Rossiyskiye Seti : In the Next Seven Years, the Energy Sector of the Trans-Baikal Region Will Receive Billions of Investments

The Director General of the 'Rosseti' company Oleg Budargin paid a working visit to the city of Chita. During the visit, a meeting was held with the Governor of the Trans-Baikal Region Natalia Zhdanova to discuss plans for the development of the region's power grid and the prospects for expanding international energy cooperation with neighboring countries.

Issues related to the social and economic development of the entire Trans-Baikal Region were also raised at the meeting; the joint work on the implementation of major investment projects was among them.

It was decided to hold a meeting with the representatives of small, medium and large businesses in the Trans-Baikal Region in September to show the region's investment attractiveness and the potential of the power industry.

'Exactly one year ago, during my previous visit to the region, Governor Natalia Zhdanova set a task to simplify the procedure of technological connection as much as possible, make the region attractive for business. I think that as a whole, we fulfilled all the obligations undertaken by our company. First of all, it concerns the attracting of investors. Additional capacity has been created; a lot of work has been done on accessibility of technological connection. If the average countrywide cost of technological connection is 2600 rubles per kilowatt; it is 680 rubles in the Trans-Baikal Region,' Oleg Budargin noted.

In addition, the parties discussed the consolidation of power grid assets on the basis of a subsidiary structure of the 'Rosseti' company - IDGC of Siberia.

Particular attention during the meeting was paid to the discussion of tariff-balance decisions and the measures taken to liquidate the receivables of the retail companies to the grid company.

Oleg Budargin also told Natalia Zhdanova that 'Rosseti' together with partners from Mongolia and China are actively discussing the cross-border integration of power systems, which should positively affect the reliability of the consumers of the Trans-Baikal Region.

The regulatory agreement signed lately between the IDGC of Siberia and the Government of the Trans-Baikal Region for a seven-year period will not only allow investing billions of investments in the development of the grids in the coming years but will also serve, first of all, to attract investors to the region. Now they will be able to clearly understand how territory and energy will develop in the coming years.

Oleg Budargin called the provision of the power grid with qualified specialists as one of the main tasks for the next few years.

'The company invests in the Chita Polytechnic College for specialist training. Funds will be allocated, programs will be developed. Students will undergo paid practice in Chitaenergo,' Oleg Budargin said.

During the visit to Trans-Baikal, the head of the country's largest power grid company also held a meeting with the management of IDGC of Siberia and the branch of Chitaenergo, where the main vectors for the further work of power engineers were identified, whose main task is to ensure reliable and uninterrupted power supply for all residents of the region.