1. Home
  2. Asia - Pacific
  3. Russia’s efforts on moving to green energy
Russia’s efforts on moving to green energy

Russia’s efforts on moving to green energy

0
0

Russia set a target on the development of renewable energy sources in 2009, with the aim to grow their share of total power production to 4.5 per cent by 2024.

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin has said he wants Russia’s total net greenhouse gas emissions to be less than the European Union’s over the next 30 years, a goal he described as tough but achievable.

Russia is the world’s fourth largest greenhouse gas emitter. Its population is around half the total of the 27 EU countries. Putin is delivering a speech at an online climate change summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday.

Following are key data on Russian green energy and projects:

  • Nuclear and hydro-powered energy plants accounted for more than 40 per cent of total power energy produced in Russia in 2020. Thermal power plants accounted for 53 per cent of production.
  • The share of renewable energy sources, such as wind farms and solar plants, accounted for 0.3 per cent, or 3.36 billion kilowatt-hours in production, according to the System Operator of Russia’s United Power System and Reuters’ calculations.
  • Of Russia’s total power capacity of 251.1 gigawatts (GW), thermal power plants account for 66.3 per cent, hydro power plants account for 20.8 per cent, while nuclear power plants have a share of 11.7 per cent. Wind farms and solar plants, with total capacity of 2.76 GW, account for around 1.1 per cent.
  • Russia set a target on the development of renewable energy sources in 2009, with the aim to grow their share of total power production to 4.5 per cent by 2024.
  • Russia embarked on a plan in 2013 to increase renewable projects’ capacity. Developers of renewable projects bid in annual tenders, with the winners’ signing 15-year capacity supply contracts (CSAs). They must build a renewable power station by a specified deadline, and are paid for the capacity they add and the energy they supply.
  • Under this plan, Russia expects to build wind farms, solar plants and small-scale hydro power plants with total capacity of 5.5 GW, or 2.2 per cent of all the country’s power capacity, by 2024.
  • A second green investment stimulus plan, which was agreed in 2020-early 2021, foresees construction of another 6.7 GW of capacity in 2025-2035, according to the Energy Ministry.
  • By 2035, Russia should have green power plants with capacity of around 12 GW, or 4.8 per cent of current total power generating capacity.
  • Among key investors into wind farms, solar plants and small hydro power stations in Russia are Finnish company Fortum , Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom, Enel Russia, Photon Solution, Solar Systems, Rushydro , En+ and TGK-1.
Source: Reuters
Anand Gupta Editor - EQ Int'l Media Network