Belarus will export electricity to foreign markets after the launch of Astravyets nuclear power plant, the country’s Deputy Energy Minister Mikhail Mikhadyuk said last week. The statement came after the Baltic states agreed to block Belarusian nuclear imports.
Mikhadyuk said that various options for exporting Astravyets electricity were now being considred, Belarusian state news agency BelTA reported on September 3.
“I am confident that with the introduction of the nuclear power plant, the Belarusian electricity will become even more competitive in foreign markets,” he said.
But as the Baltic states, Poland, and Ukraine have previously said they will not buy electricity produced at Astravyets, the only option remains Russia – which is also building and financing the plant.
Read more: 10 questions about Belarusian nuclear plant. What would happen to Lithuania in case of accident?
On September 3, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that Russia and Belarus will cooperate in realising the electricity produced at Astravyets NPP.
“The question of electricity supply from the nuclear facility was discussed at the meeting between Russian and Belarusian prime ministers. Relevant institutions have been obliged to resolve the questions of both countries’ electricity systems operations,” Novak said.
The construction of the Astravyets NPP is funded by a loan from the Kremlin and is being constructed by Russia’s state atomic agency Rosatom.
Baltic boycott
Lithuania has long advocated for a total ban of Astravyets electricity because it deems the nuclear facility, located some 30 kilometres from Vilnius, to be unsafe.
On September 1, Lithuanian, Estonian, and Latvian energy ministers reached an agreement to cease power trade with Belarus after the Astravyets plant is launched.
According to the Lithuanian Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas, Belarus could lose “hundreds of millions of euros” because of the electricity ban from the neighbouring countries.
However, Latvia said it will continue energy trade with Russia until the Baltic states desychronise their power grids from the BRELL network, which includes the Baltic states, Belarus and Russia, and connects to the European system by 2025.
Critics have previously said this leaves a technical possibility for electricity from Astravyets to enter the common Baltic states' market via Russia.
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