Publications

Survey of Energy Resources 2007

Geothermal Country Notes

Belarus
To a great extent Belarus, with its reliance on fossil fuels, has historically depended on neighbours for its supply of energy and although geothermal heat is available, development of this resource (together with the other renewable energies) is still at a very early stage.

The geothermal resource, underlying most of the country, is mainly located in the Pripyat Trough, in the southeast and the Brest Depression, in the southwest. Some initial exploration work was undertaken in the mid-1950s but it is only in recent years that any use of direct heat has been made. Several small installations (in the region of 500 kW) in the north east and central parts of the country have now been built for the purpose of space heating. During 2005 drilling began for an installation in the town of Brest. It is expected to be completed and tested during the first half of 2007, with a geothermal heat pump supplying a local greenhouse complex. A second installation in the town of Soligorsk is planned.

Since the late 1990s several municipal heat pump systems have been installed to serve Minsk.