Moscow approves $29bn power upgrade to encourage domestic suppliers

MOSCOW: Russia has approved the start of a 1.9 trillion rouble ($29 billion) modernisation plan for domestic power plants, Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday.

Power is one of the most competitive sectors in Russia, with state players, private investors and firms such as Italy's Enel , Finland's Fortum and Germany's Uniper.

The 2022-2031 modernisation covers 41 gigawatts, a sixth of Russia's existing power plant capacity, and will replace an earlier state-backed programme where investors were given the opportunity to build the new capacity.

Investors will bid to take part in selected upgrades and granted 16-year agreements with customers who will pledge to pay higher prices in exchange to the access to the capacity.

Moscow will require them to use Russia-produced equipment for the upgrades which would involve replacement of turbines, boilers, steam-power units, among other parts, in "up to 100 percent" of cases, Novak told reporters.

Using Russian equipment may be a challenge. Russia began building two power stations in Crimea to provide electricity to the peninsula which it annexed from Ukraine in 2014, but the facilities became embroiled in a row over sanctions.

German engineering firm Siemens has said Russia clandestinely delivered several of its turbines to Crimea, despite European sanctions which ban the supply of energy technology to Crimea.

Russia's energy ministry says the turbines were not from Siemens, but were modernised turbines that were the work of Russian specialists and were Russian equipment.

Russia partially launched both power stations in Crimea last year but has delayed the timing for them to reach full capacity.

Tekhnopromeksport, the engineering firm building the plants, said last month it had requested the full launch be pushed back until spring, citing issues with the supply of equipment and problems with subcontractors and infrastructure.

Russia wants the new programme to be a catalyst for local producers, including subsidiaries of foreign firms, to create domestic versions of the global power sector equipment, cutting Moscow's reliance on Western suppliers.