“Who Knows What Price We Will Pay for Gas?” Zayats on Nuclear Power Plant Construction
Reform.news Editorial Team · 10 November 2026, 13:11
https://reform.news/en/who-knows-what-price-we-will-pay-for-gas-zayats-on-nuclear-power-plant-construction/Leanid Zayats, Chairman of the Standing Commission of the Council of the Republic on Regional Policy and Local Self-Government, is uncertain about the stability of gas prices for Belarus. This is why another nuclear power plant should be built in the southeastern part of the country. He made the remarks at a press conference at the National Press Centre, commenting on yesterday’s meeting with Aliaksandr Lukashenka on regional development.
“The president also drew attention to another area which I believe is equally important: ensuring that we do not become dependent on external suppliers. Yes, today we receive gas at a certain price. But who knows what price we may be paying in the future? Nobody knows. Everything is changing in this world. That is why we need to develop our domestic energy sector and expand our energy system,” he said.
According to Zayats, this is precisely why the third power unit of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (BelNPP) is being built and plans are being considered for a second nuclear power plant.
“So a decision has been made, and the president said that a third unit of the nuclear power plant should be built. In addition, in the southeast, the idea has emerged of building a smaller nuclear power plant to generate additional electricity. Why? Because our population is already switching to electric heating, and public transport is also switching to electric power. People are buying electric cars, and there are more and more supporters of electricity consumption. If we have electricity and are not dependent on others, then, of course, we can set our own policies and pursue our own agenda,” he added.
According to the Energy Ministry’s plans, the third unit of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant could be commissioned in the middle of the next decade.