GREEN STRUGGLES AGAINST BLACK GOLD IN RUSSIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MOSCOW 000048 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ENRG SENV ETRD ECON TRGY RS SUBJECT: GREEN STRUGGLES AGAINST BLACK GOLD IN RUSSIA Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) With its focus on oil, gas, and nuclear power, Russia has largely ignored the renewable energy sector. The GOR has not yet established a comprehensive renewable energy strategy. Instead, the GOR is targetting ways to reduce wasteful energy consumption. Experts believe renewable sources such as wind, biomass, solar, and geothermal have considerable potential in Russia. To date, however, the sector, apart from hydroelectric, has attracted minimal investment and political attention. End Summary. Background -------------- ¶2. (U) According to International Energy Agency (IEA) statistics, renewable energy sources in Russia, apart from hydroelectric, account for about 1% of electricity generation and 5% of heat generation. The IEA says that Russia has the potential to replace up to 35% of energy that relies on oil and gas with renewables, especially for "low hanging fruit niche markets." For example, some 10 million off-grid customers who may use gasoline or diesel generators could adopt more reliable and cleaner alternatives, such as wind-powered diesel systems, biomass-fired steam boilers, and small hydro. --Wind: According to a recent report by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD),most of Russia's high wind energy potential is concentrated along the seacoasts, in the steppes, and mountains. EBRD estimates that wind has the economic potential of 10 million tons of coal. Regions most favorable for wind energy use include Northern Russia and the Far Eastern region, where many Russia's 10 million off-grid customers are concentrated. Currently, Russia has only 14 MW of installed wind energy capacity, according to the IEA. --Biomass: About 22 percent of the world's forests are located on Russian territory, making fuel derived from combustible renewables an obvious source of alternative energy. Biomass accounts for the majority of installed capacity for heat and electricity generation. Burning firewood for heating and cooking purposes is common in rural areas and at dachas. About 40 thermal power stations use biomass derived mostly from waste generated from the wood processing industry, and around 100 plants convert biomass and agricultural waste into biofuels. --Solar: Solar energy provides only a nominal amount of ;energy, especially considering Russia's vast surface area compared to its installed solar capacity. Despite Russia's land mass and experience with solar panel and collector developments during Soviet times, there is little prospect soon of investment in large-scale solar collectors. --Geothermal: Russia possesses significant geothermal resources for electricity and heat generation. Heat potential in Kamchatka and Chuktoka in particular is high. Areas containing thermal water fields with proven resources also include Chechnya, Dagestan, and Siberia. According to the IEA, geothermal has 73 MW of installed capacity and has the potential to satisfy power and district heating needs in some rural areas. --Hydroelectric: Total hydroelectric installed capacity in Russia is estimated to be 47,000 MW, or about 21 percent of total electricity generation capacity today. Almost half of Russia's hydroelectric plants are located in the West; others are in Siberia. EBRD estimates that total hydroelectric technical potential in Russia is about 2,400 billion kWh per year, the majority based on medium and large rivers. Scientists say that the focus in Russia today is moving away from big, Soviet-era scale hydroelectric power plants to smaller MW plants in more remote areas. Recommendations to the Duma -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Renewable energy has gained some attention recently in the State Duma. In mid-November, United Russia Duma Deputy Valentin Ivanov chaired a hearing at the Sub-Committee on Renewable Power Sources. The hearing focused on developments and applications of biofuels, such as biodiesel, and alternative fuels made from plants, rape-seed, and ethanol. Ivanov underscored the need for Russia to tackle global climate change by substituting biomass, biofuels, wind, solar, and geothermal for carbon-emitting sources. MOSCOW 00000048 002 OF 003 ¶4. (SBU) Ivanov noted that Russia had the technical infrastructure to make advances in renewable energy. The main obstacles are Russia's weak legal system and an absence of wide-spread application of renewable technologies. Ivanov and various International Science and Technology Center (ISTC)-sponsored participants at the Sub-Committee hearing identified key goals Russia should aim for in the near future, as follows: --improving the economic feasibility of new energy applications; --developing legislative and regulatory mechanisms to foster development of renewables; --promoting the development of an alternative energy industrial base and increasing investments into the projects related to power supply to the regions; --distributing information in the field of alternative energy and energy efficiency. No GOR Policy for Renewables -------------- ¶5. (SBU) There is still much skepticism, however. Oleg Pluzhnikov, who heads the Department on Environmental and Energy Efficiency at the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, admitted to us that the GOR has no renewable energy policy. He added that although the GOR funds R&D for renewable technology, the lack of market incentives means few Russian consumers and industries are likely to switch soon to cleaner forms of energy. Conservation -------------- ¶6. (SBU) According to a 2003 Russian Ministry of Industry and Energy report, a top priority in Russia's energy strategy up to 2020 is to reduce waste in energy consumption and production by improving efficiency and competitiveness. As a proponent of energy efficiency, Pluzhnikov believes Russia should modernize aging infrastructure, replace obsolete production and delivery systems, and install better insulation for heating. Russia can do this using existing, cost-effective technologies. He estimated that Russia could recover up to 50% of its current level of energy consumption by improving efficiency alone. This could render unnecessary more costly and ambitious nuclear energy initiatives (Note: Rosatom's plans to expand Russia's reliance on nuclear power generation from 16% to 25% over the next twenty years. End note). Export Market Negligible -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Pluzhnikov downplayed the possibility that a growing Western European market for renewable energy sources could prompt Russian industries to export alternative energy products, such as biofuel and wood pellets for industrial use. He noted that pellet manufacturers do exist in Russia, but the market for them in the West is still too small. Pluzhnikov was also dismissive about enhancing domestic consumption of renewable sources since consumers still have to rely on Russia's inefficient electricity grid. Major improvements would have to be made in electricity regulation and infrastructure. Pluznikov told us that the theme of energy efficiency would be addressed in a GOR energy strategy paper to be presented in March 2008. "Toys and Monkey Tricks" -------------- ¶8. (SBU) With vast revenues pouring in from oil and gas exports, Russia has not taken renewable energy seriously, Vladimir Chuprov, head of the energy section at Greenpeace-Russia, told us. To Russian policymakers, biofuel and alternative energy technologies are simply "toys and monkey tricks," with no economic viability, he said. The ecological advantages of green energy technology have little resonance. He predicted Russia would continue to focus on gas and oil and build costly nuclear power plants while ignoring warnings about the dangerous and unsustainable build-up on its territory of radioactive waste. Renewable Energy as a Career -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Although the GOR has no separate renewable energy policy, last fiscal year it provided 217.9 million rubles (or about 9 million dollars) to fund research and development in MOSCOW 00000048 003 OF 003 renewable energy and fuels as part of its climate change and emissions reduction technology development programs. Dr. Igor Tyukhov, an expert on solar energy and photovoltaics at the All-Russian Research Institute for Electrification of Agriculture, told us he regarded that sum as paltry. He maintained that renewable energy technologies have potential, but GOR financial support for scientists in this field is almost non-existent. He said many of his students in his solar energy lab struggle to make ends meet. Many choose to abandon the renewable energy field and apply their scientific know-how in the private sector, where salaries are much higher and opportunities greater. He told us state funding is barely adequate to support the main scientific institutes, let alone provide incentives to attract new students and professors into research on renewable energy. Comment -------------- ¶10. (SBU) Apart from the traditional use of hydroelectric, the GOR has not woken up to the significant potential for renewable energy in Russia. While the GOR promotes nuclear power development as a way to liberate oil and gas for export, it has not viewed renewable technologies in the same way. With little Russian R&D taking place in the field, the opportunity exists for U.S. firms to capitalize on the largely untapped potential in Russia for wind, solar, biofuel, and geothermal power. Opportunities also exist for U.S. firms to partner with Russian scientists and institutes studying practical applications of renewable technologies. As the GOR pushes for domestic energy prices to rise to market levels by 2011, economic incentives to realize the potential for renewable technologies in Russia should increase. RUSSELL