Contract on Power Delivery and Transit Signed

The contract between Belenergo and Inter RAO UES for the supply and transit of Russian electrical energy for 2010 satisfies both the sides, Belenergo director general Aleksei Shirma told BelTA while commenting on the document signed in Moscow on 29 January.

Aleksei Shirma noted that Belenergo and Inter RAO UES came to the agreement regarding the terms of supply of Russian electrical energy to Belarus and its transit to the Baltic states and the Kaliningrad oblast. Aleksei Shirma did not specify how much the transit tariffs have been increased referring to the commercial secret. "These are commercial terms and we have found a well-balanced approach regarding both the supply and transit. So this stratifies both the sides. We are satisfied with the price; they are satisfied with the transit terms," he said. The contract will come into effect once it is approved by the energy import commission early this year.

Belarus was planning to increase the tariffs on the transit of Russian electricity as the transit volume will be much bigger in 2010. The sides held several rounds of talks negotiating the terms of transit and supply.

According to Aleksei Shirma, the volume of transit of Russian electricity through Belarus is expected to increase 8-10 times. "I cannot cite exact figures as many things depend on the power grids of Baltic states, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus. We have various transit agreements. Speaking specifically about Inter RAO UES, in 2009 the transit volume was around 300 million kWh. It will increase to roughly 3 billion," Aleksei Shirma said.

As for the import of Russian electricity to Belarus in 2010, Aleksei Shirma said that the volume meets the agreements reached earlier. "The secured contract is 3 billion kWh," he said.

Inter RAO UES and Belenergo have long-term interdependent contracts on supply and transit of electrical energy via the networks of Belarus’ energy system. In accordance with these contracts, in 2010 Inter RAO UES intends to deliver 3 billion kWh of electrical energy to Belarus in compliance with the Union State balance and up to 2.5 billion kWh of electrical energy on the principles of commercial advisability.