Key events
Cyclone “Ulli” in Belarus. On January 8, power supply was disrupted in 251 settlements. A total of 997 transformer substations, 30 farms, and 6 boiler houses were de-energized.
In the “Volatava” neighborhood, the power outage occurred due to the disconnection of the 110 kV transmission line at 18:20; consumer supply was fully restored by 20:12.
Belarus has approved the State Program “Sustainable Energy and Energy Efficiency” for 2026–2030. Target indicators include a 4% reduction in GDP energy intensity by 2030 compared to 2025 and an increase in the country’s energy self-sufficiency to at least 33% by the same year.
Amendments to the Law of the Republic of Belarus “On Energy Saving” have been published. These are formalized in the Law of the Republic of Belarus dated December 31, 2025, No. 128‑Z “On Amendments to the Law of the Republic of Belarus ‘On Energy Saving’.”
From January 26 to 28, energy workers were eliminating the consequences of Cyclone “Leoni” under severe weather conditions. During the storm, power supply was disrupted in more than 480 settlements.
On January 19, due to damage to section No. 41 of the heating main from Minsk CHP‑4, the temperature of the heat carrier decreased for some consumers in certain districts of Minsk.
An innovative digital simulator — a digital twin of the real energy facility — was commissioned at Minsk CHP‑4, allowing personnel actions to be tested and improved in real time.
Lukashenko approved draft protocols for negotiations, introducing amendments to the 2011 intergovernmental agreements with Russia in the gas sector. The corresponding Decree was signed on January 22. The government is authorized to conduct negotiations on the protocols and sign them.
The planned preventive maintenance of the second unit of the Belarusian NPP has been completed. The unit has been connected to the grid.
Planned maintenance began on the first unit of the Belarusian NPP on January 15. The total output of the unit amounted to over 37 billion kWh of electricity.
Energy specialists and OSVOD (Society for Rescue on Water). inspected the Grodno HPP using an underwater drone; previously, such inspections required complex and hazardous work by divers.
On January 26, at Berezauskaya CHP, Gas Turbine Unit 2 of the fourth power block was temporarily shut down due to a fire in a section of the cable line. The main equipment of the unit was not damaged. On January 28, 2026, at 17:51, Unit 2 of Block 4 was reconnected to the grid, and the power block is now operating at full capacity.
Statistics and data
A resolution of the Council of Ministers on “Construction of residential buildings and associated engineering and transport infrastructure in 2026” has been signed. Construction of 315,000 m² of housing with electric heating and hot water supply is planned.
Belarus aims to reduce the energy intensity of GDP by 4 % by 2030.
In 2025, the domestic market consumed 52,000 t of pellets. Currently, three energy sources of Belenergo are being reconstructed with the installation of new pellet-fired boilers.
A new peak load record of 7,325 MW was registered (compared with 6,721 MW in February 2025). The record for daily electricity consumption was also updated—153.6 million kWh versus 144.5 million kWh in 2024.
In 2025, about 3,500 km of power lines were constructed or reconstructed, 14 % more than in 2024. Additionally, 40 substations were renovated.
Specific energy consumption in new houses has roughly halved—from 120–140 kWh/m² (10–15 years ago) to 60–75 kWh/m². In Soviet-era buildings (pre-1990s), energy savings exceed threefold.
The Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade (MART) set the tariff for gas transit through Belarus via the main pipeline system. For all customers except PJSC Gazprom, the maximum minimum tariff is set at Br 5.2749 per 1,000 m³ per 100 km, excluding VAT.
Belarus–China trade: in 2025, peat exports to China reached 26,900 t, valued at $2.4 million. China is interested in top peat and nutrient-rich soils for agriculture and horticulture. Between 2026 and 2030, exports are planned to double, with an expanded product range including deep-processed peat products.
According to MART Resolution №3 of January 19, new tariffs were established for the transportation of petroleum products via the pipeline operated by JSC Gomeltransneft Druzhba.
Statements
Lukashenko instructed to lower the temperature in order to preserve the heating system: “Well, if the water in the pipes were not 90 degrees, but 80, and the pressure lower — the room would be a bit cooler, not 25, but 20 degrees. That’s enough.”
Deputy Minister of Energy Sergey Adamenko noted: “Considering the remark of the head of state, which we, of course, took into account, we have planned a reduction of the temperature schedule.”
According to paragraph 47 of the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No. 609 of September 11, 2019, “On issues in the field of heat supply,” an energy-supplying organization is obliged to maintain the average daily temperature of the supplied network water in accordance with the temperature schedule, which establishes the dependence of the water temperature on the outdoor temperature. Such an instruction and its implementation by the Ministry of Energy indicate a violation of the legislation of the Republic of Belarus, for which the energy-supplying organization is liable to the consumers.
Topic of the issue: JSC “Naftan,”
On January 15, Belarusian Prime Minister Alexander Turchin visited JSC “Naftan,” familiarizing himself with the company’s operations and development prospects. Publications about the visit paid particular attention to the delayed coking unit (DCU). It was reported that JSC “Naftan” had completed the largest investment development program in its history, commissioning the DCU complex. According to the data, the depth of oil processing at “Naftan” reached 92 %[1], and the yield of light petroleum products exceeded 70 %. CEO Oleg Zhebin noted that the company ended 2025 with net profit and outlined development prospects in petrochemicals.
An interesting detail about this visit is the date: the investment project launching the DCU was completed back in 2023, yet the visit took place only at the beginning of 2026. It is also noteworthy that Turchin chose to inspect not the delayed coking unit, but the primary oil processing unit AT 8. Industry sources mention its commissioning, although the unit itself has been operating since the 1960s. The capacity was reported as increased to 825 tons of oil per hour, allowing processing of up to 7.2 million tons per year. Previously, in 2017, the unit had already been commissioned at a capacity of 750 tons per hour[2]. Some sources describe this modernization as the construction of a new unit.
Thus, it is likely that Turchin was in fact assessing the results of the modernization of AT 8 — the main primary oil processing unit of the plant, which accounts for 55 % of the total capacity. Such a modernization, with an increase in installed capacity, could not have been carried out quickly and probably took several months, possibly more than a year.
Assuming the modernization continued throughout the entire second half of 2025, only 4.8 million tons of the plant’s 12 million ton capacity were actually available (400 thousand tons per month). Domestic consumption in Belarus is about 8 million tons, meaning approximately 3.2 million tons of oil had to be processed at the Mozyr refinery for the domestic market.
Based on our estimates of 11–12 million tons of imports and 2 million tons of domestic production, processing for export amounted to 3–4 million tons (330 thousand tons per month) and was fully handled by the Mozyr refinery. In the second half of the year, the refinery was loaded at 730 thousand tons per month, whereas its monthly capacity is 1 million tons.
Thus, even at full capacity, the Mozyr refinery could process only an additional 270 thousand tons per month, which, at a 25 % gasoline yield, would allow for a maximum of 67.5 thousand tons of additional exports. Full utilization of the plant was unlikely, and the gasoline yield assumed is the maximum; at full capacity it would likely be lower.
This explains why Belarus could not significantly increase petroleum product deliveries to Russia in autumn 2025: there simply were not enough capacities due to repairs at JSC “Naftan.”
- [1] https://belta.by/society/view/itogi-goda-i-perspektivy-na-pjatiletku-turchin-posetil-oao-naftan-759101-2026/
- [2] https://oilcapital.ru/news/2018-07-09/na-proektnuyu-moschnost-6-5-mln-tonn-v-god-vyvel-naftan-ustanovku-at-8-1045341?utm_source=google.com&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=google.com&utm_referrer=google.com
Материал доступен на русском языке: Последствия циклонов и аварии в тепловых сетях в начале года. Энергетический дайджест за январь 2026
