Eastern Energy Company plans to export over 1 bln. kWh to China in 2010

Electric power was supplied in the current year under the Additional agreement to the Boarder trade contract as of February 17, 2009, which had been signed between JSC EEC and the State Grid Corporation of China in the end of December 2009.
The Parties agreed on supply price increase. Cost of 1 kWh exported electric power has increased since January 1, 2010 by 10.5% in comparison with the one for March 1, 2009 (the date of export renovation after two years’ suspension period).
For export, JSC «Eastern Energy Company» purchases electric power surplus generated at power stations of the United Energy System of the East which is non-demanded on the domestic market. Electric power is delivered to China (Heilongjiang Province of China in the area of Heihe) via the existing interstate 110 kV line Blagoveschensk-Heihe and 220 kV line Blagoveschensk-Aygun. JSC «Eastern Energy Company» exported to China over 850 million kWh of electric energy in 2009 (a total of 523 million kWh – in 2006, after that the export was suspended).
In order to increase electric power export from Russia to China (target, 60 billion kWh per year by 2020) JSC «Eastern Energy Company» plans to construct new generation facilities with the aggregated capacity of 10,800 MW as well as AC and DC power transmission with the total length of over 3,000 km. JSC “Eastern Energy Company” currently carries out preparatory work for the new 500 kV line construction from Amurskaya Substation to Khabarovskaya Combined Cycle Station (Steam and Gas Station) with the capacity of 400–500 MW. These facilities are to be put into operation according to the first stage project for power export increase in the volume of 4–5 billion kWh per year.
Yuri Sharov, Director General of Eastern Energy Company, said:
«Presently electric power share exported to China within the framework of border trade is about 3% from a total production of the United Energy System of the East and less than 0,1% from Russian production. Despite the small export volume, today electric power export enables Far East energy companies to obtain additional assets for generation objects and grids’ modernization. Export supplies also contribute to load increase and more efficient generation in the Far East. For example, Burejsk hydroelectric power station increased electric power generation by 35% to the level of 2008. In the current year we plan to initiate the main construction stage of 500 kV power line 500 from Amurskaya Substation to the state boarder. PTL-500 will make it possible to export to China up to 4–5 bln. kWh per year. The following export volume will contribute to the tariff lowering for Far East consumers as far as non-demanded power paid by organizations and population will considerably decrease. I am sure that in the course of Far East and Baikal Region Development Strategy realization up to 2025, the power consumption in the area will be growing and new electric power facilities to be built within the framework of «Chinese project» development will be reoriented to domestic consumers».