Modernization of Russian district heating systems with the help of biomass energy – A Gordian knot?

Abstract

The article discusses the prospects of local wood waste resources as replacements for fossil fuel imports in the remote settlements of the Russian North from a viewpoint of a case study: the Arkhangelsk region and its outdated heating and fossil fuel delivery systems. Drawing on energy transition literature and expert interviews, the most influential factors are defined in geographic-infrastructural, institutional, financial, and behavioral contexts. In conclusion, the article determines that a key issue is that the constraints for alternative energy sources reinforce each other, while the actors working for them find themselves in an isolated position. This is especially true for the institutional and financial constraints. However, by examining the enabling factors it is possible to see how the bundle of constraints could also be undone together. Most efficient way for success would likely be helping municipalities and actors in the fields of biomass and energy production to form joint clusters and share resources.

Modernization of Russian district heating systems with the help of biomass energy – a Gordian knot?

“…It is remarkably exhaustive, supplying both buildings and industry, but at the same time it is characteristically inefficient. Russian boiler efficiency is around 75% (while the European and American average is 85-90%), and the state has estimated that 30% of the system's infrastructure is in urgent need of repairs (41). The district heating system is fueled mostly by gas (66%) and coal products (21%) (42).…”

“…Local newspapers have revealed that the winter coal reserves have been insufficient and around half of the boilers of local power plants not suitable for winter use (1,2). As a result of these problems, the price of heat, which has already experienced several price hikes in the 2010s, is at risk of increasing more, especially for far-flung settlements (3,4). The issue of ensuring heat supply considers several sectors of the society due to the deep structural problems involved, such as the high wear and obsolescence of heating infrastructure, the long distances, and short transport seasons (5).…”

“…Using the Arkhangelsk region as a case study, this article seeks to explore the gaps between the potential of local resources, the official modernization and energy efficiency programs, and their implementation. Previous studies on Russian renewable energy politics give reason to believe that these issues are imbedded in the current system (11,12,13). Ironically, modernization projects in Russia lacking the 'big' money reserved for priority projects prove often to be more viable economically (14), making them interesting pilot projects for energy transition research.…”

“…As a result, low carbon transitions and the work for higher energy security and efficiency face difficulties everywhere in the world (27). Russian energy infrastructure's resistance to change is further reinforced by the Soviet legacy of central planning, the bundling of heat producers, industries, and institutions (28).…”

A local perspective on renewable energy development in the Russian Arctic

“…Research also suggests that the aging fossil fuel energy infrastructure and the high cost of acquiring diesel constitute powerful drivers for remote communities to establish small-scale wind, solar or hybrid (wind-diesel, solar-diesel) utilities to supplement diesel generators (Mortensen et al, 2017). In Russia, municipalities are legally obligated to take responsibility for the local energy and utilities, yet, the local realities vary due to different infrastructure (Salonen, 2019). In order to reflect this fact, we introduce utility spending as an indicator measuring the share of housing and utilities spending from the total municipal income.…”