SKOLKOVO Energy Center expert gives talk on alternative ways to develop energy in the Arctic
19/05/2017
Roman Samsonov, Head of Gas and the Arctic at the SKOLKOVO Energy Center spoke at the international conference on “Financing Energy Saving and RES Projects in Russia and the CIS”, which took place in Moscow at the Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation. Samsonov gave a presentation on tackling the problems of developing energy in the Arctic.
Samsonov noted in his speech that the appropriate energy infrastructure was essential in order to meet the state’s strategic objectives in the region. Currently, even though Russia has vast experience developing hydrocarbon deposits inside the Arctic Circle, Alaska and the European part of the Arctic are more developed from a socio-economic and energy supply perspective. While global telecommunication and information leaders are present in the Arctic zone with technological and processing centers already commonplace, leading to the creation of new assets and businesses, for Russia this is, at best, only a possibility in the future. A number of problems need to be resolved in this regard, including the irrational structure of power-generation capacity, the insufficient adaptability of equipment to extreme conditions, the local decentralized systems’ power supplies not being reliable enough, the excessive number of power-system failures, the high level of fragmentation and the poor development of the heat economy of the Arctic regions.
"One of the biggest problems to opening up and developing the Arctic is the energy supply for people living and working there, which is characterized by very low levels of local energy resource use. At the same time, energy is needed for the development of ports and aerodromes, military bases and support facilities, as well as the entire infrastructure itself. The electric power infrastructure is poorly developed and there is no centralized power supply. Using “smart” operating systems to sort out the poorly structured traditional liquid fuel/coal energy systems in a region that is reliant on seasonal imports is a priority, as is developing new, efficient alternative energy based on local resources. According to the figures voiced at this conference, more than RUB 110bn is spent annually on the current inefficient energy supply systems. Research carried out by organizations that concentrate on energy efficiency point to the vast opportunities and reserves to optimize costs. The introduction of advanced technology – for example, the use of gas as motor fuel based on local resources – would have a huge economic impact and provide financing for retrofitting and upgrading energy and transport equipment. Unfortunately, modern methods of risk assessment and management, as well as their insurance systems, are applied at best only occasionally and only by large companies.” Noted Samsonov.
Against this backdrop, Samsonov believes that projects to create new alternative low capacity nuclear power plants and autonomous energy complexes, including small hydro, wind and solar units operating in a single complex with thermal power plants, are becoming attractive. That being said, studying the possibilities of gas hydrate technology and the geocryological capabilities of the giant "refrigerator" of the north is sporadic and the level of funding clearly does not allow us to compete with Japan and China, even though recently we were neck and neck with them, at least as far as the scientific part of the issue is concerned. One option to consider is to look at municipal industrial zones – a joint product of business and municipal administration with the participation of natural monopolies. One advantage of this is that the costs of maintaining infrastructure projects (power facilities, electricity and heat networks) are divided among all the owners of the region. Furthermore, there is now the opportunity for new high-tech and highly profitable industries to be located in these zones, which previously, given the lack of alternative transport routes, was nigh on impossible.
"Taking into account and working through the regional peculiarities of the Arctic zone, the Doctrine of Energy Security of the Russian Federation can be implemented, in particular, by formulating economic models for the development of “support zones” and the Mineral and Raw Materials Centers in the Arctic. For the Russian state, there is an opportunity, based on the resources of the region, to be the first to create and implement technology that allows us to not only work efficiently in the Arctic and its extreme conditions, but also to be the first country to make working in the Arctic not only safe for humans and the environment, but also efficient. All this will without a doubt have a favorable impact on the development of domestic energy as well as the economy as a whole, and will also provide a number of advantages on the global market”, noted Samsonov.
Follow
us online
Watch
lectures
Become a part
of our community
Visit
our events
Career
at School
Contact
us
- +7 495 539 30 03
- info@skolkovo.ru
- Call back request
Consent to the Processing of Personal Data
Hereby I, hereinafter referred to as the «Subject of Personal Data», pursuant to the Federal Law of 27.07.2006 № 152-FZ «On Personal Data» (as amended), freely, of my own accord and in my own interest, give my consent to the Moscow School Management «SKOLKOVO» (hereinafter referred to as the «School», legal address: 143025, Moscow region, Odintsovsky district, Skolkovo, Novaya Street, 100) to the processing of my personal data provided during the registration by filling out the web form on the School's website skolkovo.ru and its subdomains *. skolkovo.ru (hereinafter referred to as the «Website»), directed (filled) with the use of the Website.
I understand personal data as any information relevant to me as the Subject of Personal Data, including my last name, first name, address, education, occupation, contact information (phone, fax, email, postal address), photographs, and other information. I understand the processing of personal data as the collection, classification, accumulation, clarification, updating, modification, use, distribution, transmission, including cross-border, depersonalization, blocking, destruction, permanent storage, and any other actions (operations) with personal information.
The processing of personal data of the Subject of Personal Data is carried out solely for the registration of the Subject of Personal Data in the database of the School and then directing to the Subject of Personal Data mail messages and SMS notifications from the School, its affiliates and/or sub-contractors, including advertising content, information letters and newsletters, invitations to the events of the School, and other advertising and news content, as well as for the confirmation of the identity of the Subject of Personal Data when visiting the events of the School.
The date of issue of the consent to the processing of personal data by the Subject of Personal Data is the date of sending the registration form from the Website of the School.
The processing of personal data of the Subject of Personal Data can be accomplished by means of automation and/or without the use of automation in accordance with applicable laws of the Russian Federation and internal regulations of the School.
The school takes the necessary legal, organizational and technical measures or ensures their application to protect the personal data against unauthorized or accidental access, destruction, modification, blocking, copying, providing, distribution of the personal data, as well as other illegal actions towards the personal data and commits itself to preserve the confidentiality of the personal data of the Subject of Personal Data. The school has the right to involve subcontractors in the processing of personal data of the Subject of Personal Data subjects as well as the right to transfer the personal data to its affiliates for processing, ensuring the assuming of the relevant obligations of personal data confidentiality by such subcontractors and affiliates.
I am aware that:
1) this consent to the processing of my personal data provided during registration at the Website of the School and directed (filled) with the use of the Website is valid for twenty (20) years starting from the date of the registration at the Website of the School;
2) the consent may be revoked by me on the basis of a written application in optional form;
3) the provision of personal data of third parties without their consent is punishable in accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation.