PRESS: System Operator seeks restrictions for solar, wind plants

MOSCOW, Nov 23 (PRIME) -- Dispatching company of the Unified Energy System of Russia System Operator has suggested territorial restrictions for investors in construction of solar and wind power plants, Andrei Katayev, System Operator’s director of energy markets and external relations, said in an interview to Kommersant business daily published on Tuesday.

“We could build power generation running on renewable sources in the southern power system all the time, but the more we build, the more time the new generation will stand idle. Even with the current capacities we have to restrict production of renewable energy in this power system for some hours,” he said, as quoted by Kommersant.

The share of renewable energy in the unified energy system of the South will reach 28% of the combined installed capacity of thermal power plants in 2024, and windmill farms are already unable to work to their full capacity due to limitations of the region’s power grids. System Operator suggested a “sensible” territorial placement of renewable power to solve the problem.

“We suggested the following approach (to the Energy Ministry): if a territory has limitations of power production, the plants that came last to the territory will be suspended first. The risks of restrictions should be carried by the new facilities first, and the losses could be large,” Katayev said.

This should make investors search for the places where the weather conditions may not be as good but where there are no risks of restrictions of power production. This should protect investors from losses in power production and consumers from costs on irrational development of networks and grids, he said.

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