Belarusian NPP Is Built, But Where Is Cheap Energy?

How the regime set up Belarusians with the nuclear power plant.

In the past, Lukashenka liked to talk about how the standard of living of Belarusians would improve after the construction of the Belarusian NPP. After the construction was completed, he repeated the benefits of the nuclear power plant. But in reality, Belarusians lost a lot from the Belarusian NPP — Solidarity explains why.

The construction of a nuclear power plant in Belarus was a personal initiative of Aliaksandr Lukashenka, against which, according to public opinion polls, the majority of citizens of the country were against, remembering how the country suffered from the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

The ruler spat on public opinion and did not want to hear any arguments put forward by experts. The nuclear power plant near Astravets began to be built in 2013. More than ten years have passed and the Belarusian NPP is already functioning. But instead of improving the standard of living due to its construction, the citizens of the country suffered damage. In the past, Belarusians were promised cheap electricity tariffs after the NPP started operating. But this did not happen. Why?

On paper, the payback period for the Belarusian NPP is several decades — under one important condition: Belarus will export electricity. But today no one wants to import it from our country — “thanks” to the same Lukashenka.

The Belarusian NPP was built 50 kilometers from Vilnius, despite all the objections of Lithuania. Lithuania, in turn, achieved that Latvia and Poland, as a sign of solidarity, also refused to import Belarusian electricity.

Meanwhile, from April 1 of this year, Belarus was supposed to start repaying the loan taken from Russia (according to the Russian Ministry of Finance, it amounted to 5.36 billion dollars, the rate is 3.3%). It must be repaid in 30 equal installments every 6 months. So Belarusian taxpayers will have to strain themselves.

Lukashenka said that the country would reduce its dependence on Russian gas. But in return he also received dependence on Russian nuclear fuel. Even Lukashenka's colleagues in the post-Soviet space do not want to take such a risk.

And how to calculate all the damage from the deterioration of relations with neighbors? It is not solely about the economy. Before the construction of the Belarusian NPP, Lukashenka visited Vilnius, and after it he created an irreconcilable opponent out of Lithuania. For example, even before the attack on Ukraine, Lithuania refused to transit Belarusian potassium.

One extremely controversial decision of the ruler in the form of building a nuclear power plant has already brought huge economic and political losses to Belarusians and will bring them in the future.

Lukashenka now keeps on saying that the Belarusian NPP is “very, very profitable”. In this way, a person who has done harm to others is trying to justify his actions.

You can support the website Charter97.org

MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL97116022020000000216711123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims

You can contact us by the e-mail charter97@gmail.com