MINSK, 13 October (BelTA) – Belarus has plans to reduce gas imports, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Standardization of Belarus, Director of the Department for Energy Efficiency Mikhail Malashenko said at a press conference on 13 October, BelTA has learned.

“Belarus imports most of the energy it consumes. In this regard, we are trying to save energy and increase the use of local and renewable energy. This policy is bearing fruit. However, we are well aware of the fact that we need to do more. In the next five years we plan to put into operation at least 500 MW of heat generating capacity using biofuel in the housing and utilities sector. We believe that the commissioning of the nuclear power plant and other factors will pave the way for new power generation technologies, which will allow us to minimize the use of gas and oil products. We will also promote renewable energy and facilitate its integration into the energy system,” Mikhail Malashenko said.

According to him, the next five-year period will see breakthrough technologies not only in the fuel and energy sector, but also in manufacturing and construction. “They will also allow minimizing the import of gas and hydrocarbons in general. This partly has to do with Belarus' international commitments to reduce carbon emissions,” the deputy chairman of the State Committee for Standardization said.