/ / News
16.11.2011

Belarus, Poland committed to energy cooperation

MINSK, 16 November (BelTA) – Belarus and Poland will continue the dialogue on energy cooperation, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Poland to Belarus Leszek Szerepka told media on 16 November.

According to the diplomat, the Polish side has invited the Deputy Energy Minister of Belarus to visit Warsaw and discuss possible supplies of Polish coal for the future coal-fired plant in Zelva as well as the issue of an energy bridge between Poland and Belarus. The visit might be held in December, the Ambassador said.

The project to construct a coal-fired plant in Zelva (approximately 920MW) envisages FDI attraction. The plant will replace 1.68 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

In connection with the termination of cooperation with the Polish company Kulczyk, at the beginning of 2011 Belenergo announced an open tender for the construction of Zelva CHP plant through international direct investment scheme “build-own-transfer”. This scheme suggests the construction and operation of the plant by the investor within a certain period of time so that he could obtain profit and return the money spent on the project.

The investment proposal on the project was sent to more than 60 foreign companies in January 2011. Though several foreign companies showed interest in the project, no applications were filed to Belenergo within the established time limit.