Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister: Belarus' dependence on Russian gas and oil is 'dangerous'
“We have a dangerous dependence, even if it is with a friendly country. We receive 95% of our energy resources from there,” Semashko said to journalists in Minsk on Tuesday.
He stressed that the Republic is building BelAES (the nuclear power plant) to avoid this dependence.
Semashko expressed his confidence that there would be a significant increase in prices for natural gas in the near future. Before this happens, the nuclear power plant will be operational and Belarus will be insured against these risks.
The Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister also stated that plans to launch the station’s first power unit in 2019 have not changed. He also noted that the construction financing is progressing in time with the construction.
Belarus imports oil and gas only from Russia, although it continues to seek sources of alternative oil supplies. The country produces 95% of its electricity using natural gas.