The Russian government has postponed the modernization and restoration of critical infrastructure—14 thermal power plants with a total capacity of 4.1 GW—until 2028. The reason is delays in the supply of critically important equipment, much of which was previously imported, as well as reduced funding.
Among the facilities whose modernization has been delayed are key generation capacities controlled by major companies such as Inter RAO and Unipro. In particular, the launch of new units at the Iriklinskaya, Nizhnevartovsk, and Perm state district power plants (GRES), as well as at Surgut GRES-2, has been postponed by at least three years. Similar delays have affected the Kostroma GRES and several plants in Bashkortostan.
Despite the equipment shortage, priority for deliveries will be given to power stations in regions expected to face the most acute generation shortages, particularly Yakutia and the Rostov region.
The reduction in available generation capacity has led to a rise in electricity prices on Russia’s energy market and in the utilities sector as a whole. This year, utility tariffs in Russia are expected to increase by an average of 11.9%.
In addition, the postponement of modernization poses risks to the reliability of power supply in several key industrial regions, including Orenburg, Kostroma, and Tyumen regions, as well as the Republic of Bashkortostan.
