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Lukashenko wants second Russian nuclear power plant in Belarus

Monday, 17 March 2025

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said the country had "asked the Russians, if possible, to build a second power plant", according to the official Belta news agency's report on a speech made to the Federation Council during his official visit to Russia.

Lukashenko, who held talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin at which the two countries' closening economic integration and a second nuclear power plant was discussed, said: "The construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant has become the most high-tech and large-scale project in the history of Belarusian-Russian relations."

He said that the Belarusian nuclear power plant had been built despite opposition from Lithuania, Poland and some internal fears dating back to the Chernobyl accident.

The main reason for a second power plant was the projected increase in electricity demand as cars, heating and industry are increasingly electrified: "That's why we asked the Russians, if possible, to build a second power plant. We will build it ourselves, except for the reactor. We have specialists."

He was quoted as saying he thought the plant could be located near the eastern border, which would enable the provision of electricity to neighbouring Russian regions if necessary. He also said that other joint projects being developed bilaterally included a Centre for Nuclear Research and Technologies.

According to Russia's official Tass news agency, a spokesperson for the country's state nuclear corporation Rosatom said: "The issue of building a new nuclear power facility in Belarus is being explored. We are considering several layout variants."

The Russian President's website's report of their statements and press conference following the talks does not specifically mention a second nuclear power plant, but quoted Putin as saying: "Energy is a priority area of Russia-Belarus cooperation as well. Our country has traditionally supplied oil and gas to Belarus on favourable terms, which is a serious help for the Belarusian economy. A common electricity market has been formed and is operational; a major bilateral project for the joint construction of a Belarusian nuclear power plant has been completed. The plant meets about 40 percent of Belarus’s electricity needs. We see good prospects for deepening partnership in other high-tech areas as well."

In November last year, Belarus's Ministry of Energy said that a feasibility study for a second nuclear power plant - or an extra unit at the current site - was being drawn up for decision in 2025.

The existing Belarus nuclear power plant is located in Ostrovets in the Grodno region. A general contract for its construction was signed in 2011, with first concrete for unit 1 poured in November 2013. Rosatom began construction of unit 2 in May 2014. They are both VVER-1200 reactors. The first Ostrovets power unit was connected to the grid in November 2020 and, the energy ministry says, the plant will produce about 18.5 TWh of electricity per year, equivalent to 4.5 billion cubic metres of natural gas, with an annual effect on the country's economy of about USD550 million. The second unit was put into commercial operation on 1 November 2023.

Répression, sanctions, exode: au Bélarus, un secteur amoindri de la tech survit

AFP •09/02/2025

Bélarus: présidentielle sans suspense pour Loukachenko, qui vise un septième mandat

AFP •26/01/2025

Les Bélarusses ont commencé dimanche à voter pour une élection présidentielle destinée à réélire l'autocrate assumé Alexandre Loukachenko, au pouvoir depuis 1994, pour un septième mandat consécutif faute d'opposition tolérée.
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Un tiers de l'armée biélorusse à la frontière ukrainienne, dit Loukachenko

Reuters •18/08/2024

Le président biélorusse Alexandre Loukachenko a annoncé dimanche que près d'un tiers des forces armées de son pays avaient été déployées à la frontière avec l'Ukraine, que Minsk accuse de fomenter une "provocation".

Cette décision, a déclaré le chef de l'Etat cité par l'agence de presse officielle Belta, a été prise en réponse au positionnement de plus de 120.000 soldats ukrainiens de l'autre côté de la frontière.

Alexandre Loukachenko, proche allié de Moscou, a ajouté dans une interview à la télévision russe que la frontière entre l'Ukraine et la Biélorussie était "minée comme jamais auparavant" et que les troupes ukrainiennes subiraient de lourdes pertes si elles tentaient de la franchir.

Andriy Demtchenko, porte-parole du service des frontières ukrainiens, a déclaré à l'Ukrainska Pravda dimanche que la situation à la frontière avec la Biélorussie n'avait pas changé.

"Comme nous pouvons le voir, la rhétorique de Loukachenko n'a pas changé non plus, en alimentant constamment une escalade pour plaire au pays terroriste", a-t-il dit. "Nous ne constatons aucune augmentation du nombre d'équipements ou de personnels des unités biélorusses près de notre frontière."

Le président biélorusse avait déjà affirmé jeudi que l'Ukraine, qui a lancé une opération en territoire russe le 6 août dernier dans la région de Koursk, pourrait envisager d'attaquer la Biélorussie.

Le ministre de la Défense biélorusse, Viktor Khrénine, a jugé hautement probable vendredi l'hypothèse d'une provocation armée de l'Ukraine, estimant que la situation restait tendue à la frontière.

Decision on second nuclear plant on to-do list for Belarus's new energy minister

15 August 2024

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has appointed a new energy minister, saying there is "plenty of work ... particularly ... regarding our plans to build or not to build a new nuclear power plant".

The newly appointed energy minister, Alexei Kushnarenko, speaking to reporters after the president announced the changes, was quoted by the official Belta news agency as saying: "As far as the Belarusian nuclear power plant is concerned, a group of experts is working on it. I will get actively involved in this work and there is no doubt that I will work out an opinion, which will be presented for consideration."

Previous Energy Minister Victor Karankevich has been appointed deputy prime minister. His successor was previously CEO of gas and fuel distribution corporation Beltopgaz.

Kushnarenko said the ministry would be geared towards ensuring quality power supplies to consumers "because essentially the energy industry is the blood system of the economy, the most important component in the life support of the population", Belta quoted him as saying.

In comments published on the Energy Department's Telegram account, he said: "The main thing that will be emphasised is the progressive development of the country's fuel and energy complex. Everything necessary is in place for this."

The background

The existing Belarus nuclear power plant is located in Ostrovets in the Grodno region. A general contract for the construction was signed in 2011, with first concrete in November 2013. Rosatom began construction of unit 2 in May 2014. There are now six VVER-1200 reactors in operation in total, with four in Russia. The first Ostrovets power unit was connected to the grid in November 2020 and, the energy ministry says, the plant will produce about 18.5 TWh of electricity per year, equivalent to 4.5 billion cubic metres of natural gas, with an annual effect on the country's economy of about USD550 million. The second unit was put into commercial operation on 1 November 2023. Together they are generating about one-quarter of the country's electricity.

The country has been considering the option of a second nuclear power plant, with Karankevich saying in December 2023 that experts were looking into the costs and the requirements for future electricity capacity growth, saying: "We intend to reach 44 billion kWh of electricity in 2025. By 2030 we have to reach 47 billion kWh ... as we decide in favour of the second nuclear power plant or the third unit (at Ostrovet), we have to analyse the year 2040 instead of 2030 or 2035." He said that if a second nuclear power plant was built, Belarus would become a world leader in terms of share of its energy which comes from nuclear.