MINSK, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Belarus ranks third among European countries with the cheapest electricity, BelTA news agency reported Tuesday, citing the Energy Ministry.
"Reduced rates are in effect for energy-intensive industries and for households who use electricity for heating. This year, Belarus has ranked third among European countries with the cheapest electricity," the ministry was quoted as saying.
The Belarusian nuclear power plant (BelNPP) has helped the country meet the growing demand for electricity by the real sector of the economy and households, according to the ministry.
Since November 2020, when the first unit of the BelNPP was connected to the power grid, the plant has generated a total of more than 20 billion kWh of electricity. This allowed replacing 5.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas, the ministry said.
As a result, the foreign exchange burden on the economy decreased by more than 650 million U.S. dollars, and the environmental effect is obvious: greenhouse gas emissions shrank by more than 9 million tonnes, it added.
According to Belarusian Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich, the issue of building a second nuclear power plant in Belarus is being thoroughly studied. ■