In the countries of the Eurasian "five" (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russian Federation) all types of renewable energy sources are being developed today (renewable): as relatively new - solar energy, wind, tides, geothermal sources, wave, and traditional – hydropower and biomass.
16-17 Martha 2023 years in. Bishkek hosted the International Energy Forum of the EAEU countries under the motto "Renewable Energy Sources, innovative developments and digital transformation in special economic conditions”. On the margins of the forum, representatives of the executive committee of the CIS Electric Power Council made presentations, Eurasian Development Bank, authorized state bodies, scientific and business community of the EAEU countries.
Welcoming forum members, Minister for Energy and Infrastructure of the Eurasian Economic Commission (ECE) Arzybek Kozhoshev outlined challenges in the energy sector, facing the EAEU states, and reaffirmed the readiness to overcome them with common efforts He focused on the active use of renewable energy sources and the decarbonization process associated with this, transition to low-carbon development. “…One of the results of the transition to low-carbon development will be a reduction in demand for fossil fuels and an increase in the role of renewable and other green energy sources”, - noted Kozhoshev.
What are the state and prospects for the development of renewable energy sources in the EAEU member countries?
AT Republic of Armenia rather attractive conditions have been created to increase the share of renewable energy resources in the energy balance. The main achievement is the development of small hydropower plants. In recent years, Armenia has made great progress in the field of solar energy. Measures are being taken to develop wind energy. As of 1 January 2022 year, the total installed capacity of generation facilities based on RES in the republic was 528 MW. In January 2021 year, the government approved the “Strategic Program for the Development of the Energy Sector of Armenia until 2040 of the year", highlighting the dominance of renewable energy. Among the promising projects is the construction 5 solar photovoltaic stations with a total capacity 120 MW (their commissioning is scheduled for 2026 of the year) and wind power plants with a total capacity 500 MW (commissioning in 2025-2040 years). Legislative mechanisms have been created in the republic to stimulate the use of renewable energy sources, tariff policy formed, which contributes to attracting investments in the development of renewable energy. According to the Law of the Republic of Armenia “On Energy”, a mandatory guarantee for the purchase of electricity was established for small hydroelectric power plants and other power plants, using renewable energy sources (wind, solar energy, geothermal energy, biomass). in Armenia since 2007 the system of fixed tariffs for stations, using RES with appropriate annual adjustment mechanisms.
AT Republic of Belarus total capacity of generation facilities based on RES as of 1 January 2022 was 495 MW (of which solar 32,3%, windmills - 21,3%, HPP - 18,8%, on biomass - 19,7%, of biogas – 7,5%). The country had 53 hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity 96,1 MW, and 101 wind power plant with total capacity 117,6 MW, 30 biogas complexes with a total capacity 37,3 MW, 11 mini-CHP on wood fuel with a total capacity of about 100,5 MW. After the commissioning of the Belarusian NPP in 2021-2025 years, renewable energy will continue to develop steadily with an emphasis on the dissemination of technologies for the use of renewable energy for own needs in the "buildings" and "industry" sectors, in transport and agriculture, integration of renewable energy into the energy system through the development of "smart" grids, application of electric and thermal energy storage technologies (including the use of heat pumps). In order to improve the state policy in the field of the use of renewable energy sources and improve energy security, the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 24 September 2019 , the number 357 "On Renewable Energy Sources", according to which the creation of installations for the use of renewable energy is carried out within the quotas for the sale of electric energy to energy supply organizations, generated by such installations, taking into account the use of incentive coefficients; and outside quotas - if legal entities and individual entrepreneurs intend to produce electricity solely for the purpose of providing energy for their economic activities.
AT Republic of Kazakhstan the current system of state support for the development of renewable energy is enshrined in the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan with 2009 of the year. RES support measure in the form of a guaranteed purchase of RES electricity by a single purchaser of RES electricity - Settlement and Financial Center under a 20-year contract at an auction tariff, as well as the annual indexation of tariffs will allow to continue the development of the renewable energy sector. Currently, in the Republic of Kazakhstan there is 124 RES facility, installed capacity 1922 MW: 31 wind farm facility with total capacity 601,3 MW; 48 solar power plants with a total capacity 1032,6 MW; 40 hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity 280 MW; 5 objects of biopower plants with a total capacity 7,82 MW. According to the results 2021 year, the generation of renewable energy facilities amounted to 3,4 billion. kWh (3% of the total volume of electricity production).
AT Kyrgyz Republic the total capacity of generating facilities based on RES is 57,1 MW. Currently, a difficult situation is developing in the energy system of the Kyrgyz Republic with the accumulation of water and energy resources for the purpose of providing domestic consumers with electricity in full in the autumn-winter period.. The situation is exacerbated by growing domestic demand for electricity by 3-5% annually among all categories of consumers, depreciation of power equipment and a decrease in available capacity. The introduction of large generation sources requires a long construction period and large financial investments.. To cover the internal demand for electricity in the short term, it is necessary to build renewable energy facilities, including small hydro power plants. In order to improve the mechanisms for supporting RES, the Decree of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic “On conducting an inventory of the legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic” dated 8 February 2021 , the number 26 and the order of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic dated 10 Martha 2021 No. 55-r, amendments are made to the regulatory legal acts in the field of energy saving, energy efficiency and renewable energy.
AT Russian Federation The leading regions in terms of the volume of implemented RES projects are the Orenburg Region, Astrakhan region, Ulyanovsk region, Saratov region, Altai Republic, Republic of Bashkortostan. As RES investment projects are implemented, the Krasnodar Territory will be added to the list of the leading regions of the Russian Federation in terms of commissioning, Rostov region, Murmansk region. In total, the Russian energy system operates approximately 3 GW of capacities based on RES. The Government of the Russian Federation determined, that the volume of the renewable energy support program in the wholesale market in 2025-35 years should be 360 billion. rub. (in prices 2021 of the year). According to preliminary calculations, the implementation of this program will allow the commissioning of 2023-2035 years, renewable energy generation facilities with a total installed capacity of more than 6,7 GW, including 2,4 GW – SPP, 4,1 GW - WPP and 0,2 GW – MGES. Commercial operator of the wholesale market of electric energy and capacity JSC "ATS" annually, beginning with 2013 of the year, conducts competitive selection of investment projects for the construction of generating facilities, operating on the basis of RES.
Vladimir CHUSHKIN
