MINSK, December 1 (RIA Novosti) - Belarus' president said Friday he supports an estimated $2.5-billion project to build a nuclear power plant in the country to cut its dependence on energy imports.
Belarusian scientists drafted a plan for the NPP in May but no final decision followed. The plant with a generating capacity of 2,000 megawatts would take about 10 years to build and is expected to reduce Belarusian dependence on Russia's energy by 24%.
"Belarusian scientists and experts ... have unanimously approved a resolution to build an NPP in the country and to begin all necessary arrangements this year," Alexander Lukashenko told an energy security conference.
Belarus currently imports most of its energy from Russia. The two countries are in tense talks over the gas price for next year. Russia is seeking to quadruple the current price of $46.68 per 1,000 cubic meters.
Lukashenko said his latest talks with the Russian leadership concerned a possible hydrocarbon deficit.
"Our negotiations for the first time highlighted a possible hydrocarbon deficit in the future, and Belarus might have to face a lack of hydrocarbons due to shortfalls inside Russia," he said.
Lukashenko said nuclear plants are the best way to overcome a global energy crisis.
"Nuclear energy is widely used in Europe. About 80% of France's electricity is generated at nuclear plants," he said.
Experts said the share of nuclear power in Belarus' energy balance could rise to 20%, and the share of natural gas could decline to 50% by 2020 if the project was implemented. By 2050, the plant could bring the share of nuclear power to 85%.
Lukashenko said a location for the plant would be carefully selected to avoid any risks to human health. "There can be no mistake in choosing the site," he said, adding that safety requirements must be strictly observed.
Belarus was one of the worst-hit countries in the aftermath of the 1986 Chernobyl NPP disaster.
The first unit of the NPP could be commissioned by 2013, the chairman of the Belarusian National Science Academy's presidium said Friday following the energy security conference.
"The energy security concept envisions that the first power unit will be commissioned in 2015," Mikhail Myasnikovich said. "Today, the president formulated the task to consider the first capacities commissioned in 2013."
He also said a site in the Mogilev region, in the country's east, is likely to be chosen as the construction site, but added that the final decision will be made after geological and seismo-tectonic studies are completed.
Besides, he said, the NPP could be built near western borders, too.
