On the Feasibility of Building Mini-Thermal Power Plant Using Local Fuels in the Conditions of the Republic of Belarus. Part 1. State of Use of Local Fuels in Heat Supply Systems

As part of ensuring the country's energy security and pursuing a policy of decarbonization of the economy in the Republic of Belarus, the maximum use of its own fuel and energy resources (FER) is expected. However, the question of choosing the type of heat source in centralized heat supply systems when using local fuels (LF) remains open. The commissioning of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant and the relatively high specific cost of electricity generating capacities using local fuels tip the scales to the use of boiler houses as heat sources. However, world experience in the development and application of heating, as the most energy-efficient solution in the field of heat supply, requires a more thorough study of this problem. The paper presents an overview of the use of local fuels in Belarus and a number of European countries with developed centralized heat supply. Based on the analysis of open source data, the paper provides information on the state of use of local fuels in district heating systems of the Republic of Belarus and a number of European countries that have experience in the widespread use of solid biomass and where it constitutes a significant share in the structure of thermal and electrical energy production in relation to other fuel and energy resources. The main aspects of the energy programs of a number of European countries with the largest share of thermal and electrical energy generation using local fuels are presented. It has been revealed that the energy program of Finland is of the greatest interest for Belarus, where the share of nuclear energy in the structure of electrical energy production, just like in the Republic of Belarus, is approaching to 40 % and the energy strategy assumes an increase in the share of thermal power plants using local fuels in the structure of heat and electricity generation.

1. On Approval of the |Concept of Energy Security of the Republic of Belarus: Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, December 23, 2015, No 1084. National Register of Legal Acts of the Republic of Belarus, 2015, No. 5/41477 (in Russian).

2. About the State Program “Energy Saving” for 2021-2025: Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus, February 24, 2021, No. 103. National legal Internet portal of the Republic of Belarus. Available at: https://pravo.by/document/?guid=3871&p0=C22100103 (in Russian).

3. Program for the Comprehensive Modernization of Energy Sector Production for 2021-2025: Resolution of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Belarus, April 05. 2021. No 19. 2021. Available at: https://energodoc.by/js/pdfjs/web/viewer.html?file=/file/fulltext-view/8720.pdf.

4. Victor Karankevich: “With the commissioning of the Nuclear Power Plant the Share of Natural Gas in the Energy Balance of Belarus will Decrease to 60 %». Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Belarus. Available at: https://minenergo.gov.by/press/glavnye-novosti/viktor-karankevich-s-vvodom-aes-dolya-prirodnogo-gaza-v-energobalanse-belarusi-snizitsya-do-60-/?sphrase_id=52175 (accessed 01 Juny 2023) (in Russian).

5. On Approval of the Concept of Energy Development of Electricity Generating Capacities and Electrical Networks for the Period Until 2030: Resolution of the Ministry of Energy, February 25. 2020, No. 7. Consultant Plus: Republic of Belarus, 2020 (in Russian).

6. Paris Climate Agreement. Available at: https://minpriroda.gov.by/ru/paris-ru (accessed 10 Juny 2023) (in Russian).

7. Ivanov D. L., Ivashko E. A. (2021) Extremely High Growth Rates of air Temperature as a Characteristic Feature and Peculiarity of the Climate of the Territory of Belarus in the Context of Global Warming. Razvitie Geograficheskikh Issledovanii v Belarusi v XX-XXI Vekakh [Development of Geographical Research in Belarus in the 20th-21st Centuries]. Minsk, Belarusian State University, 329-332 (in Russian).

8. Voytov I. V., Lednitsky A. V. (2017) Current State and Prospects for the Use of Wood Fuel in the Republic of Belarus. Lesozagotovitel'noe Proizvodstvo: Problemy i Resheniya: Materialy Mezhdunarodnoi Nauch.-Tekhn. Konf., Minsk, 26-28 aprelya 2017 [Logging Production: Problems and Solutions: Proceedings of International Scientific and Technical Conference, Minsk, April 26-28, 2017]. Minsk, Belarusian State Technological University, 9-14 (in Russian).

9. Forest Fund. Available at: https://mlh.by/our-main-activites/forestry/forests (accessed 18 May 2023) (in Russian).

10. Tomson A. E., Naumova G. V. (2009) Peat and Products of its Processing. Minsk, Belaruskaya Navuka Publ. 328 (in Russian).

11. Korotkaya A. I., Timofeeva T. A. (2018) Problems of Rational use of Natural Resources in the Republic of Belarus. XXI Vek. Tekhnosfernaya Bezopasnost = Technosphere Safety. XXI Century, 3 (2), 52-60 (in Russian).

12. Energy in Numbers. Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Belarus. Available at: https://minenergo.gov.by/press/energetika-v-tsifrakh. (accessed 20 May 2023) (in Russian).

13. National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus (2021) Energy Balance of the Republic of Belarus: Statistical Collection. Minsk. 147 (in Russian).

14. Energy Statistics Data Browser. IEA. Available at: https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/energy-statistics-data-browser (accessed 20 June 2023).

15. Belarus Energy Profile. IEA. Available at: https://www.iea.org reports/belarus-energy-profile (accessed 20 May 2023).

16. Fedorenchik A. S., Lednitsky A. V. (2010) Energy Use of Low-Quality Wood and Wood Waste. Minsk, Belarusian State Technological University. 446 (in Russian).

17. Estonia’s 2030 National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP 2030) Available at: https://energy.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2022-08/ee_final_necp_main_en.pdf (accessed 04 July 2023).

18. Energy Sector Development Plan. 2023. Available at: https://www.mkm.ee/en/energy-sector-and-mineral-resources/energy-economy/energy-sector-development-plan (accessed 04 July 2023).

19. Energy Policies of IEA Countries: Estonia 2019 Review. Available at: https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/219 65e0d-c9a9-4617-b1ad-5b4539d91ad7 / Estonia _ 2019_Review.pdf (accessed 04 July 2023).

20. National Development Plan of the Energy Sector Until 2030. Tallinn, 2017. Available at: https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/est199996.pdf (accessed 04 July 2023).

21. Volkova A., Latosov E., Siirde A. (2020) Heat Storage Combined with Biomass CHP under the National Support Policy a Case Study of Estonia. Rigas Tehniskas Universitates Zinatniskie Raksti, 24 (1), 171-184.

22. Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland. Helsinki (2022) Carbon Neutral Finland 2035 - National Climate and Energy Strategy. Available at: https://julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/164323/TEM_2022_55.pdf (accessed 07 July 2023).

23. IEA. Finland 2023. Energy Policy Review. Available at: https://iea.blob.core.windows.net/assets/c77be693-2bb3-486c-8fbe-e33b0624bc7a/Finland2023-EnergyPolicyReview.pdf (accessed 07 July 2023).

24. IEA. Energy Policies of IEA Countries: Denmark 2017 Review. Available at: https://www.connaissancedesenergies.org/sites/default/files/pdf-actualites/energypoliciesofieacountriesdenmark2017review.pdf (accessed 10 July 2023).

25. Denmark’s Energy and Climate Outlook. Available at: https://ens.dk/sites/ens.dk/files/Analyser/deco19.pdf (accessed 10 July 2023).

26. Biomass Analysis. 2020. Available at: https://ens.dk/sites/ens.dk/files/Bioenergi/biomasseanalyse_final_ren_eng.pdf (accessed 10 July 2023).

27. Data, Tables, Statistics and Maps. Energy Statistics 2021. Available at: https://ens.dk/sites/ens.dk/files/Statistik/energy_statistics_2021.pdf (accessed 10 July 2023).