The construction of hydroelectric power plants and the oversaturation of sludge fields. What concerns environmentalists in the region?

This was discussed at a meeting of the board of the regional committee for natural resources and environmental protection, dedicated to renewable energy sources.

Biogas plants with a total capacity of 1.8 MW are operating at solid waste landfills, utilizing over 5.5 million cubic meters of landfill gas annually. With the participation of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, work is underway to construct 11 wind power complexes.

Over the past 10 years, boiler equipment in medium and small settlements has been replaced to use local fuel types (LFT). More than 650 boiler houses generate heat from wood and flax shives. However, in some cases, the use of LFT leads to violations of environmental legislation. The reasons are the use of contaminated and over-moistened fuel and outdated equipment.

In 2016 and since the beginning of the current year, the analytical control service has detected exceedances of pollutant emissions at 34 installations.

This year, the largest hydroelectric power stations in Belarus – Vitebsk and Polotsk – will be commissioned, which will save 55 thousand tons of conventional fuel per year and reduce pollutant emissions from the combustion of natural gas at thermal power plants.

In particular, at the Vitebsk HPP, tests of the hydrogenerator are currently underway; it is expected to operate reliably for 720 hours. This year, it is planned to produce 175 million kWh of electricity at the hydroelectric power station.

The environmental protection service has questions regarding the passage of fish through the HPP for spawning. Energy providers note that after the final commissioning of the station in June, the corresponding channels will operate normally.

A promising direction for obtaining thermal and electrical energy is the use of activated sludge from treatment facilities. For example, the Vitebsk Vodokanal annually uses

sludge fields contain about 15 thousand tons of sludge. Storage does not exclude pollution of surface and groundwater.

In July 2016, due to heavy rainfall, the embankment of one of the sludge fields of the Vitebsk treatment facilities broke through. As a result, wastewater entered the Dvina River through a land reclamation canal and the Dobreika River.

The Chairman of the regional committee for natural resources and environmental protection, Ruslan Vinokurov, emphasized that the problem of oversaturation of sludge fields is aggravating every year, so their use is a relevant task.

Sergey Lyashuk. Photos by Anton STEPANISHCHEV, from the archive of "Vitebskiye Vestі".