Directions for further development of the energy sector were discussed at the IV International Scientific Conference “Sustainable Development of Belarusian Energy: State and Prospects” in Minsk, reports BELTA correspondent.

Director of the Energy Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus Anton Bryn noted that Belarus's energy system is undergoing a stage of deep transformation. “The country must simultaneously ensure reliability, accessibility, and safety of energy supply for industry and the population, while also taking into account global climate challenges and decarbonization trends. Before the scientific and expert community stands the task of increasing the flexibility of the energy system and effectively combining nuclear and renewable energy,” he emphasized.

Over the past decades, Belarusian energy has demonstrated quantitative and qualitative growth. A new sector—nuclear energy—has emerged in the country. In this regard, according to academician‑secretary of the Department of Physical‑Technical Sciences of the NAS of Belarus Konstantin Kozadaev, it is important to ensure flexibility and stability of the energy system under conditions of its active growth, to find a balance between renewable energy sources and traditional generation.

A promising direction is the use of artificial intelligence in managing the energy system. “The introduction of such technologies should proceed gradually and with consideration of safety requirements. Some artificial intelligence models escape the control of their creators and behave unpredictably. Energy should not become a field for experiments with such AI models. Safety issues in this matter must come first,” added Konstantin Kozadaev.

According to Deputy Chairman of Gosstandart—Director of the Department for Energy Efficiency Vitaly Kretsky, energy saving and rational use of resources are key elements of Belarus's energy security and independence. Over the previous five‑year period, Belarus saved more than 3 million tonnes of conditional fuel. For the current five‑year period, the task is to save about 1.3 million tonnes, and this does not mean giving up the usual level of electricity or natural gas consumption. “We are talking about reducing the consumption of energy resources per unit of output. This will reduce costs, increase product competitiveness, and ultimately improve the well‑being of citizens,” explained Vitaly Kretsky.

As noted by Vadim Kitikov, director of the Institute of Housing and Communal Services of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the housing and communal sector is a major consumer of energy resources. "Communal energy accounts for a significant share of energy consumption. Therefore, in its development, it is necessary to consider new energy systems and complexes, decentralization, and renewable energy sources," he said.

One of the main tasks in the development of communal energy, the institute director said, is the development of methods for analyzing the efficiency of energy use. Moreover, in communal energy it is necessary to take into account global trends in the production, processing, transmission, and distribution of energy. "One of the promising areas is hybrid energy systems. They allow, through information and control technologies, to combine the advantages of centralized, decentralized, and renewable energy sources," added Vadim Kitikov.

He also drew attention to the importance of developing intelligent systems and called energy storage a promising direction. "The implementation of smart grids should be oriented toward human needs and increasing the overall efficiency of energy supply," the institute director explained. "Moreover, it is necessary to improve technologies for creating and ways of effectively applying energy storage."