Translated material
Spending according to science
IDGC proposes to include R&D costs in the tariffs of network operators
Network companies may be able to recoup R&D costs from consumers. This proposal was voiced yesterday by Nikolai Shvets, head of IDGC-Holding, which unites Russian distribution network organizations. According to him, otherwise, increasing allocations for the development of new technologies will require reducing costs on other items of the investment program. According to experts interviewed by Vremya Novostei, the “scientific” component in energy tariffs will be a burden on consumers and will not bring the desired result.Next year, it is planned that distribution grid companies of IDGC-Holding will switch to the so-called RAB tariffs (Regulatory Asset Base - regulated base of employed capital), which are expected to attract additional investments in the development of electric grids. As experts told Vremya Novostey, although the network component in the final tariff is not significant, it will still contribute to rising prices for consumers. However, IDGC decided not to limit itself to the introduction of a new investment capital return system. According to the head of the holding, R&D costs are currently not included either in the tariff or in a separate item of the investment program. Meanwhile, outdated equipment requires replacement - the wear and tear of fixed network assets reaches 50%. “These are thousands of kilometers of networks and thousands of pieces of equipment,” said Mr. Shvets. The holding, according to him, is actively working to modernize the energy sector; next year it is planned to begin testing new types of equipment. Chinese and Korean companies may be involved in the development of high-tech samples. It is also proposed to create a testing center for energy equipment in the country worth 3-4 billion rubles.
However, according to experts, technological updating should not be carried out by network specialists. “R&D expenses are not necessary to support the company's operations. The development of network infrastructure is carried out by System Operator. This is stipulated in the energy law. If the task is to develop more efficient transmission technologies, then this should be done by equipment manufacturers - Russian Technologies, - Renaissance Capital analyst Vladimir Sklyar explained to Vremya Novostey. In addition, according to him, the inclusion of a scientific component in the energy tariff will affect, albeit not very significantly, the cost of a kilowatt for the end consumer. “If such an initiative is approved, within three years we can expect a 10% increase in the distribution tariff, which for end consumers will mean an increase of 0.5%,” the expert added.
As part of the fight against non-payments on the Russian energy market , the non-profit partnership Market Council, as previously reported by the Vremya Novostey newspaper (see issue dated December 2) , proposes to deprive insolvent sales companies of the status of a supplier of last resort. According to the current rules, the status of a network company is given for six months, and if a solvent replacement is not found for the ineffective “sales”, IDGC retains the honorary title for another period of time. However, as Nikolai Shvets, head of IDGC-Holding, said yesterday, a proposal has already been sent to the Ministry of Energy to maintain the status of a guarantee supplier for network operators even after two six-month periods. “We will be obliged to return the status. Our companies will incur costs for this activity during this period,” explained Mr. Shvets. Moreover, according to him, by taking over the functions of a sales company, network operators may not repay the debts it has accumulated. Recently, the Market Council presented a new mechanism for transferring the status of a guaranteeing supplier. It is proposed to hold a competition at the federal level, the winner of which is the company willing to contribute the largest amount to pay off the debt.