A large-scale increase in generating capacity is planned in southeastern Siberia to cover the projected electricity deficit, which may exceed 2 GW by 2030. This was revealed in the materials of the government commission on the development of the electric power industry.
To eliminate the deficit, the construction of a direct current line with a capacity of up to 1.5 GW and a length of about 1.75 thousand km from the western part of Siberia to the southeastern part is planned. Additionally, a new coal-fired generation unit with a capacity of 1 GW will be built. En+ is the main contender for the construction of a coal-fired plant in Transbaikalia. Analysts estimate the project costs at 600 to 751 billion rubles, depending on the location of the equipment.
The energy deficit in the region is explained by the growth in the number of large consumers: the railway infrastructure of Russian Railways, greenhouse complexes, and new residential areas. Last year, the government already conducted a selection of investors for the construction of generation in southeastern Siberia, and then En+, TGC-14, and Inter RAO received the right to build the units. In the current selection, En+ proposes to postpone the project launch date to December 2031, and the estimated cost of the project exceeds the government's limit estimates by 18%.
In addition to the construction of new generators, measures to expand network flows are being discussed. However, according to experts, there are currently no initiatives to reduce accidents in systems, which could reduce the need for 1 GW of additional capacity and reduce construction costs.
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