By 2013, the Vitebsk region plans to increase the share of local fuels in the balance of housing and communal services enterprises to 75%

"Initially, we planned to reach this figure by 2015, but now we are setting an ambitious goal – to reach a share of local fuel types in the utility sector's balance up to 75% by 2013," said Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Alexander Kosinets. Today, the Vitebsk region is already ahead of other regions and the republic as a whole in this indicator. The share of local fuel types in the balance of utility enterprises in Belarus is 40.8%. "We couldn't do it before because we didn't have the necessary boilers," explained the head of the Vitebsk region. "But now we are ready to completely change the structure of the fuel balance." The scientific and production enterprise "Belkotlomash" was established in 1990 and is one of the leading manufacturers of boiler equipment in the Republic of Belarus. The enterprise specializes in the development and production of hot water and steam boilers operating on various types of fuel (liquid, solid, and gaseous).

May 13, Beshenkovichi /Corr. BELTA/. By 2013, the Vitebsk region plans to increase the share of local fuel types in the balance of utility enterprises from the current 59.8% to 75%. This was reported today to the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko by the Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee Alexander Kosinets during the visit of the head of state to the scientific and production enterprise "Belkotlomash" in Beshenkovichi, reports BELTA correspondent.

"Initially, we planned to reach this figure by 2015, but now we are setting an ambitious goal – to reach a share of local fuel types in the utility sector's balance up to 75% by 2013," said Alexander Kosinets. Today, the Vitebsk region is already ahead of other regions and the republic as a whole in this indicator. The share of local fuel types in the balance of utility enterprises in Belarus is 40.8%. "We couldn't do it before because we didn't have the necessary boilers," explained the head of the Vitebsk region. "But now we are ready to completely change the structure of the fuel balance."

The scientific and production enterprise "Belkotlomash" was established in 1990 and is one of the leading manufacturers of boiler equipment in the Republic of Belarus. The enterprise specializes in the development and production of hot water and steam boilers operating on various types of fuel (liquid, solid, and gaseous). The boilers are designed for heating and hot water supply of residential, communal, and industrial facilities, as well as agricultural enterprises and other objects of the national economy.

In 2010, the enterprise produced 86 boilers, and in the current year, this number will increase to 110 units. In 2015, this figure is planned to reach 200 units. In general, in the structure of manufactured products, boilers operating on solid fuels (firewood, peat, wood chips) account for 88%, gas - 10%, and fuel oil - 2%.

Modifications of boilers operating on local types of fuel, as well as a new boiler that generates thermal and electrical energy from wood waste and milled peat, were demonstrated to Alexander Lukashenko. This development has no analogues. The boiler's capacity is 3 MW, which allows for the generation of 2.5 MW of thermal energy and 250 kW of electrical energy. According to Alexander Kosinets, many enterprises of "Belenergo" are showing interest in this innovation.

The Chairman of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee also reported that a program for the development of small-scale energy in the Vitebsk region is currently being developed. In the future, it is planned to build 68 such energy facilities in the region. According to Alexander Kosinets, the implementation of the outlined plans for the development of energy based on local fuels will allow for a twofold reduction in natural gas consumption by 2015. -0-