Russia is
working actively to ensure a reliable power supply to newly annexed regions.
Rosseti is implementing innovative approaches and gaining competencies in
renewable energy management, this opening up new opportunities for accelerated
energy development in new regions. The integrated development approach involves
creation of new energy systems and their connection to the general grid, allowing
operability and electricity generation to be restored on numerous wind farms.
These measures not only preclude power shortages but also contribute to
environmentally friendly development of the energy sector. Such conclusions
were reached at the session “Fuel and Energy Industry: A Driver for the
Development of New Regions of the Russian Federation” at Russian Energy Week
2024 (REW).
KEY CONCLUSIONS
Russia ensures reliable power supply in new regions
“Energy
companies are planning, reconstructing and restoring generating grid equipment.
And this work is yielding results reflected in the figures. The amount of electricity
generated by power plants in Russia’s new constituent entities is up 16% compared
to the same period last year. This is largely as result of inclusion of wind
power plants in the energy system. Rosseti has done a great job of restoring
the operational capacity of wind power plants, with more than 70% of their
installed capacity having already been restored,” Mikhail Govorun, Director of
Management of the Unified Energy System Modes – Chief Dispatcher, Russian Power
System Operator.
Rosseti gains new competence in renewable energy
“Rosseti
has never had renewable energy source competence. There have been approaches,
there have been certain touchpoints, and there have been individual projects
but, on such a scale, in the modern structure of the electric power industry's
operation – generation, large-, small-scale, distributed, grid facilities,
sales – this has been such an example. In other words, Rosseti has acquired
a new competence that it has been confirming for a long time. 200 million, 2
billion kilowatt-hours of electricity generation represents quite a large
resource and a lot of experience,” Igor Makovskiy, General Director, Rosseti
Centre – Managing Organization of Rosseti Centre and Volga Region.
Energy development in Russia's new regions progresses
rapidly
“The new
regions have always been energy-sufficient. After the blockade of Ukraine and
the special military operation were launched, everything went downhill. We
became deficient and substantially so. Speaking of the Donetsk People's
Republic, imagine, we have six thermal power plants. The Kurakhove and
Sloviansk thermal power plants are still on unliberated territories, while the Myronivsky
and Vuhlehirska plants are still in reserve, but I think they will soon have to
be reactivated because there is not enough energy in both the Luhansk People's
Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic. And there are two stations, Zuivska
and Starobesheve, which are really operating, although not all their units,
producing some 1.3–1.5 gigawatts. Plus wind turbines, which generate 60
megawatts in the DNR. In Zaporizhzhia it is, of course, solar panels, with
power output nearing 200 megawatts,” Andrey Chertkov, First Deputy Chairman of
the Government of the Donetsk People's Republic.
PROBLEMS
Development of new regional economies requires more
energy
“Traditional
generation in the new regions is not in as good a condition as we would like,
for a number of reasons. The first is historical. A number of units from the
time when they were operated as part of the Ukrainian energy system were in
so-called long-term conservation, while, in fact, they were in an inoperable
state and partially dismantled. These account for almost all 800 MW units, also
generating equipment at Luhansk TPP, Starobesheve TPP and Zuivska TPP. And, of
course, the condition of power plants is affected by the special military
operation,” Milkhail Govorun, Director for Management of the Unified Energy
System Modes – Chief Dispatcher, Russian Power System Operator.
“Today we
have two substations, wind turbines, and that's it. And the Donetsk People's
Republic, unlike neighboring regions, is a large industrial hub. So it has a
big metallurgical sector, major factories. When I started thinking about it
all, because I was tasked with handling the coal industry, and when I started
piecing it all together, I thought, what is all this work for? It turned out
that all the economies are actually driven by metallurgy in the Donbass region.
That's number one. And all the railways, seaports, energy, coal – they all work
for just one thing – metallurgy. That is why, today, the most important task
addressed by the head is to raise the metallurgical industry. And, for this, we
need coking coals, ore and energy,” Andrey Chertkov, First Deputy Chairman of
the Government of the Donetsk People's Republic.
SOLUTIONS
Restoration and commissioning of substations
“As of
today, I can say that we have commissioned and restored 19 substations with a
capacity of between 35 and 330 kW, which provide the power output scheme, more
than 100 km of cable transmission lines, replaced more than 3,000 batteries,
replaced or restored 1,200 power units – and we are performing the service
function ourselves, without vendors,” Igor Makovskiy, General Director, Rosseti
Centre – Managing Organization of Rosseti Centre and Volga Region.
Creating the energy systems of the new regions
“The system
operator is primarily involved in forming forecast power capacity balances. And
in organizing measures to restore, reconstruct and build power grid equipment
and generating equipment. These measures are organized so as to cover and
ensure a reliable power supply to consumers amid growing consumption. As you
mentioned, this planning takes into account the urban development plans
because, as you know, there's active reconstruction and development going on
now of cities like Mariupol, Lysychansk, Khartsyzk and others,” Milkhail
Govorun, Director of Management of the Unified Energy System Modes – Chief
Dispatcher, Russian Power System Operator.
Exploiting the vast opportunities for renewable energy
development in new regions
“Today, we
have almost 200 wind turbines in stable operation and we produce 700 megawatts
of constant, stable power. We deliver this to the grid and bring it to
consumers,” Igor Makovskiy, General Director, Rosseti Centre – Managing
Organization of Rosseti Centre and Volga Region.
* This is a
translation of material that was originally generated in Russian using
artificial intelligence.
For more
information, visit the Roscongress Foundation’s Information and Analytical
System at roscongress.org
