Russia’s RusHydro gets ready for fresh gale

Oleg Kouzbit, Online News Managing Editor

Russia continues to push for a greater share of ‘green’ capacity in its energy sector despite skepticism aired throughout 2010 and 2011 a propos domestic alternative energy prospects. With a new financial boost government-controlled RusHydro steps up its Closed Wind Turbines project aimed at meeting pent-up demand for 100kW wind power units and “considerably outstripping” today’s global wind power technology.

The RF’s largest electricity-generating company, government-run RusHydro, just last week announced movement on its Closed Wind Turbines project.

In this new start, innovative research and development and the manufacture of 100kW wind power stations are reportedly envisioned. The project owner hopes its program, launched two years ago, will “considerably outstrip today’s global technology level for wind energy.”

RusHydro and its partners have secured support from the Russian Technology Development Fund, a government entity set up recently to co-invest in scientific, R&D and innovation activity within this country. To cover R&D costs, the Fund will reportedly give Moscow-based Geo-Sistema—the actual technology developer behind the project—a $4.8m loan to beef up RusHydro’s own investment in production (to be specified yet).

Timeframes for the new endeavor have yet to be announced. The effort generally aims to develop innovative raw materials, making wind power stations lighter, more durable, and much more affordable to small-to-mid-sized energy consumers.

In addition to lower production costs the prospective equipment is expected to generate very little noise, thus enabling on-site power station installation in proximity to a consumer, cutting electricity transportation costs as well.

RusHydro hasn’t disclosed production capacities so far; it is known, however, that the global market for wind power units of similar wattages in a few years to come is estimated to be about ten million pieces a year. Such products are in demand by a variety of remote end users currently unable to tap into existing power lines.

An alternative energy drive in an oil-rich country

RusHydro’s new try is yet another in a series of Russia’s efforts focusing on re-channeling its energy doctrine in a ‘greener’ direction.

The electricity-generating giant has been on a crusade for alternative energy since 2010 when it pooled resources with the RF’s government-run technology corporation, Rostekhnologii, in a move to build a colossal, $2.5bn wind generator park with a capacity of 1GW in the Volgograd region.

In Russia’s south-west Republic of Kalmykia, an international investor consortium is building an $840m wind energy park. Between now and 2013 the project owners want to ramp up energy production from today’s 35 to 300MW not only to power Kalmykia but also sell to other Russian regions.

There’s an array of projects aimed at supporting these and other major renewable energy efforts in Russia. Last year Tomsk-based start-up Komprel got $548k seed backing from Russian Venture Company for its next gen secondary power supply project. With advanced circuit engineering in hand, the young company is eyeing prospective commercial production of powerful alternative energy gear and a 2.5% share of Russia’s wind market.

SuperOx-Innovations from Dubna, Moscow region, announced just two months ago its plans to develop in the Skolkovo innovation center its proprietary technology for next gen high-temperature nanostructured superconductors to be used in a range of wind power equipment including generator rotors, current-limiters, cables and other gear. The company promises to price its future products “four-to-six times lower than competitors do.”

“We cannon burn our way to prosperity”

Russia’s still far behind the U.S., China and the EU in renewable energy advancement. In the United States alone wind energy demand is reportedly estimated to be around 300-400GW.

The RF has been pushing for the above and other efforts in wind, solar and geothermal energy segments in spite of skeptical comments by some energy sector analysts who in 2010 and 2011 vocally doubted the viability of alternative energy programs in this country.

Seen largely as proponents of Russia’s traditional fossil fuel focus, they also echoed many international experts who had found new inspiration in vast shale gas prospects and believed alternative energy to be hardly cost-effective.

In the wake of recent man-caused and natural disasters like the Gulf oil spill or the Fukushima nuclear calamity the world seems to be once again setting its sights on ‘green energy.’ Just in November 2011 UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon warned against today’s lop-sided development of energy resources, emphasizing that “we cannot burn our way… to greater prosperity.”