From April 2025 through March 2026, fossil sources supplied more than half of Belarus’s electricity consumption, at about 57%, while low-carbon sources provided about 43%. Gas alone accounted for roughly 47% of electricity consumption. Nuclear was by far the largest clean electricity source, contributing almost 38%, followed by hydropower at around 3% and wind at just over 1%. Belarus therefore has a substantial low-carbon electricity foundation, but fossil sources still dominate its electricity mix.

Is Electricity Growing in Belarus?

The latest figures do not show electricity consumption reaching new heights. In 2026, consumption stood at about 4,950 kWh per person, around 140 kWh, or 3%, below the record set in 2024. Low-carbon electricity generation was approximately 2,125 kWh per person, about 45 kWh, or 2%, below its 2025 record. These shortfalls are concerning: Belarus needs renewed growth in clean electricity to support electrification, future industrial demand and expanding digital infrastructure, including AI.

Suggestions

Belarus should build on its strong nuclear foundation by expanding existing nuclear generation, alongside substantial solar development and further wind deployment. Relevant European examples demonstrate the potential: nuclear supplies about two-thirds of electricity generation in Slovakia and France, and more than half in Ukraine. Nearby Latvia generates roughly 21% of its electricity from solar, while Poland generates about 13%, offering useful examples for scaling solar in the region. Lithuania’s wind contribution of about 41%, together with Poland’s 14%, also highlights opportunities for wind development. Learning from these regions could help Belarus increase clean electricity output and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, along with their climate and air-pollution impacts.

History

Belarus’s low-carbon electricity history began with relatively modest additions during the 2010s: hydropower increased by 0.1 TWh in 2013 and 0.3 TWh in 2017, while solar added 0.1 TWh in each of 2017 and 2018. Wind and biofuels each added 0.1 TWh in 2019, followed by a further 0.3 TWh from biofuels in 2020. Nuclear then transformed the scale of clean electricity growth, adding 5.4 TWh in 2021 and achieving major gains of 7.1 TWh in 2023 and 4.8 TWh in 2024. In 2025, nuclear added another 0.4 TWh, hydropower 0.9 TWh and wind 0.4 TWh, while biofuels fell by 0.2 TWh. The latest figures reinforce the importance of restoring sustained growth in low-carbon electricity generation and building on the large nuclear-led advances of the early 2020s.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

* 12M = Last 12 months (Apr 2025 – Mar 2026) — a rolling 12-month period, not a calendar year.