Belarus assails Russia over oil talks

MINSK, Belarus - Belarus accused Russia of exerting "unacceptable" pressure in talks on oil prices, and said Sunday that Moscow's demands undermined attempts at closer economic integration between the two ex-Soviet neighbors.

A Russian energy official, meanwhile, said the price arguments with Belarus wouldn't affect Russian oil exports to the West through the Belarusian pipeline.

Russia is the main ally and sponsor of Belarus, but relations between the two ex-Soviet neighbors have been increasingly strained by financial arguments.

The Belarusian Cabinet said in a statement Sunday that the two neighbors had failed so far to agree on terms of Russian oil exports to Belarus. It said Moscow's demand that Belarus pays a higher tax on the bulk of Russian oil shipment contradicted an agreement on customs union signed late last year.

It said Russian officials had put an "unprecedented pressure" on the Belarusian delegation during Sunday's talks, and described it as "totally unacceptable."

Russia had said earlier that it was ready to provide tax-free oil for Belarus' internal consumption in line with the customs union deal, but would fully tax all the oil Belarus processes for exports to the West.

Belarus buys about 20 million metric tons of Russian crude a year, but consumes only about one fourth of that. The rest is refined and exported to the West, accounting for more than a third of Belarus' export revenues.

Belarusian experts have estimated that the Russian tax would cost Belarus about $5 billion this year, or more than 10 percent of its gross domestic product.

Belarus' Soviet-style economy heavily depended on Russian oil and gas supplied at a lower price compared with other ex-Soviet nations.

In Moscow, Mikhail Barkov, vice president of the state-controlled Transneft company that runs Russian oil pipelines, said that price arguments with Belarus wouldn't affect Russian oil exports to the West, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

In January 2007, Russia briefly cut oil exports to the European Union nations through a Belarusian pipeline as Moscow and Minsk argued over price.

That shutdown, along with natural gas cutoffs to Europe in January 2006 and January 2009 caused by contract disputes with Ukraine, raised doubts in Europe about Russia's dependability as a top energy supplier to the continent.

Source:cnbc.com/

Belarus defender Dmitry Verkhovtsov desperate to join Celtic

Tony Mowbray met Dmitry Verkhovtsov yesterday to get the measure of the Belarus defender he can purchase for £500,000, but the Celtic manager has warned that his January transfer window activity will not be conducted at the expense of selling his title ambitions short.

Mowbray is eager to trim the Celtic squad, not only to allow fringe players to find first-team football elsewhere, but to free up wages that can be made available to new recruits. However, he insisted yesterday that his aim is to “balance” the financial and football aspirations.

So while 23-year-old Verkhovstov, who trained with Celtic yesterday at their Lennoxtown complex after arriving from Belarus on Sunday, could conclude a deal that sees the 12-times capped centre back move from Naftan Novopolotsk, Mowbray is in no mood to offload players with the Clydesdale Bank Premier League championship still a potential prize.

Numerous suitors are keen on his players, notably Aiden McGeady, who was linked with Everton on Sunday, and Arthur Boruc, the Poland goalkeeper, who is of interest to Tottenham Hotspur. Gary Caldwell is also a signing target for Gordon Strachan, the man who took him to Celtic Park and is now Barry Robson, Scott McDonald, Paul Caddis and Chris Killen are also reported to interest several English sides.

Mowbray said yesterday, however: “It’s a wait-and-see scenario. It’s about balancing your squad, and balancing what comes in as opposed to what might go out.

“We have to make sure we don’t leave any gaping holes in the squad and that all areas are covered for injuries or fatigue or suspension. There will be inquiries for some of our players, of course. But we will decide when the other people come in if we let them go out or not.”

Mowbray has just purchased Ki Sung Yueng, the South Korea midfield player, for £2 million from FC Seoul and Verkhovtsov hopes that he will be next. The Belarus defender said: “I’m confident the deal will go through. I’ll need a work visa, but I’m sure it will be OK.”

The area in his team that Mowbray is most keen to improve is central defence. Caldwell is in the last six months of his contract and has not signed a new deal, prompting the belief that Celtic will try to obtain a fee for him now. That is why Mowbray is also assessing Matthew Kilgallon, Sheffield United’s central defender, whose situation mirrors Caldwell’s in that the 25-year-old is free to sign a pre-contract agreement from Friday, and the Coca-Cola Championship club may also opt to receive some compensation now.

Verkhovstov caught Celtic’s eye when he played for his country in their World Cup qualifying ties with England. He will train this week with Celtic’s squad before the Old Firm derby but would not be eligible to play against Rangers even if a deal went through on January 1.

“I’m delighted to be here and I hope everything will go well this week,” he said. “I want to play for Celtic and I believe I can make a difference. I’m strong in the air and two-footed. This is the chance of my life — and I want to sign for Celtic as quickly as possible.

“I know Celtic are one of the two biggest teams in Scotland and they always play in Europe. It is my dream to play for them. I am looking forward to meeting the players and hearing about the club’s plans for the future.

Verkhovtsov is rumoured to be attracting interest from clubs in Russia, Germany and Ukraine but said: “Celtic are my first choice.”

Mowbray also wants to acquire, Olivier Giroud, the striker from Tours, the French club, but has also stated an interest in Florin Costea, a 24-year-old Romania striker rated at £2 million by his club, Universitatea Craiova.

In addition, Lech Poznan, of Poland, have asked Celtic to make their bid for Semir Stilic, a long-time midfield target. Stilic is a Bosnian valued at £1.5 million.

“What we hope to do in January is add players to help the squad and to help the existing players and not necessarily replace them,” Mowbray said. “We have been working very hard in the last few months to identify footballers and areas of the team which need strengthening and that continues, but there are no guarantees that we will bring in anyone other than Ki.”

Source:timesonline.co.uk/

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Belarus is set to finance the research into the wind potential of some 30 areas

By 2020 Belarus plans to reduce the greenhouse emissions by 600 million tonnes in the CO2 equivalent.


Alexander Grebenkov, a climate change expert, told that “From 1995 to 2008 Belarus reduced the greenhouse gas emissions by 134 million tonnes in the CO2 equivalent. From 2008 till 2010 we are going to cut the emissions by another 600 million tonnes.”

The expert noted that Belarus has the reserves and the potential for further reduction of gas emissions. “The carbon intensity of the Belarusian economy is a bit higher than the average one of the industrially developed countries but much lower compared with other transition economies.

The cuts of greenhouse gas emissions could be bigger in Belarus if the country got access to the new technologies and mechanisms of adapting to the climate change within the framework of the Kyoto Protocol.

Until the Belarusian amendment is ratified by the majority of the Kyoto signatories, Belarus will not be able to use these mechanisms, said Sergei Zavyalov, the chief of the special inspectorate of the state control service of the air, ozone layer and climate protection of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of Belarus.

The aggregate capacity of the Belarusian energy system is estimated at 8,000MW. The country has limited opportunities in terms of increasing the capacity of its energy system. “For example, we can squeeze 250MW from water resources, and some 8-10MW from landfill gas. We are also considering wind energy projects,” he said. The Ministry of Natural Resources is set to finance the research into the wind potential of some 30 areas.

Electrawinds (Belgium) has inquired about Belarus’ wind velocity with a view to constructing electric plants running on wind energy, meat production waste and other alternative energy.

The republic of Belarus imports about 86% of indispensable fuel and energy resources. Thus about 37% of gross consumption of fuel and energy resources in republic will be utilized in large power engineering (on heat and electric stations and boiler-houses) and about 50% - in housing and municipal quadrants.

In Belarus already is disbursed more halves of own reserves of not renewable energy and materials (for example, oil for 85 %, glass sand - on 60%, building sand, grit and clay for production of a brick - 50-60%).

Technological potential of a wind power in Republic of Belarus

In 1998 "Vetromash", "Goskomgidromed", "Belenergosetproekt" the operations on eliciting possible platforms for installation of wind turbines, and also eliciting of a Belarus wind energy potential were held. The following results were obtained: 1840 platforms with a communal engineering potential in 223 million MWh in a year are detected. An economical potential - 18 million MWh in a year, that
compounds 7% from territory suitable for a wind power.

The forecasts of Government of Republic of Belarus on usage of renewable energy

The forecast of Government of Republic of Belarus concerning usage of renewable energy could be obtained in "Reference directions of power policies of Republic of Belarus on 2001-2005 and on a period up to 2015 year", where is in particular said, the idealized potential of a wind power compounds 1600 MW with an annual development 6,5 million MWh.

But in the present period possible and economically justified the development of a potential in 300-350 MW or 1,0-1,5 million MWh. In Belarus for today the same situation, as well as in Germany in 1960-1970 years is supervised. There, when an industrial wind power only originated, and the powerful ambulances were indispensable, the group of the atomic power scientists has undertaken mining wind energy aggregates. In the total a full fall of the idea of usage of a wind power for the industrial purposes. And only that have picked up the given direction and successfully have advanced in Denmark, it in a consequence began to be developed and in Germany.

BelVetroEnergo LLC is one of the most competent wind energy consulting companies in the Republic of Belarus. The company is one of the founders of the Belarusian renewable energy association.

Source:evwind.es/