Russia Energy Dashboard

Grid Summary

Russia is unique due to its unified power system that connects 70 localized energy systems and allows the transfer of power across the country. This is a unique situation that could allow the siting of renewable energy projects in some remote locations with access to transmission facilities which can deliver power to more densely populated areas. The overwhelming size of Russia also implies a strong development potential for all renewable energy resources. Russia has excellent potential for wind power generation. An attempt to utilize just 25 percent of its total potential would yield some 175,000 MW of power. The highest wind energy potential is concentrated along seacoasts, in the vast territories of steppes and in the mountains. The overall technical potential of biomass is estimated as 35 million toe, which, if converted to electrical power, could generate nearly 15,000 MWe. This includes sewage sludge, cattle manure, and lumber waste. With the reconstruction of pulp and paper plants, the use of wood waste is also becoming more prevalent. Similarly, hydro potential is quite large with 9 percent of the world’s hydro resources concentrated on Russian soil. Hydropower makes up 21 percent of total generating capacity and there is a large potential for small to medium hydro power projects. Geothermal potential is also high, with theoretical resource estimates of high temperature (>90 C) steam, water and brine at greater than 3,000 MWe. Solar potential is reasonable despite the country’s location in the northern latitudes. The highest solar potential is in the southern regions...more information.

For the Russian Federation, a middle-income country and a member of the G8, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) do not represent a formal basis for national development planning. Nonetheless, many MDG-relevant goals and indicators are reflected in strategic documents adopted by the Government, specifically, in the Medium-Term Strategy of Socio-Economic Development (2006-2008), in the National Priority Projects initiated by President Putin at the end of 2005. These Projects foresee a boost in budget allocations in the areas of health, education, housing and agriculture, and address such issues as education in rural areas, the eradication of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, and the reduction of poverty through enhanced access to credit resources. The Council under the President of the RF oversees the implementation of the Projects as well as demographic policy, supported by several sectoral ministries. Among most recent initiatives, in October 2007 President Putin approved the Concept of Demographic Policy of the Russian Federation for the period until 2025, targeted at reducing mortality, increasing life expectancy and sorting out migration issues. The main achievements of the past five to seven years include a significant reduction of poverty levels, from 25 per cent to 15 per cent of population living below the national poverty line. This is due in large part to economic growth based on favourable world oil and gasoline prices. There has also been a reduction of child and maternal mortality levels, driven by increased income and some improvement in primary care. In addition, high-level government attention to the problem of HIV/AIDS is promising a reverse of the epidemic trends in the near future...more information.