Strategic Trends in Energy Development of the Northern Territories of Russia

• Published in: Arctic and North
• Main Author: Sergey S. Vopilovskiy
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Russian
• Published: Northern Arctic Federal University 2022
• Subjects: economics; energy; russian arctic zone; renewable energy source; nuclear energy; hydrogen energy; scientific and technological progress; generation; Social Sciences; H; Arctic; Climate change
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.37482/issn2221-2698.2022.49.23; https://doaj.org/article/681548cf157a44baa5882c4469f8a298

The dynamic development of the energy market is the source of Russia’s energy diversification processes. The study presents key areas in the development of the Russian energy sector, taking into account new trends and challenges. The Arctic zone of the Russian Federation is potentially becoming a growth driver for the energy market and opens up “new windows” for the country’s economic develop-ment. It is determined that the structure of consumption, use of resources, generation and transmission of electricity is changing. Long-term trends in the energy transition demonstrate a change in the energy balance in favor of clean energy sources: wind, solar, nuclear, geothermal, hydropower, hydrogen, and bioenergy. The development of hydrogen energy, including in the northern territories of Russia, creates a reliable basis for integration into the global hydrogen infrastructure. The change in the energy balance in favor of renewable energy sources (RES) is presented. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), RES will account for up to 95% of new energy capacity additions by 2026. The global climate agenda — the rejection of fossil fuels — creates new challenges for the Russian economy and the development of its Arctic investment projects. It has been established that the current situation in the context of global technological breakthroughs and climate change is shaping the transition from vertical integration to distributed generation and decentralization. The purpose of the study is to analyze current trends in the development of the energy market, based on the results of which it is necessary to adjust the approaches of the Russian energy sector to future development, making maximum use of the opportunities of the northern territories of Russia.