China To Help Power The Russian Far East

Far East

Russia’s System Operator has proposed considering imports of electricity from China, constructing a 250 MW rapidly deployable gas turbine unit (GTU) and developing renewable energy sources as near-term measures to address the energy deficit in the Russian Far East.

Fyodor Opadchy, Chairman of Unified Energy System (SO UES JSC) the System Operator, said that “In the context of a strained operational and balance situation in the Unified Energy System of the East, it is necessary to consider the accelerated commissioning of renewable energy generation facilities, which represent a cheap, efficient and rapidly deployable source of electricity, as well as importing electricity from China.”

An effective measure could also be placing 10 rapidly deployable GTUs with a unit capacity of 25 MW in Primorye Territory, Opadchy said, adding that preparations are underway for competitively selecting power generation projects, and in turn coordinated proposals for specific construction projects are required from generating companies and regional authorities.

In December 2024, the government commission on energy development considered the issue of developing the Far East’s energy system. The Energy Ministry was tasked with exploring options for new generation sites, including up to 445 MW in Khabarovsk or Primorye Territory, up to 233 MW in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), up to 65.8 MW in the Chukotka Autonomous District and up to 179 MW and 31 MW in the Sakhalin region and Kamchatka Territory, respectively, as well as rapidly deployable generation facilities.

Russia Map

The possibility of constructing solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of approximately 1,700 MW is also being considered.

On January 1 this year, the Russian Far East joined the second pricing zone of the electricity market (previously covering Siberia), which will allow competitive selections of construction and modernization projects for power capacities in the region, with payments partly covered by the electricity market.

Further Reading

East Asia Featured2025 Guide To East Asia

This Guide details the Russian Far East as well as its geopolitical, trade and investment relations with China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, in addition to North and South Korea, as well as Japan.

This Guide will be of interest to anyone involved in Russian dynamics within the East Asia region, including academics, analysts, politicians, trade representatives and investors.

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