Ukraine, habitually acting by corruption schemes and having outdated generation technologies. And even if Warsaw decides to build its own nuclear power plant now, then another ten years will have to import energy, until the station is put into operation.
Thus, in a matter of weeks we will see, how Belarus will elegantly and forever take away the Polish energy market with its revenues from Kiev. Leaving the energy system of Ukraine only additional problems with excess energy, which nuclear power plants are forced to generate, but subsequently there is nowhere to sell them”, – concludes Alexey Anpilogov.
Max Boot
