Geothermal Development in Russia: Country Update Report 2000-2004

Abstract

Currently the development of Russia is characterized by com-plex utilization of non-conventional energy sources. It can be justified by the fact that the cost of fossil fuel (gas, mazut) has increased more than ten times for the last years.

As is well known, Russia possesses unique reserves of geo-thermal resources. Main regions of geothermal study and use are Kuril Islands, Kamchatka Region, Northern Caucasus, West Siberia, Baikal rift area, Chukotka, Far East Region, Sakhalin Island, as well as Kaliningrad region.

Utilization of geothermal resources in Russia is especially important for heat supply to northern territories of our coun-try.

In Russia more than 45% of total energy resources are used for heat supply of cities, settlements and industrial com-plexes. Up to 30% of those energy resources can be provided using heat of the earth.

Under financial support of the GeoFund (the World Bank/GEF) utilization of geothermal heat is planned in the following four regions of Russia: Omsk Region (heat supply of Chistovo settlement), Krasnodar Krai (heat supply of Ust-Labinsk and Labinsk towns as well as complex geothermal use in Mostovskoy Region), Kaliningrad Region (energy and heat supply of Kaliningrad and Svetly towns), Kamchatka Region (heat supply of Yelizovo district, construction of Verkhne-Mutnovsky binary power plant and 2nd stage of Mutnovsky GeoPP of 100 MWe capacity).