RAO Energy System of East to launch 3 more solar plants in Yakutia in 2014
YAKUTSK. June 19 (Interfax) - OJSC RAO Energy System of East, which is part of RusHydro plans before the end of 2014 to launch three more solar plants in Sakha (Yakutia), the company's CEO, Sergei Tolstoguzov, said in Yakutsk at the opening of the second international conference on Renewable Energy in Isolated Systems in Russia's Far East.
RAO Energy System of East on June 18 launched its fifth solar power plant in the village of Toyon-Ary, Khangalass region.
"Three wind [Kamchatka territory] and four solar plants in a year have already proved their efficiency, including in the winter period, saving millions of rubles worth of fuel. Agreements have been made with new equipment suppliers, technology developers and local administrations. This now includes Sakha (Yakutia), Kamchatka, Primorye and Khabarovsk territories," he said.
RAO Energy System of East also plans to build the largest solar power plant in the Arctic in the Yakutia village of Batagay.
"We [RAO ES of East] have continued to demonstrate that our renewable energy program is a direct road to lowering expenses when producing energy in isolated areas and this means reducing the burden on industry and regional budgets, formed through cross subsidies. In this sense we are resolving a long-term government challenge to attract investors to Russia's Far East. That is why the approach to such projects must be special, for this really is a situation where everyone benefits. We need certain conditions to recover investment. After our projects start paying back they turn into an effective instrument to contain tariff hikes. But for that a series of issues linked to long-term consolidation of work terms for these facilities need to be resolved. Right now these have to be resolved separately in each region, so precious time is lost on red tape," Tolstoguzov said.
