Managing Director
Vladivostok, September 7, 2017 – VYGON Consulting Managing Director Grigory Vygon took part in the panel discussion "Smart Energy: the Balance of Needs and Opportunities. New Projects" as part of the business program of the III Eastern Economic Forum.
Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Alexander Novak, Head of PJSC Gazprom Neft Alexander Dyukov, Chairman of the Board of PJSC SIBUR Holding Dmitry Konov, General Director of EUROSIBENERGO Vyacheslav Solomin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RUSNANO Management Company LLC Anatoly Chubais and Chairman of New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) Kazuo Furukawa discussed various aspects of the impact of new technologies on domestic fuel and energy complex and world energy markets. The session was moderated by Pavel Sorokin, Head of the Analytical Center of the Fuel and Energy Complex of the Russian Energy Agency of the Russian Ministry of Energy. VYGON Consulting Managing Director Grigory Vygon participated in the first-row discussion.
Speaking about the role of new technologies in improving the efficiency of the fuel and energy sector, Alexander Novak noted that today digitization of all production processes is active. "Many companies digitize even their wells with the introduction of sensors and accounting systems, which can significantly improve efficiency, reduce energy intensity of production, monitor the whole process from beginning to end and program it. The same thing happens in power transmission systems, in the traditional electric power industry," Minister stated. Head of Ministry of Energy also drew the attention of the panelists to the fact that consumers do not remain aloof from this process. "Here we can see the introduction of digital technologies, new achievements of the IT industry, which significantly save energy resources, increase efficiency," he concluded.
In his speech, Anatoly Chubais highlighted global technological trends, which make it possible to conclude that modern energy can reasonably be considered part of the Smart Energy sector. These include the development of RES generation, electrification of industries that traditionally did not consume electricity (for example, road transport) and industrial power storage systems, which, in the opinion of the Head of RUSNANO, "will technologically turn traditional electric power industry around within 10 years." "It is very important that Russia is not just a consumer and a partner, but a leader in this emerging technological cluster," he said.
General Director of JSC "EUROSIBENERGO" Vyacheslav Solomin, speaking about the emergence of new technologies in energy consumption, stressed that consumers now have the opportunity to choose. "Energy companies begin to work with the consumer to optimize energy consumption, offer him alternative methods, i.e. develop for him isolated systems solutions," he said.
In addition to the main discussion, the topic of the adaptation of oil supermajors’ business models to the introduction of new technologies. Pavel Sorokin moderated the discussion and addressed this issue to the Head of PJSC Gazprom Neft Alexander Dyukov, who noted that he does not see a crisis in the work of this model. "There are certain changes in the market, inter-fuel competition is exacerbating, competition among oil producers is growing, but the demand and consumption of hydrocarbons are also growing. We do not see companies beginning to intentionally get rid of stocks and change their investment priorities," he stressed.
At the conclusion of the session, Alexander Novak noted that 80% of the energy balance in Russia comes from clean energy, including gas. Coal accounts for only 15% in this ratio. By using new technologies, Russia will increase the share of eco-friendly carbon-free energy to 90%. Minister stressed that development will occur in both conventional and Smart Energy. "But we will develop both energy sectors," he concluded.
The video recording of the panel session is available from the official website of EEF 2017: https://forumvostok.ru/sessiya-vef-2017/?session_id=2683