Dagestan requested 11.78 billion rubles for the reconstruction of electrical networks – Kommersant

The head of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, requested “federal funding for priority measures in programs to improve the reliability of the region’s electric grid complex in the amount of 11.78 billion rubles,” as State Duma deputy Saigidpasha Umakhanov (United Russia) told Kommersant. He expects that “the federal center will transfer the funds in the near future,” but this, according to him, is three times less than what is required based on the technical audit of the republic’s power grid complex conducted in 2018 by Rosseti PJSC.

According to Mr. Umakhanov, the depreciation of power supply equipment in Dagestan is 75%, and in power centers – 85%, which is significantly higher than the Russian average. Most of the power supply system was built back in the 1960s and 1970s; in some cases, the equipment reached its service life at least twice. Grid overloads lead to periodic power outages in residential areas, which in turn leads to protests protest. Residents of the republic are turning to deputies at all levels, “but the situation can be radically improved only by attracting funds from long-term federal programs,” says Saigidpasha Umakhanov. According to him, at the moment, the reconstruction of 78 objects has been agreed upon in the amount of 7.68 million rubles, despite the fact that “about 27 billion rubles” are required.

Among the reasons for the overload of the energy network in Dagestan, in addition to wear and tear of equipment, the deputy names the active construction of housing, “industrial buildings, tourist facilities on the Caspian Sea coast and engineering infrastructure facilities”: “All of them are connected to existing worn-out power supply networks, as a result, excess loads are formed, which is especially acute manifests itself during abnormal heat in summer and frost in winter. At these moments, electricity consumption increases many times over, and to prevent failure of power plants, the need for rolling blackouts arises. This is especially painful for non-gasified remote settlements in the autumn-winter period.” Saygidpasha Umakhanov estimates electricity losses in Dagestan at 40%: “They arise in connection with theft, which in the vast majority of cases occurs with the participation of employees of subscriber services through non-contractual consumption and interference with the operation of metering devices.” Against this background, the total level of debt for electricity in Dagestan exceeds 15 billion rubles, and more than 70% of the debt falls on the population: “The reason for this is the ineffective work of subscriber services of resource supply organizations,” says the deputy.

According to him, normalization of the situation in the power grid complex of Dagestan is possible only with its complete modernization, which “involves a large amount of capital investment with the involvement of federal budget funds.” The development of alternative energy can improve the situation, says Saygidpasha Umakhanov. In 2022, the first large solar power plant, Yuzhno-Sukhokumskaya with a capacity of 15 MW, was put into operation. In 2023–2024, it is planned to complete the construction and commissioning of solar power plants in the Nogai region and Derbent with a total capacity of 160 MW, and in 2026, the Novolakskaya wind power plant with a capacity of up to 315 MW.