Inter RAO expects 2021 power exports higher than 20 bln kWh

SOCHI, Oct 28 (PRIME) -- Power holding Inter RAO, Russia’s only exporter of power, expects its foreign sales to exceed 20 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) in 2021, higher than in 2019, Alexandra Panina, member of the company’s management board and acting head of the trading department, told reporters on Thursday.

“Speaking of annual futures … it will exceed 20 (billion kWh), this is the figure I expect to break this year. There are factors that are favor it,” she said.

Inter RAO exported 11.7 billion kWh in 2020 and 19.338 billion kWh in 2019.

Among the factors that would help the company achieve the result is China’s request to double power exports in October, November and December.

“Regarding China, they finally asked for that for November and December. They filed an official request to raise the amount. Their request will be satisfied almost in full,” Panina said, adding that exports to China should hit a record this year.

“They wanted 555 million kWh of power per month … and it will be satisfied almost completely. They usually receive 285–295 million kWh, so they are almost doubling the intake,” she said.

At the same time, Ukraine has not yet requested a restart of power supplies after an imports ban expires on Sunday. No negotiations are being held on the matter, she said.

Inter RAO also plans to file a request to the European Commission to evaluate the actions of operator of the Lithuanian power transmission system Litgrid, which led to a significant decrease of exports to the Baltic countries, she said.

Litgrid unilaterally reduced the maximum technical capacity of power transmission of the grids between Lithuania and Belarus on September 15 in order to restrict the power inflow from the Belarusian nuclear power plant to the Baltic countries, which also reduces the maximum possible crossflow of power from Russia.

“We are considering an option of hiring lawyers. We are ready to file a request to the European Commission asking it to evaluate Lithuania’s actions for compliance to the anti-monopoly and anti-competition law. … The way I see it, this is discrimination,” Panina said.

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