Importance of Foreign Investors for Russian Power Industry In Prospect of Energy Revolution

Abstract

The article discusses current state of Russian electric power industry and the main problems of its development in the future of global energy revolution, which will lead to a significant increase in share of renewable energy in global production and consumption of energy and use of industrial energy storage, and will make it possible to change the structure of the industry and significantly reduce electricity prices. Traditional energy generation displacement by renewables associated with emergence of new, more cost effective technologies. Producers of "disruptive technologies" receive advantages over importers of innovations, which are especially noticeable during the formation of the new technological wave. Considering possibilities of effective development of Russian power industry, it is important to take into account the realities, including high level of depreciation of equipment, lack of capital and technologies. Currently, in the field of technology in the power industry innovative economies of Japan, USA, UK, Canada, as well as dynamically developing economy of China are leading. The high level of patent activity in these countries is caused by presence of infrastructure which promotes the commercialization of new technologies and free access to investment capital. In Russia technological exports in power sector occurs mainly due to foreign projects of Rosatom. Operation of foreign-made equipment which accounts for a significant proportion of fixed assets and problems with the development and introduction of competitive technologies are complicated by the lack of investment in domestic market. For maintenance of imported equipment Russian companies have to buy spare parts abroad and to enter into service contracts with foreign suppliers. High depreciation of fixed assets also determines the need for new investment inflows into the sector. Thus the existing dependence on foreign investors is supposed to increase. In the short term the lack of domestic technologies that can compete on the world market will require consideration of opportunities of more effective attracting FDI and technological partnerships with foreign investors.