Key events
Unit 2 of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant was disconnected from the grid by plant personnel to carry out diagnostic inspections of electrical equipment. Radiation levels have not changed, and electricity supply to consumers has not been affected.
Belarus plans to expand cooperation with Russia’s Arkhangelsk Region in the extraction and processing of peat for the needs of agriculture and industry.
A major overhaul of Stack No. 1 is continuing at the Vitsebsk CHP Plant.
At Bobruisk CHP-2, reconstruction work was carried out on the interconnection transformer.
At the Berezovskaya GRES branch of Brestenergo, the implementation of an infrastructure project for the construction of a combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) unit with a capacity of 200-300 MW is scheduled to begin. This will reduce the specific fuel consumption for electricity generation and improve the reliability of power supply to consumers.
A new 110 kV overhead power transmission line «Ross — Zelva» has been commissioned by Grodnaenergo.
Amid the fuel crisis in Russia, reports emerged about restrictions on fuel sales in Belarus in regions bordering Russia. Belorusneft denied reports of fuel shortages at service stations.
From 16 to 31 July 2026, drilling and blasting operations will be carried out in the Petrikau District of the Gomel Region as part of seismic exploration activities. Specialists will study subsurface formations near the villages of Zalessie and Vanyuzhichi.
In the Gomel Region, a full range of construction and installation works has been completed to reconstruct the 330 kV transmission line bays at the 330 kV Zhlobin-Pounach Substation, including the transition to SF6 circuit breakers.
At the Polotskaya-330 Substation, new equipment has been commissioned as part of a reconstruction project. Energy specialists successfully completed all construction and commissioning works, officially putting into operation the 330 kV «Postavy — Polatsk» high-voltage transmission line. The commissioning of the new equipment made it possible to close the 330 kV transit corridor: BelNPP — Postavy — Lukoml GRES — Novosokolniki (Russian Federation).
In the 1st of July, following heavy rainfall and squally winds, electricity supply was disrupted in 27 settlements in the region.
On 27 July, heavy rain and thunderstorms caused power supply disruptions in eight districts of the Grodno Region. Electricity supply was interrupted in 94 settlements.
On the evening of 27 July, the passage of a thunderstorm front accompanied by heavy rain and strong winds caused temporary disruptions to electricity supply in the Postavy District of the Vitebsk Region, affecting consumers served by the Kamai, Lyntupy, and Verenki substations.
Statistics and data
In 2025, 2.013 million tons of oil were produced. A total of 86 new wells were drilled, with aggregate drilling footage reaching 324 thousand meters, which was 25% higher than in 2024. Exploration and appraisal drilling exceeded 100 thousand metres.
In June, oil industry operators commissioned 10 wells. The rig assembly division handed over four assembled drilling rigs. In addition, six sites were prepared in June for future drilling operations.
In June 2026, Russia increased its imports of gasoline from Belarus to a historic high, importing 141 kt of fuel, which was 2.4 times the volume supplied during the whole of May. In reality, the overall increase in exports was not as significant. The sharp rise in deliveries to the Russian market was primarily due to a reduction in supplies to third countries and the redirection of exports toward Russia.
Since the beginning of the year, 989 kt of peat have been extracted, 374 kt of briquettes and dried peat fuel have been produced, and more than 71 kt of briquettes have been supplied to fuel distribution organizations.
As part of preparations for the 2026/2027 autumn-winter season, the Beltopgaz Association inspected more than 4,800 km of gas pipelines and over 300 km of underground gas pipelines, replaced 93 units of equipment, and also replaced more than 74,700 obsolete household gas appliances.
Construction of a central boiler plant is underway in Novogrudok. Two 7.0 MW pellet-fired boilers are being installed, which will increase the use of this fuel by 8.6 thousand tonnes of coal equivalent (tce). The facility is scheduled to be commissioned in September 2026.
During January-June 2026, energy savings in the Grodno Region amounted to 20.9 thousand tonnes of coal equivalent (tce), representing 59.8% of the annual target.
In 2025, 61.6 kt of wood pellets were used as boiler and furnace fuel in Belarus, an increase of 39% compared with 44.3 kt in 2024. Household pellet consumption increased 3.2-fold.
According to the results of the first quarter, pellet consumption reached 38.32 kt, which was 64% higher than during the same period in 2025 (23.33 kt). Of this amount, households consumed 2.65 kt during the reporting period.
Statements
Belarus must make a determined transition to pellet-based heating, Lukashenko stated during a visit to the Shklov District.
«We have more than enough plants. Therefore, pellets, and pellets once again. Natural gas or any other fuel source should serve only as a backup,» Lukashenko concluded.
«We are not seeing an increase in pellet stockpiles; rather, they are slowly but steadily declining. However, there is still work to be done in this area, and it is not a task that can be completed overnight,» noted Forestry Minister Sergey Uldinovich.
Topic of the issue: The Power Sector in 2025
In 2025, electricity consumption in Belarus declined to 43.03 TWh, compared with 43.19 billion kWh in 2024. Although this represents only a modest decrease of 0.4%, it may prove quite significant for Belarus. The decision to build a third unit at the nuclear power plant assumed that electricity demand would continue to grow at a high rate. According to our calculations, for the third NPP unit to be commissioned in 2040 with a positive economic effect, electricity consumption must increase by at least 1% annually. During the previous two years, growth rates stood at 4.5-5%, creating the impression of rapidly expanding electricity demand. This growth was partly driven by increased industrial output and partly by the development of cryptocurrency mining and government incentives encouraging the use of electricity for heating.
These incentives remained in place in 2025. Utility consumers, primarily households, increased their electricity consumption by 0.5 billion kWh, while another 0.4 TWh was added by other categories of consumers, which are likely to include cryptocurrency mining operations.
At the same time, industry reduced its electricity consumption by 0.8 TWh (4.7%), effectively returning to the 2023 level. A further 0.4 TWh reduction occurred in electricity consumption for the power system’s own operational needs, although this indicator merely returned to normal levels following a substantial 41% increase in 2024. Consequently, the principal cause of the decline in electricity consumption was the industrial sector.
To offset this decline through new consumers, whether electric heating or cryptocurrency mining, economic subsidies would have to be provided. Such subsidies already reach up to 80% of the average tariff, creating a significant financial burden either for other consumers or for the state budget.
In 2025, the nuclear power plant generated 16.98 TWh of electricity, corresponding to a capacity factor of 82%, an increase of 1.3 TWh compared with the previous year. This resulted in reduced generation at other power plants and, consequently, lower operating efficiency at those facilities. The specific fuel consumption for electricity generation increased by 0.6%, reaching 241.2 g c.e/kWh, thereby returning to the 2022 level. While thermal power plants reduced electricity generation by 7.7%, their gas consumption declined by only 2.6%.
Alongside the increase in specific fuel consumption, fuel prices for power generation also rose. The price of natural gas reached USD 155.6/th. m3, compared with USD138.84/th. m3a year earlier, representing an increase of 12%. This was linked to the strengthening of the national currency, from BYN 3.6 per US dollar in 2024 to BYN 3.06 per US dollar in 2025, an appreciation of approximately 15%.
The gas tariff itself declined, but only by 3%, from BYN 438.35 to BYN 425. /th. m3. As a result, the effective price of gas for power plants increased.
Rising gas prices were accompanied by higher electricity tariffs. Overall electricity prices increased by approximately 20%, substantially outpacing both the rise in gas prices and inflation. Household electricity tariffs increased by 13% compared with 2024, while electricity prices for industry rose by more than 23% in US dollar terms.
Thus, the condition of the power sector in 2025 demonstrated that maintaining plans for the construction of a third NPP unit may require substantial expenditures on measures aimed at stimulating electricity consumption. At the same time, the strengthening of the national currency does not lead to a proportional reduction in energy tariffs and, in effect, makes electricity more expensive for consumers.
Материал доступен на русском языке: Аварийная остановка 2 блока АЭС. Энергетический дайджест за июль
