2 October 2015

General Director of IDGC of Centre Oleg Isaev took part in the organized with the support of the Ministry of Energy of Russia in the framework of the forum panel discussion 'Development Direction. Improving the energy efficiency of the Russian economy or new large-scale investments in infrastructure expansion?'. The discussion was also attended by Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Anton Inyutsyn, Rector of Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys Alevtina Chernikova, Head of the city of Krasnoyarsk Edkham Akbulatov, experts, representatives of the management of Russian Railways, Gazprombank, the industrial group Danfoss A/S (Denmark).

The participants discussed in what direction the domestic economy will move in an unstable macroeconomic situation and reducing prices of hydrocarbons, whether or not to expect a change in the vector of development from large-scale infrastructure projects to improvement of operational efficiency. Oleg Isaev, whose speech caused a lively discussion, voiced, in particular, the highly relevant to the national electric grid complex problem of underutilization of capacity. There are cases when consumers both large and among small and medium businesses, individuals, when they do not use their originally demanded capacity. For this reason, grid companies, which created the necessary infrastructure at the customer contract demand and secured operation and maintenance of the constructed, but not used capacity, cannot return on investment, spent on construction of new and modernization of existing grids and incur losses. This situation leads to the fact that the funds of the Company, necessary to ensure the reliability of the electric grid complex and upgrade of grid assets, are spent on the creation of unclaimed networks and substations in the region at the expense of the tariff in the region. In addition, taking into account the large amount of receivables of retail companies, electric grid companies have to take additional loans. It is no coincidence that increasing transformer capacity loading is one of the targets of the Strategy of development of the electric grid complex of the Russian Federation.

The solution to this problem requires a comprehensive approach and participation of all stakeholders: grid companies, regional administrations and consumers, stressed General Director of IDGC of Centre. In particular, it would be about creating an effective mechanism for payment of power reserve so that it would stimulate consumers to the exact definition of the installed capacity, the abandonment of its surplus, returning it back for use by other customers.

At the forum Oleg Isaev will also hold a series of meetings with regional leaders and business partners of IDGC of Centre to discuss with them the prospects of future cooperation and plans for the near future.

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