communal

OJSC Far Eastern Energy Management Company (FEUK), together with the administration of the Kamchatka region, intends to create OJSC Utility Networks of Kamchatka (KSK). As stated by the general director of DVEUK - Communal Systems, Sergei Vasilchuk, in 2005 the company intends to invest 180 million rubles in this project. Governor Mikhail Mashkovtsev believes that the emergence of KSK will put an end to the monopoly of municipal unitary enterprises in the public utilities sector. The creation of OJSC Utility Networks of Kamchatka (KSK), which will unite the municipal infrastructure of the peninsula into a single system, was announced at a press conference in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky by the General Director of DVEUK - Utility Systems (DVEUK-KS) Sergei Vasilchuk. Mr. Vasilchuk signed the corresponding protocol of intent with the Kamchatka governor Mikhail Mashkovtsev and the mayor of the regional center Vladislav Skvortsov. The head of DVUEK-KS said that the company will begin its work in Petropavlovsk on October 1 of this year. It will have to take on all the transportation of heat and electricity. According to Mr. Vasilchuk, this means “the elimination of the reseller and the currently confusing system of delivering heat to the consumer, as well as transparency in the calculation of payments.” At the first stage, utility networks will be leased to energy companies for one year. In addition to maintenance, during this time an inventory, certification and registration of the property complex will be carried out. After this, the issue of leasing KSK networks for 49 years will be considered.
As DVEUK told Kommersant yesterday, the parties have not yet reached an agreement on the distribution of shares of the Kamchatka administration and power engineers in the newly created OJSC. For example, in the already established DVEUK project on Sakhalin - OJSC Sakhalin Utility Company - 75% belongs to DVEUK-KS, and 25% is owned by the mayor's office of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. It is expected that the KSK board of directors will include representatives of both the regional and city administrations.
Energy workers have their own program for restoring grid facilities on the peninsula. According to their plans, by 2008, out of 22 municipal departmental boiler houses in Kamchatka, only 11 will remain. “We will eliminate them by supplying centralized heat,” explained Sergei Vasilchuk. According to his information, this year DVEUK plans to invest 180 million rubles in the project, the same amount will be allocated next year, then the investment amounts will increase.
“The project to create a utility company is a component of a large-scale plan for the development of the Kamchatka energy system,” noted the general director. “This year we are connecting the Tolmachevsky hydroelectric power station cascade into the system and will take their electricity here. The Ust-Bolsheretsky district will be powered from the central energy center while maintaining tariffs.”
According to Governor Mikhail Mashkovtsev, the creation of Kamchatka Utility Networks will allow competition to develop in this area. “Before this, only municipal unitary enterprises were present on the market. Both in Soviet times and now, it was the only housing office - the owner on its territory,” added the head of the region. When asked about staff reductions, Mr. Mashkovtsev replied: “As long as there are boiler houses, no matter how the control system changes, stokers are needed to operate the valve. If boiler houses close, of course, people will be released. But what do you propose, to keep expensive boiler houses for the sake of the people who work there? Today in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and the region there is no unemployment among people in blue-collar occupations.”
MARINA KRAVCHENKO

Kommersant (Khabarovsk) No. 71 from 04/21/2005

Kamchatka will be pulled into a single network