Russia, China discussing emergency mutual assistance in electricity supplies, volumes not yet determined - System Operator

MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax) - Russia and China are discussing the possibility of emergency mutual assistance in electricity supplies, System Operator CEO and Board Chairman Fyodor Opadchy told Interfax.

"We are discussing that we have concluded emergency mutual assistance agreements with all the countries with whom we are operating parallel. Therefore, we are currently discussing the issue of expanding the agreement on equal operations, thus giving an opportunity to provide emergency assistance, and not just supplies under the contract," Opadchy said.

"This also needs to be provided for in the system of contracts on the part of the Chinese," he noted.

Opadchy specified that volumes be discussed.

Opadchy also recalled that currently Russia exports small volumes of electricity to China, and there is no opportunity to boost the volume at this time.

"There is a little export. There is no [possibility] to increase it further, as we are currently using all available reserves to upgrade generation in the Far East," Opadchy said.

System Operator previously proposed considering the possibility of importing electricity from China.

Russia's electricity exports dropped 17.6% to 8.53 billion kWh in 2024, while imports increased 15.5%, to 1.93 billion kWh, Inter RAO reported earlier. In the first quarter of 2025, Restrictions in the Far East energy system continued, preventing the volumes of electricity exports to China from being restored to the planned levels, Inter RAO said.

Inter RAO, a diversified energy holding that manages assets in Russia, Europe and the CIS the only operator of electricity exports and imports in the Russian Federation.