The Russian energy industry development trend will be determined at the venue of the XII Russian International Energy Forum. The selected trends include enhancing the industry reliability, readiness for the high domestic demand and possibility of green energy. This was outlined by participants of the Plenary Session «Development of the Russian Energy in Present-Day Conditions.

 

«The Energy Forum has raised essential issues, has given modern conditions and challenges for the energy industry. I hope, that during the event days the participants of sessions and round-table discussions will get answers to the questions raised and will be able to suggest solutions on all aspects included in the program», told Aleksei Zhikharev, Director of the Association for Development of Renewable Power Engineering, General Director of ENSOLVE.

Konstantin Simonov, General Director of the National Energy Security Fund, agrees that it is necessary to discuss the industry challenges. «The current situation is quite curious, and it will be helpful to have an honest talk about the problems. We tried to discuss many industry subjects at the last Plenary Session» commented Konstantin Simonov. According to him, the global issues of the industry are related to investments and import substitution. «We have managed to re-direct the flow to the domestic market owing to decline in the electric energy export. However, it is crucial to understand whether the industry is ready to satisfy the growing demand for the electric energy, if we still have high economic growth rates», Konstantin Simonov gives his reasons. He noted that in the course of the Plenary Session an important discussion took place between energy sector industrialists and the lawmakers. They also managed to discuss the issue of electric power tariffs growth.

The opportunities of the Russian International Energy Forum as an efficient platform for law making activities were mentioned by Boris Gladkikh, the Deputy of the State Duma of the RF Federal Assembly, a member of the State Duma Energy Committee. «There is a number of things that we have to overcome from the point of view of understanding, industry response, legislative regulation. We have been moving to adoption of the law about 3–5 years. Owing to such venues we notify of disputable matters for the legislative and executive authorities, receive feedback of the industry and use the information in our work», commented the member of parliament. According to him, the effect of the event is expressed in adjustment of the course of legislative solutions or impulses for the industry. «The Forum venue is a kind of a club providing a potential of offers, ideas and criticism», believes Boris Gladkikh. As he explained, the most critical issue in the industry regulation is related to the state’s pivot towards consolidation and growing reliability of the heat supply market. «It is of the utmost importance that the industry should be reliable, that the tariffs should not grow by leaps and bounds, but more transparency and quality for a consumer should appear. All this must be publicly discussed for the sake of our citizens», summarizes Boris Gladkikh. The deputy informed that any further industry reforms and law-making activities were connected with the aspects of reliability and safety of the country’s utility complex. Subsequently, changes will affect the gas supply industry as well.

Prospects of the green energy development in Russia were separately touched upon in a conversation with journalists. «As I estimate, they are very good», said Aleksei Zhikharev. He underlined that the last is particularly topical in the context of the sanction restrictions. «In this regard, the green energy sector wins as the relevant manufacturing industry has been created in RF for 10 years», clarified Aleksei Zhikharev. According to his estimates, it is already now that the existing energy system has about 6 GW of green generation, and about 10–11 GW more will appear up to 2035.

«These are good investment signals towards both the manufacturing sector and generation and for third-party companies providing consulting, financial and engineering services», believes Aleksei Zhikharev.

Konstantin Simonov sticks to a more cautious approach to the alternative energy sources. «I am the long-time supporter of the traditional energy in Russia and I am confident that we should not artificially transfer to the alternative energy sources just for the sake of fashion. But if the renewable energy sector is able to demonstrate efficiency, if it is cost-effectively, of course, we should try, especially since there are areas in short supply», he shared his opinion.

 

As was clarified by Aleksei Zhikharev, in some regions, for example, in Siberia, electrical shortage is being formed indeed. Here, the renewable energy may become a solution of choice, as the construction cycle of green electric power plant is shorter than that of traditional energy sector (about 2 years), and it is cheaper. According to the speaker’s estimates, the green energy is twice as cheaper as that generated by a coal plant. The demand in the renewable energy sector is expected to be at the level of 5 GW.