Belarus recorded a record electricity consumption during the past heating season. According to Minister of Energy Denis Moroz,
stated
in an interview with the TV channel “First Information”, the peak load exceeded 7.3 thousand megawatts – this is the highest figure for the entire period of the country’s independence.
Павялічыць
Illustrative photo. Photo: “Grodnoenergo”
The main reasons for this situation were the cold weather and the rapid spread of electric heating. The heating season itself lasted longer than usual — 220 days compared to 205 in the previous year, as low temperatures persisted for an extended period.
The total number of accidents in heating supply systems, as Denis Moroz claims, has decreased: while there were about 2.4 thousand previously, now there are about 1.7 thousand. However, as the minister noted, the system is still not entirely reliable due to its great length — more than 7.8 thousand kilometers.
The most serious problem was the accident on January 19 in Minsk, when a large number of homes were left without heat due to damage to the main pipeline.
At the same time, Belarus managed to handle peak loads without importing electricity, partly thanks to the operation of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant.
For 2026, the repair of 110 heat engineering equipment facilities and the modernization of about 250 kilometers of heating networks are planned. The authorities are also expanding the use of modern pipes that are less susceptible to external environmental influences: over the past five years, their share has grown by approximately 20% and now accounts for more than half of all networks.