Meeting to discuss performance of Belarusian NPP, rising electricity consumption, proposals for building new nuclear capacities

On 14 November, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko held a meeting to discuss the performance of the Belarusian NPP, rising electricity consumption, and proposals for building new nuclear capacities.

“Five years ago, when we officially launched the first Belarusian nuclear power plant in Ostrovets, the country entered a new era. The commissioning of the NPP not only strengthened our energy security but also charted Belarus’ future as a high‑tech state. Having our own nuclear station is, in a certain sense, a way to ensure sovereignty and independence,” the Belarusian leader stated.

He emphasized that safety and reliability have been and remain of the paramount importance at every stage of the plant’s construction and operation.

Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that a five-year period is sufficient to take stock: “We have secured a source of affordable, clean energy for decades to come, achieving both economic and environmental benefits.”

He cited several facts about the performance of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (BelNPP). Greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by more than 26 million tonnes. Since commissioning, the plant has generated over 53 billion kWh of electricity, allowing Belarus to completely abandon imports. Dependence on natural gas has also been reduced by 14.5 billion cubic meters, with its share in energy generation falling from 95% to about 65%, saving more than $1.6 billion in budgetary funds.

The nuclear plant has also transformed the landscape of Belarusian energy. As part of integrating BelNPP into the power system, a large-scale grid modernization program was carried out: more than 1,700 km of lines were reconstructed, modern substations built, and breakthrough digital technologies introduced to improve reliability of electricity supply.

“A new branch of the economy has been created in the country, along with the necessary infrastructure and a modern system for training personnel. We did not have any of this before. Over the years of implementing the national nuclear energy program, we have accumulated unique expertise in the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of nuclear facilities,” the Belarusian leader emphasized.

The head of state asked for a brief report on the accumulated experience in operating the nuclear power plant, as well as the results of cooperation with Russian partners in this area and any potential issues that may arise.

BelNPP has also given impetus in electricity consumption. In 2024, consumption reached a record high level of 43.3 billion kWh. Over the past five years, the increase amounted to about 6 billion kWh.

“One hundred percent of our people has access to electricity. At the same time, Belarus ranks third among European countries with the lowest electricity prices. According to the rating published in June 2025, the lowest electricity costs are in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus,” the President stated.

Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that the use of electricity for heating and hot water, along with the construction of all electric homes, has improved living comfort for hundreds of thousands of people. In 2021-2025, more than 2 million square meters of such housing were built. Residents of private houses are also switching to electric heating: over 160,000 applications were submitted last year alone.

"We need to build comfortable housing for people, with electric heating. For a person, this is truly a miracle," emphasized the Belarusian leader.

The country is also developing electric transport, not only in major cities. “Pilot projects to convert public transport to electric power have been introduced in Shklov, Zhodino, and Novopolotsk. Overall, more than 44,000 electric vehicles are currently in operation nationwide, supported by over 1,870 charging stations,” the head of state reported.

In this context, the President expressed surprise at the shortage of public transport on suburban and intercity routes – an issue he stated is being raised by the public, including on social media. “People are disgruntled: they’re standing, especially during rush hour, in lines of 150 meters, as they say, just to squeeze into these stinky minibuses,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “Listen, why are you treating people like that?!”

“Can’t we replace these minibuses, Aleksandr Genrikhovich, with buses?” the President remarked, addressing Prime Minister Aleksandr Turchin. “We need to supply electric buses, not just internal combustion engine buses. And let them go [on the routes]. People will be happy to ride. They’ll be comfortable, they can breathe on these buses, they won’t have to sit there all huddled up [like in minibuses].” He added that this would also be a safer mode of transport: “Well, we’ll lose 2-3 minutes, but we’ll be alive and well.”

“Aleksandr Genrikhovich, do you need my instructions again? We need to see how people live. We can easily do this, and it’s a cost-effective project,” the President emphasized.

Aleksandr Lukashenko said that Belarusian citizens’ attitudes toward nuclear energy have changed: “According to sociologists, at the beginning of the construction of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant, 60% of the population supported it, and today, taking into account its operation and other positive factors, it is already over 80%.”

He pointed out that the economic benefits of nuclear energy are being acknowledged worldwide, not just in Belarus. Currently, 416 nuclear reactors are in operation worldwide, with another 63 under construction. “Everyone who can is building,” the President noted.

According to IAEA forecasts, the total capacity of nuclear power plants worldwide will more than double in the next 25 years, while the share of nuclear energy in global electricity production will rise to 12%.

“Just yesterday, many Western politicians were trying to rely exclusively on renewable energy. Today, they are already talking about the advantages of building nuclear power plants; a new term has even emerged: ‘renaissance of the nuclear industry.’ This also applies to neighboring countries – Poland and Lithuania – which vehemently opposed the construction of our nuclear power plant,” the Belarusian leader noted. “All this confirms the correctness of the path we have chosen.”

The President asked to report to him on the measures taken to increase electricity consumption, their results, and proposals for the further development of the electric power industry and related sectors.

“For example, cryptocurrency mining, electric transport, construction of all-electric houses. The focus is on the prospects for utilizing existing and new capacities,” the head of state said. "I have read various reports and opinions here. One of the reports states that cryptocurrency mining can be unstable. It can be higher in some places, lower in others. Our entire world is now grappling with a global problem, namely moving away from dependence on a single currency, the dollar. This process will intensify. Cryptocurrency is probably one of the options.”

“So why are we so worried? Some volatility... Well, there probably will be. But nothing ventured, nothing gained,” the Belarusian leader emphasized. 

“Electric vehicles are already attracting widespread attention: it is a rapidly growing market. Developing the economy requires reliable electric power, without which progress is impossible. Belarus is both a machine‑building and agricultural country, and we can practically transition transport across all sectors, from agriculture to nationwide use, to electricity.,” the President said.

He recalled that the head of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus had pledged to develop a domestic electric battery. If successful, this would eliminate the need for importing such components from other countries.

“That would be a breakthrough. Let's give our scientists a chance to show their skills. You will receive an incredible amount of money for this project. Moreover, this is not something completely new,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized.

According to the President, the government has been instructed to work on the issue of building a second NPP or an additional third power unit at the existing plant. In this regard, he suggested discussing the significant features, advantages, and disadvantages of these options.

“We discussed our cooperation in nuclear energy with Russian President Vladimir Putin during our meeting at the World Atomic Week in late September 2025. There is understanding and support from the Russian side; the ball is now in our court. We must first of all decide whether we do it or not. If we do, then we need to decide when and where,” the head of state said. “Nuclear power is a miracle for Belarus.”

The first option is the construction of a new power unit at the Ostrovets site as the second stage of the BelNPP. All the necessary conditions and specialists are available there: an appropriate site, production, technological, and social infrastructure. This means there is an opportunity to build it at a lower cost. “The ground conditions there have already been thoroughly studied. There is no need for any additional surveys,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The second option is the construction of a new plant in the country's east, where the ground conditions permit. A suitable site there was already considered when the decision was made to build the currently operating nuclear plant. Building from the ground up at a new location will require greater financial investment and organizational effort, but it would provide a powerful impetus for the development of the eastern region. “We would likewise transform the eastern region from a backwater into a highly developed territory of Belarus. This means new jobs, investment, innovative projects, and new technologies,” the President said.

In his opening remarks at the meeting, the head of state recalled that Ostrovets, where the nuclear power plant was built, has gained a status as a modern and promising city. Its population has nearly doubled - from 8,000 to 15,000 people. The plant employs about 3,000 specialists, 30% of whom are youth under the age of 32, with the average age of the workforce being 38. “Graduates from energy faculties dream of getting a job there. It’s a wonderful city. There’s no need to persuade anyone. People are moving there for jobs in all kinds of specialties. In terms of amenities, engineering infrastructure, and income levels - where it ranks in the top three among all regions - we consider Ostrovets the gold standard for developing district centers,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

The nuclear power plant is a crucial driver of regional development for decades to come, the President noted. He suggested that this factor be specially taken into account in the context of the current conversation.

The outcome of the discussion is a decision to develop the Ostrovets nuclear power plant by implementing its second stage - the construction of a third power unit. However, this does not mean the idea of building another separate NPP in Belarus has been abandoned in principle. Parallel to the construction of the third unit at the BelNPP, work will be organized to survey potential sites in Mogilev Oblast. Subsequently, should electricity consumption increase, a decision could be made to create additional nuclear capacity there.