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18 November 2011
The Organizing Committee of the X Moscow International Energy Forum “Russian Fuel and Energy Complex in the XXI Century” has taken part in organization of the Round Table “Energy Safety of Megalopolis: Situation about Power Grid Facilities of Saint-Petersburg” held at the Saint-Petersburg Media Center of RIA “Novosti”. This meeting developed the discussion on the megalopolis energy safety initially held within the space bridge between Moscow and Saint-Petersburg in November 2010.
Then, power engineering specialists, experts and journalists met at RIA “Novosti” studios in the two biggest Russian cities to examine the issues of improvement of the power supply reliability in megalopolises.
It is no wonder that the question was still topical a year later. The new discussion was participated by Alexander Epishov, Principal Analyst of the MIEF “Russian Fuel and Energy Complex in the XXI Century”; Andrey Sorochinskiy, Director General of “Lenenergo” OJSC; Taras Dzyuba, Director of the Leningrad Region Enterprise “Backbone Grids of the North-West”, and Terentiy Mescheryakov, Head of the Frunzenskiy District Administration.
The experts considered the readiness of the Saint-Petersburg power grid facilities for the autumn-winter period.
In opening the meeting, A. Epishov noted that the power industry was a key infrastructure sector for provision of economic growth, national security and sustainable development. However, he identified two principal threats too.
The first one is the intolerable level of the moral and physical wear of the power industry technological infrastructure, including the backbone and regional distribution grids; the factor provoking the poor reliability and efficiency of the energy infrastructure. Another danger is the constant growth of the electric energy tariffs and the excessive price for the grid connection services.
The executed structural reform of the power industry failed to solve the problems in the electric power pricing. Instead of progressive advance to stable and affordable tariffs, initially expected from the reform, some Russian regions saw the energy prices increased from 1 January 2011 by 30 ̶ 50 % or even 70 %.
In trying to prevent social instability and escalation of the situation and responding to numerous complaints and appeals from the people and the industrial consumers, once again, in March and later in October 2011, the country’s top leadership took several measures to stabilize the energy market “in manual mode”.
Consequently, the market players found themselves in quite a perplexing position; now they will have to amend their investment programs, in terms of both completion time and financing volumes. This situation urges the grid companies’ management to search for new reserves, improve transparency and efficiency of the operational and investment activities and optimize the physical assets risk management.
And these were the very subjects discussed at the round table; special attention was also paid to introduction of the cutting-edge business methods and the advanced technologies.
Thus, A. Sorochinskiy reported that, despite the limited investment resources, “Lenenergo” OJSC had carried out a good deal of work to prepare the enterprise’s technological infrastructure for the autumn-winter period. “Lenenergo” became one of the first companies in Saint-Petersburg which readiness for the autumn-winter period was certified. According to A. Sorochinskiy, the readiness for winter means that the company’s grid equipment has been prepared for operation in adverse weather conditions and the machines as well as the staff are ready for prompt elimination of the process defect consequences, if necessary.
In response to the journalists’ question about the probability of emergencies at Lenenergo’s power grids, A. Sorochinskiy stated frankly and responsibly: the possibility of emergency cannot be ruled out, since the equipment wear level is too high
In the course of the discussion, A. Epishov, speaking as an expert on energy policy, highlighted the energy sector as a factor of the global community's sustainable development.
The topic of the next jubilee forum “Russian Fuel and Energy Complex in the XXI Century” to be held in Moscow on 4 ̶ 7 April 2012 has been formulated in a resembling manner: “World Energy and Sustainable Development in the XXI Century”
Today, in view of the global changes happening, the mankind has to reconsider thoroughly the power industry’s role and connection to all the rest domains of public life.
The X Moscow International Energy Forum will deal with the role of the world power industry in the context of the mankind’s passing to more humane, rational, harmonious and balanced development.
Translated from Russian into English by Literra translation bureau
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