OREANDA-NEWS. January 25, 2010. Belarus is planning to construct new electricity transmission lines to boost electricity exchanges with Poland and Ukraine, said the Deputy Energy Minister of Belarus, Mikhail Mikhadiuk during an on-line conference on Friday.
 
‘Currently, our Polish colleagues and we are working over the construction of a Biaіystok-Ross line’, explained Mr. Mikhadiuk. ‘Recently we have had a meeting with a Belarussian-Polish taskforce where we discussed the project in detail. Our party is ready for its implementation. The Ministry of Economy of Poland supports this project, but some internal procedures are to be complied with first’.
 
The Deputy Minister underlined that the project would give Belarus access to the European energy market. ‘Today, we should think not only of improving reliability and security of supplies to domestic consumers, but do business as well: exports should generate revenues’, said Mr. Mikhadiuk. ‘The reason why we are upgrading our energy system is to bring down tariffs for domestic consumers and be competitive in external markets,’ he added.
 
The Deputy Minister also made it known that investments for the project on the construction of a Rovno NPP – Mikashevichy electricity transmission line were being substantiated. ’At present, we have two lines to a capacity of 330 kW in this direction. The construction of the third line may start when there is a clear prospect of long-term mutually beneficial contracts for both parties. In other words, investments shall be economically sound’, concluded Mr. Mikhadiuk.