Belarus’ energy strategy through to 2020, set out in a the document approved by the its Council of Ministers’ recently, indicates that the country plans to construct four hydropower plants with a total capacity of over 100 MW between 2011 and 2015, as well as new wind farms with a total capacity of 300 MW.
Two 63 MW hydropower plants will be erected on the Western Dvina, in Polotsk and Vitebsk, while the Grodno and Neman plants with the total capacity of 37 MW will be constructed on the Neman river. The project also provides for the restoration of 10 existing small hydropower plants and the construction of 35 new ones. The estimated electrical output is 0.6 billion kWh, equivalent to almost 205 000 tonnes of fuel equivalent.
According to the strategy document, 1840 potential wind sites have been identified in the country. Their theoretical possible energy capacity is more than 1600 MW. In 2009, the total installed capacity of wind power plants amounted to only 1.2 MW. To date only one site has been positively identified, in Dzerzhinsk District, Minsk Oblast, where there are plans to build a 160 MW wind farm in 2011-2014.
