Belarusian housing and communal services enterprises need to more actively implement energy-saving technologies - S. Sushko

February 10, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. Housing and communal services enterprises of Belarus need to more actively implement modern high-efficiency energy-saving technologies and attract foreign investment for these purposes. This opinion was expressed today to journalists by Deputy Minister of Housing and Communal Services Sergei Sushko, who is taking part in the VII International Exhibition-Conference "Energy and Resource Saving Technologies, Equipment and Materials" in Vitebsk, BELTA correspondent reports. Such projects are already being implemented in the housing and communal services system of Belarus in the field of small thermal power engineering, Sergei Sushko emphasized. "In particular, there are about 3 thousand boiler houses in operation, which provide heat to the population in small towns and large rural settlements. In addition, it is planned to build 10-15 mini-CHP plants using modern technologies in district centers for this purpose, and the issue of financing this project through Finland's credit lines is already being worked out," he said. A large volume of work on energy saving has been carried out in the housing and communal services system recently. At the same time, much remains to be done, and reserves for this must be sought everywhere, not just at heat sources, the deputy minister believes. For example, relining networks for the transportation of heat resources yields high efficiency. In 2009, housing and communal services enterprises in Belarus replaced 722 km of networks, which amounted to 104.6% of the 2008 level, with a target of 104%. "We will maintain this pace for the next three years to replace all networks that are in unsatisfactory condition. In addition, to reduce energy consumption during the same period, about 9 thousand units of pumping equipment will need to be replaced in the water supply and sewerage and heating systems," the deputy minister said. Sergei Sushko also added that in 2010, investments in energy-saving measures in the housing and communal services system will amount to Br700 billion. This year, the utility workers have been tasked with saving 285 thousand tons of equivalent fuel. -0-