Belarus receives huge loan for energy efficient power generation

A loan agreement between the Republic of Belarus and the World Bank has been signed which will see $90 million (€69.5 million) additional financing for energy efficiency projects in the country.

The extra financing will cover the reconstruction costs of two combined heat and power (CHP) plants in the cities of Gomel and Mogilev.

Both CHP facilities are expected to add 145MW of electrical capacity, based on modern gas turbines and engines being installed. When the work is fully complete, the efficiency of the heat and power generation at the sites will double to 30%.

‘The main benefit of the project is the improvement of energy efficiency in heat and power generation, benefitting 120,000 people,’ World Bank task team leader Pekka Salminen was quoted as saying.

This additional finance will be used in conjunction with an original $125 million loan approved in 2009. The original loan was used to convert six heat-only-boiler plants into CHP.