| Electricity is temporarily cheaper in the Far East Today the first hydraulic unit of the Bureyskaya HPP will be put into commercial operation. Vladimir Putin will be present at the ceremonial events on this occasion in the village of Talakan, Amur Region - it was precisely for his work schedule that RAO UES of Russia came up with this event (the official launch of the power plant took place on June 30). Meanwhile, the Khabarovsk Territory has already felt relief due to the commissioning of the power plant, and yesterday the authorities in this region reduced electricity tariffs. Now for the urban population, a kilowatt-hour began to cost 1.05 rubles. instead of the previous 1.15, village residents will pay 74 kopecks. instead of 81. Also, in the coming days, energy prices will fall by 9.5% in Primorye, and by 8.8% in the Amur region. True, the tariff reduction will not affect industry, and will last until the end of the year at most.
The launch of the Bureyskaya HPP - the largest hydropower construction project in Russia over the past 15 years - is an important part of the state program for the development of the Far East and Transbaikalia. The Far Eastern energy system is practically isolated from the Unified Energy System of Russia and is 40% dependent on imported coal, which leads to high electricity tariffs. And this, in turn, restrains the growth of industrial production in the region. Hydropower, on the other hand, is the cheapest - the selling tariff set by the Federal Energy Commission for the Bureyskaya HPP is about 35 kopecks. per kWh, and this makes it possible to reduce the average tariff level in the Far East.
However, the tariff reduction may only last until the end of the year. According to the general director of Khabarovskenergo Valery Levit, this could lead to the opposite effect - tariffs will have to be increased by an average of 10% starting in January. The fact is that, in addition to inflation, the tariff must include an investment component for the completion of the Bureyskaya HPP; for these purposes, according to the head of RAO UES of Russia Anatoly Chubais, about $1 billion is needed (RAO and the state have already spent about $1 billion on construction). $2 billion). True, RAO plans to partially look for money outside. “We are ready for investors to come; the state, represented by RAO, should retain 51% of the shares (after RAO buys the shares of the power plant from Zeyagesstroy and the Bureyskaya HPP itself, it will own about 74% of the shares. - Ed. ), - stated Mr. Chubais. “And for us it makes no difference whether domestic or Russian investors will own the remaining shares; Chinese and Korean businesses are promising for us.” The only problem is that private capital will demand the fastest payback for the station and is unlikely to want to wait 15 years, as RAO is currently planning.
In addition, the launch of the Bureyskaya hydroelectric power station is already creating certain problems for the energy sector of the Far East - this year a number of power plants throughout the region will have to be mothballed. First of all, according to Mr. Chubais, Dalenergo will be forced to reduce generation, and Amurenergo will need to deal with the low-efficiency Raichikhinskaya power plant. It is still difficult to say how many stations will have to be closed in connection with the launch of the Bureyskaya HPP, but there will clearly be many of them, because, for example, in the Khabarovsk Territory there are many remote stations that generate energy not for 35 kopecks, but for 2-3 rubles. per kWh Maxim GLADKY, Khabarovsk |
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