Energy efficiency in the North Caucasus is a solvable problem

By Vestnik Kavkaza

The federal authorities, especially Premier Dmitry Medvedev, have many times criticized consumers of the North Caucasus republics for huge electricity debts. A year ago, Medvedev urged a balance between construction of generating capacities and distribution facilities and took special control over building power infrastructure in the North Caucasus tourist cluster.

Meanwhile, the North Caucasus Federal District (NCFD) has developed electricity power infrastructure; and by the end of 2014 it is planned to invest more than 100 billion rubles in it. Yevgeny Gasho, an advisor to the Department of expert analysis of the Analytical Center of the Government of the Russian Federation, told Vestnik Kavkaza that the problem of energy efficiency in the North Caucasus is solvable.

“A few years ago we researched mostly the situation in the Krasnodar region, partly in the Stavropol region and helped to develop an energy-saving program in the Krasnodar Territory. We researched the balance, collected data, and, of course, the primary issue was the large deficit of external resources, dependence of the region on external supplies which had significantly affected the lives of ordinary people and the economy as a whole. There were power cuts in the south, in the resort area: for example, a small family occupied a small room, then in the summer 5-10 families arrived, there was not enough electricity and energy services simply cut off the power in the summer during afternoon, and it was certainly hard to deal with this issue. Of course, new sources have been installed, the situation around Sochi has certainly radically improved,” Gasho stated.

He hopes that it will be possible to transfer this power to the south coast, in the region of Anapa and Armavir in order to eliminate the power deficit. “Power shortages, on the other hand, promote the use of energy saving devices, and when there was little power, sometimes large shopping complexes introduced modern devices - heat pumps in order to reduce the consumption of electricity by air conditioners,” Gasho says.

Renewable energy resources can partially improve the situation. It concerns development of solar energy which hasn’t been developed in Russia until recently.  

Speaking about geothermics, Gasho noted: “There are many wells, the heat is there, but it is not where people are living. It can be used and there already are some pilot projects in this regard which have already been implemented and are being realized and shows the possibility of a niche that would allow expanding and replicating such solutions.”

Mini-HPPs are expensive, according to the expert: “This is probably one of the most expensive sources, but they are also in use, small plants exist and some of them were built as part of the Sochi project.”

Finally, there is interest in biomass for production of heat and electricity power. Gasho says: “Projects related to it are also very different and therefore have different effect.”

In Stavropol there is great oversupply of energy, of course, this greatly concerns the resort area. “They are already using such fashionable new development as power cells, a rather good source of autonomous power, but it is also still rather expensive. However, hotels use it because these power cells allow them to sustain themselves at least during power outbreaks and somehow improve their situation,” Gasho says.

Commenting on the situation in Dagestan, Karachay-Cherkessia and other republics, Gasho stated: “One cannot say that the issue of energy efficiency is being dealt with professionally and well, but currently the situation is changing and people address us with their desire to adjust and improve the situation. A great variety of meters have been installed, there are now balances and one can already see more clearly - five years have passed - the key resources for the development of regions, and the aim will be to find these resources and use them in the future.”