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World Bank to carry out $150-million power generation project in Belarus

The World Bank plans to carry out a $150-million power generation project in Belarus, Elena Klochan, operations officer at the World Bank Office in Minsk, told reporters on February 1.

The project is provided for by the World Bank’s 2008-11 country assistance strategy for Belarus, which was adopted last December, she said.

Officials at the energy ministry and at the energy efficiency department of the State Standardization Committee, managers of the Belarusian State Energy Concern (Belenerha) and representatives of the World Bank currently consider specific steps that will be taken to carry out the project, Ms. Klochan said.

According to her, there are now plans to convert heating boiler houses into small power and heating plants, modernize power lines and promote power generation by the private sector. “We are just starting out with the project,” Ms. Klochan noted.

In May, the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors is expected to authorize a water supply network modernization project estimated at $60 million, she said, adding that the project has been submitted to Belarusian governmental agencies for consideration. “We hope to start implementing this project this summer,” she said.

Belarus became a member of the World Bank in 1992. Since then, the bank has provided Belarus with $258 million in loans and funded 30 grant programs worth a total of $18 million. Under the newly adopted country assistance strategy, the Bank is to annually provide about $100 million in long-term loans to Belarus to support the country in addressing global environment and energy challenges.