Is there life without Russian natural gas?

Photo: AP photo

Political and economic events have always revolved around energy resources. Roughly speaking, gas and oil rule the world. In order to rectify this situation, the EU has been looking for new methods of energy production for decades. Economist Svetlana Lipin shared her views with Pravda.Ru regarding the current state of affairs in the field of alternative energy in the world today.

"Today, when geopolitics, gas and oil are one of the most talked-about subjects, a question arises about renewable sources of energy, green energy, for the development of which EU leaders spend huge amounts of money. Where does Russia stand when it comes to the development of alternative energy?"

"First of all, one of the cleanest fuels available today is gas, although it is not a renewable energy source. Nevertheless, the consumption of this fuel causes no consequences. One must understand that Russia is a northern, cold country. When we talk about the use of bioenergy, we must understand that it could be enough for heating one small house or a small village, or a small summer community, so to speak. Russia can not afford using renewable energy in the national economy. Nevertheless, 17 million people live in locally separated territories that are located far from fuel networks, such as oil or gas pipelines."

"Why can't we use, for example, solar panels for industrial purposes? As far as I know, this kind of energy reduces costs - one has to pay only once, and there are no other payments, like it is for natural gas."

"Well, in large areas, in Yakutia Republic, for example, one can use solar energy. There are many locally remote villages there, so one can use this kind of energy there. Wind turbines can also be used to generate wind power. Using tidal energy is also possible. In Kamchatka, one can use geothermal energy, as well as in the Caucasus. Russia already has 17 percent of renewable energy. That is, we in principle have already approached European standards. However, almost 90 percent of them are large hydro power plants - hydroelectricity that we inherited from the Soviet era. Cascades of smaller hydropower plants are built as well. In principle, this trend develops."

"Could Russia live without natural gas?"

"The resources that the Russian Federation has can not be found anywhere else in Eurasia - natural resources, human potential, scientific potential, production, etc. Let's take China, for example. Today we understand that this country is a gigantic plant that makes the things that we wear, eat, drink and everything that we come across in our lives. But in reality, China suffers from a lack of energy. The Chinese spend a lot of money on alternative energy sources, renewable energy, such as the sun, windmills and hydroelectricity. Many countries in the world already buy many solar panels that are made in China."

"What energy resources can Russia produce with the help of renewable energy?"

 "There are garbage processing technologies. They are direct technologies, when you get as much as you process. Number one problem that mankind faces today is garbage. Look at what the world oceans has become. There are islands of garbage there. We conducted research works in cooperation with the Council for the Study of Productive Forces last year. We organized several missions to Franz Josef Land, to the Arctic. What is happening there? The military bases that were built there in the middle of the last century would be located, say, 200 meters from the shore. Today, these territories are melting, the ground collapses, and all that that remains on the coastline may find itself in the ocean. Global problem No. 1 is garbage. One needs to develop the technology to produce energy from garbage.

Maria Snytkova
Pravda.Ru
Read the original in Russian