Russian Government considers the general scheme for power facilities siting

19.04.2007 // RIA Novosti

On Apr 19 the Government of the Russian Federation took as a basis the general scheme for power facilities siting in Russia till 2020

During a press-conference the deputy head of the Cabinet staff Mikhail Kopeykin said: “”We have taken this document as a basis and are going to refine it.” He noted that the key parameters of the scheme have been left unchanged. “We have considered the key principles of siting.”

“A total of $420bln will be invested in the program by 2020. The peak demand for financing will be in 2016–2020,” the director of the Department of Structural and Tariff Policies of the Industry and Energy Ministry of Russia Viacheslav Krachenko said during the forum “Fuel and Energy Complex of Russia in XXI” in early Apr.

He noted that much money will be spent on the construction of networks. The document stipulates increase in the nuclear, water and coal energy generation and reduction in the gas energy generation. Starting from 2009 Russia will launch one nuclear reactor a year, from 2012 – two reactors, from 2015 – three reactors, from 2016 – four reactors, from 2019 – two low-capacity reactors.

Most of the facilities will be sited in the European part of Russia. The document also stipulates the completion of ongoing WPP and NPP projects in European Russia and Siberia. “By 2020 the coal generation should be increased tenfold,” Kravchenko said.

The general scheme stipulates the large-scale stoppage of steam-power plants working on gas. There are two scenarios: by 2020 the electricity consumption in Russia will make up either 1.5trl KWh or as much as 2trl KWh.

The share of nuclear energy will grew from 16% to 20%, coal energy — to 38%, the share of gas energy will drop to 35%-30%. “We are planning to revise the forecasts every three years depending on energy consumption, prices and fuel balance,” Kravchenko said, noting that by 2020 the wholesale electricity tariffs may redouble.