The Development of Renewable Energy in Mineral Resource Clusters—The Case of the Siberian Federal District

Abstract

This article presents a study of the specific features and development factors of renewable energy in macro-regions that combine extractive and industrial clusters with rural, sparsely populated areas. While in some countries—leaders in energy transition (the EU, China)—the growth of investments in solar, wind, and hydropower production is taking place systematically within the framework of an increasing number of national and international strategies and programs, in the Russian Federation there is a lack of renewable generation capacity. Particular difficulties are experienced in regions that, on the one hand, have a developed fuel and raw material complex and, therefore, fuel generation (which makes a significant contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions), and, on the other hand, many rural, sparsely populated areas that are in need of new distributed generation. The aim of the study is to analyze the factors of transition to renewable energy in mineral-resource regions, such as the Siberian Federal District (Siberia), as well as to identify measures to enhance their effectivity. The article shows the place of Siberia in the national energy system and considers the factors related to its energy transition in detail, e.g., the saturation with main powerlines, the control of air pollution caused by fuel energy facilities, its provision with fuel resources, investments in renewable energy, and ways of improving the health and well-being of the local population. Attention is drawn to the challenges and obstacles related to the development of renewable energy in the Siberian Federal District, associated, on the one hand, with Russia’s lagging behind other countries in the dynamics of energy transition, and on the other hand, with external and internal technological and investment restrictions.