OREANDA-NEWS. May 18, 2010. Belarus mulls building a new sugar refinery; the project may cost 300 million euros, Chairman of Belarusian food concern Belgospischeprom Ivan Danchenko told reporters.

“We have been tasked with increasing exports to USD 10 billion annually from USD 3 billion, and we need new production facilities,” he said.

It is also planned to increase daily processing at Belarusian refineries to 40,000 tonnes of beet from 29,000 tonnes.

The fifth Belarusian sugar refinery may be based either in the Mogilev or Gomel Region.

“We are looking for a Chinese company via the Belarusian Embassy in China to place an order for turnkey construction,” Danchenko said.

Belarus seeks a loan for at least 20 years at a rate of 5% annually. The new refinery will produce about 120,000-130,000 tonnes of beet sugar annually.

Belarus plans to export the sugar produced at the refinery.

If China fails to provide a loan or modern technologies, Belarus might negotiate with a western firm, Danchenko said.

He also said Belarus could process up to 300,000 tonnes of sugar cane to export cane sugar to third countries, as it will be not for Belarus and Russia. “We will offer global companies our facilities when they are underloaded,” he said.

Belarus exported 108,100 tonnes of beet sugar in the first quarter, up 98% on the year.

Exports to Russia amounted to 47,700 tonnes, and to other countries, to 60,400 tonnes.

Belarusian sugar refineries reported profitability rate of 18% in 2009.

Sugar output in Belarus totaled 237,190 tonnes in January-March, up 46.2% on the year.

This year’s output is projected at 833,500 tonnes, up 9.8% on the year.