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ORSHA DISTRICT, 4 August (BelTA) – The Belarusian State District Power Plant (BelGRES) in Orsha District will be fully converted to local fuels in 2012, the President of Belarus was informed during his visit to the company. The new boiler produced in Belarus will be installed this year. It will allow replacing natural gas with local fuels. Currently, the share of local fuels at this power plant accounts for 60%, natural gas for 40%. Next year peat and wood chips will be used as fuel. The experimental boiler has been built by Beloozersk Electromechanical Plant. According to the power plant administration, the plant will save $4.5 million as it is converted to local fuels. Belarusian State District Power Plant (BelGRES), a branch of Vitebskenergo, was founded in 1927. It is one of the oldest Belarusian energy production facilities. The plant started generating electricity in 1930. Initially, the plant operated on lump peat. In those days, it provided electricity to Mogilev, Shklov, Orsha and Dubrovno. In the postwar years, the plant was upgraded. In the 1980s the plant began to run on fuel oil. From 1997 to 2003 the plant was converted to natural gas. A unit running on a mixture of wood and peat was built at the plant in 2006. The major consumers of heat power of the Belarusian State District Power Plant are the Tseplichny subsidiary of the Vitebskenergo Company, municipal facilities as well as social services in the village of Orekhovsk. The electricity is supplied to Vitebsk, Orsha and some villages of Vitebsk Oblast. Alexander Lukashenko was briefed on the prospects of development of small-scale energy facilities and local fuels efficiency. Energy Minister Alexander Ozerets noted that today local fuels account for nearly 20.5% of electric and heat power generated in the country. The figure is expected to exceed 28-30% by 2015.

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