Belorusskaya State District Power Plant (Vitebsk oblast) has completed a project for setting up a power unit, which uses wood fuel and peat. BelTA learnt from representatives of the enterprise, the second installation of the new power unit was put into operation in summer 2007. The project was accomplished as part of the state programme for modernising the basic production assets of the Belarusian power grid. In December 2006 the power plant installed a boiler, which uses locally available fuels, with the capacity of 20 tonnes of steam per hour, and a 1.5MW turbine. The new boiler uses a modern fluid bed firing technology. Since early this year the equipment has been in a pilot operation and tuning mode. In July the enterprise completed commissioning a computerised control system for the new unit ahead of schedule as well as environmental measures and land improvement to crown the project. At present Belorusskaya State District Power Plant burns locally available fuels instead of gas, namely wood chips and peat (roughly 50% each). The firewood and waste wood are supplied by forestry enterprises of the Vitebsk oblast, peat — Osintorf company. Representatives of Belorusskaya State District Power Plant remarked, the power plant used to burn peat and was switched to using gas some 30 years ago. After a long break the enterprise has resumed using peat, but utilising the latest technologies. The accomplishment will allow reducing gas consumption, increasing economic feasibility and effectiveness of the plant’s operation. According to the source, the economic effect achieved by installing the new equipment may be fully evaluated only after it has operated in winter. Gas-burning equipment will be used during the cold season as well. The old 6MW turbine has been duly upgraded, stressed the source. Belorusskaya State District Power Plant was built in 1930 and is the country’s first power plant. The power plant’s module, which burns locally available fuels, will be one of the pilot projects to demonstrate the use of locally available fuels of the Belarusian power engineering industry. At present Belarus has mini combined heat power plants, which burn waste wood, in Osipovichi, a lignin-fired boiler at Bobruisk Combined Heat Power Plant No. 1. There are plans to commission small-scale combined heat power plants in Vileika soon. The projects are designed to make the produced heat and electricity less expensive and increase the utilisation of local resources. Let us remind you that there are plans to increase the share of used locally available fuels in Belarus’ fuel budget up to 25%.