Belarus indents to diversify gas supplies thanks to its production abroad. Relevant decision is fixed in the strategy to develop energy potential of Belarus, approved on August 9 by the decision of the Council of Ministers of Belarus № 1180. The strategy is to be implemented by the end of 2020.
«Diversification of gas supplies will continue through the participation of Belarusian organizations in gas exploration and production abroad, through liquefied natural gas supplies, including via Ukraine», reads the document. It is planned to implement the draft to construct terminals to receive and re-gasify liquefied natural gas in Lithuania or Poland.
If this strategy is executed in full, the volume of liquefied natural gas supplies may amount to ten billion cubic meters a year. It will allow to reduce significantly the Republic’s dependence on natural gas supply from Russia.
As stated in new strategy, when choosing regions and potential suppliers of natural gas to Belarus, it is necessary take into account their resources, availability of transport infrastructure or the need for its creation, economy and gas prices, as well as other factors.
According to the government’s information, at present, natural gas exporters in the Central Asian region are Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Gas from Central Asia is exported mainly to Russia and Ukraine via Central Asia — Center pipeline system.
In medium-term perspective, taking into account the existence of long-term contracts with Gazprom for the purchase of almost all export volumes of Central Asian gas, its direct delivery to Belarus is not possible. Moreover, it is hampered by lack of independent transport infrastructure in the country.
