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26 April 2007 - Russia's president Vladimir Putin has said Russia needs to increase its power generation by two-thirds by 2020 and raise the share of nuclear, coal and hydropower generation.
In his annual state-of-the-nation address, Putin said state and private companies were to invest to Rb12 trillion ($467bn) to reach the target.
Putin prioritized the development of the electricity sector among the country's other large-scale projects, saying the program would involve the construction of new and upgrade of existing power plants and expansion of grids. He also called for a focus on non-gas generation.
"Significant changes in the structure of electricity generation are needed through increasing the share of atomic, coal and hydropower generation," Putin told the Federal Assembly, Russia's dual-house Parliament.
During the whole Soviet period, 30 nuclear power units were commissioned, Putin said, while over the next 12 years, 26 more of advanced technology would be launched.
Putin called for the creation of a special corporation, which would unite atomic energy organizations and work on domestic and external markets, and secure the state defence interests. A special law will need to be passed, he added.
He also said that with vast hydro resources, only 20 per cent of Russia's hydrogeneration potential is being used. "In other developed countries, it is 70-80 per cent," he added.
Putin called for the construction of new large hydropower plants, especially in Siberia and Russia's Far East. Russia, with its significant coal reserves, should also focus on coal power generation by advanced technology, he said.
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