The capital of Russia may face a shortage of electricity in the coming years, according to a general development scheme for the Russian energy industry until 2042, which was prepared by the country’s System Operator (the only Russian energy system dispatcher). By 2030, Moscow faces a shortage of 1.6 GW of capacity, and by 2042 – 4.2 GW. The System Operator first warned about future problems with the provision of electricity to the Russian capital region last year, citing difficulties with servicing foreign equipment. This concerns gas turbines for thermal power plants, which were left without spare parts for repairs after the strengthening of Western sanctions in June 2023. In particular, General Electric and Siemens have refused to maintain TPP turbines. According to System Operator estimates, foreign turbines provide about 9% of the Russian power system’s capacity. A separate problem is the physical wear and tear on power grids, which reach about 70% for distribution network components and about 50% for main lines.
You reap what you sow: Moscow risks plunging into darkness.
