Global structure of energy consumption unlikely to change much in coming decades, role of hydrocarbons to remain - Putin
MOSCOW. Jan 25 (Interfax) - The structure of energy consumption worldwide is unlikely to change significantly, with hydrocarbons all the same set to remain in demand for a long period, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday during a meeting of the government with university students to mark the occasion of the country's Students' Day.
"The whole world is absorbed by alternative energy sources, and more and more questions arise about the use and development of hydrocarbon crude materials. According to the experts, not only ours, but also international ones, the amount of energy consumed will also increase in connection with the growth of the economy. Alternative types [of energy] will be applied; however, the structure of energy consumption is unlikely to change significantly in the coming decades, and hydrocarbons will still be in demand for a long period of time," Putin at the meeting.
"This does not mean that we should rest on our laurels, say that we are the largest worldwide in terms of gas and oil reserves, so we shall not do anything else. No, we are and shall be engaged in solar energy, tidal energy, wind, and hydrogen energy, and we shall do all this. However, if we use hydrocarbons in a prudent and contemporary manner, and this can and should be done, then there is no end in sight for the use of hydrocarbon crude materials in practical life," Russia's president said.