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

May 13, Beshenkovichi /BELTA correspondent/. By 2013, the Vitebsk region plans to increase the share of local fuels in the energy balance of housing and communal services 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 head of state's visit to the scientific and production enterprise "Belkotlomash" in Beshenkovichi, BELTA correspondent reports. "Initially, we planned to reach this figure by 2015, but now we are setting an ambitious goal - to reach a share of local fuels in the energy balance of housing and communal services enterprises of up to 75% by 2013," said Alexander Kosinets. Even today, the Vitebsk region is ahead of other regions and the country as a whole in this indicator. The share of local fuels in the energy balance of housing and communal services enterprises in Belarus is 40.8%. "We couldn't do this 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 housing and communal services and industrial facilities, as well as agricultural enterprises and other facilities of the national economy. In 2010, the enterprise produced 86 boilers, and this year their number will increase to 110 units. In 2015, it is planned to increase this figure to 200 units. In general, in the structure of manufactured products, boilers operating on solid fuel (firewood, peat, wood chips) account for 88%, gas - 10%, and fuel oil - 2%. Alexander Lukashenko was shown modifications of boilers operating on local fuels, as well as a new boiler that generates thermal and electrical energy from wood waste and milled peat. There are no analogues to this development. The boiler's capacity is 3 MW, which allows for the production of 2.5 MW of thermal energy and 250 kW of electrical energy. According to Alexander Kosinets, many "Belenergo" enterprises 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 planned goals for the development of energy based on local fuels will allow for a twofold reduction in natural gas consumption by 2015. -0-