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Vladimir Putin heard reports on the readiness of two new combined-cycle power units – at the TPP-20 in Moscow and the Serov Regional Power Station in the Urals Federal District, and on their connection to the Unified Energy System of Russia.

The President congratulated all employees of the energy industry on their professional holiday, the Energy Industry Worker’s Day.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Friends, colleagues, good afternoon.

I would like to congratulate everyone in this hall and all employees of the energy industry on your professional holiday. I would like to thank you for your work and wish you all the best, further success and to wish you all a happy New Year.

Today we will commission new units, which is always an important event for those working in the energy industry, a milestone in the projects you are working on. Generally, I would like to highlight the importance of this branch of the economy for the entire country.

It is vital that in the current complicated conditions we have managed to ensure steady development of the energy sector. You are introducing new generating capacity: this year you have added 4.6 gigawatt. Last year the figure was greater, but 4.6 is also a very good result and I would like to congratulate you on this once again.

The Crimean energy bridge has become operational. I would like to thank the engineers and workers, all those who worked hard to implement this job ahead of schedule. By May of next year, before the summer season begins, power supply to Crimea will be doubled to reach 800 megawatt. This will fully cover all the needs of the peninsula.

We will continue enhancing this country’s energy potential, creating conditions for economic growth and the development of housing, the utilities and the social sphere.

I would like to ask Energy Minister Alexander Novak to report on the progress both in specific projects and generally.

Please, Mr Novak.

Energy Minister Alexander Novak: Mr President, thank you very much for your support and your personal attention to the industry.

Today, on the 95^th anniversary of the GOELRO Plan, Russia’s energy industry continues developing and implementing a broad-scale programme to build highly efficient generating capacity in the Russian Federation.

Over the past few years, we have already commissioned 22.7 gigawatt of capacity. As you have just said, this year the figure will be 4.6 gigawatt. This would allow for an almost 10 percent upgrade of our generating assets, which would lead to a significant improvement of the situation with emissions into the atmosphere and would cut our spending on fuel for power generation.

 Mr President, also this year we have for the first time moved to an early power take-off, which allows our companies to plan their long-term investment and modernise their main assets. We have commissioned some 30,000 kilometres of power lines, which has also made it possible to significantly improve the situation with reliable power supply and reduce our accident rate. This year alone we expect our accident rate to go down by 14 percent on the power grids and by 5 percent in the generating complex.

We are also improving the situation with connecting consumers to the grid: this year we moved up from the 141^st to the 29^th position in the world rating. This is very significant progress in terms of improving the situation. More than 200,000 users are connected to the grid every year.

In addition, Mr President, we are implementing a large-scale programme to introduce up-to-date renewable sources of energy. This year we have already commissioned more than 50 megawatt worth of capacity, and by 2024, we will have more than 6,000 megawatt produced by solar and wind power stations.

Today we are commissioning two ultra-modern combined cycle power units in Moscow and Sverdlovsk Region, which are to significantly raise the efficiency of the existing power stations and, as I have said, reduce atmospheric pollution and fuel consumption for power generation.

Mr President, allow me to join you in congratulating all energy industry employees on their professional holiday and wish them to move forward and implement the new tasks that the country’s leaders and the consumers put before us.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, congratulations to everyone once again on your professional holiday. Today, as the Minister has just said, we are launching modern combined cycle power units of 420 megawatt each at the TPP-20 in Moscow and the Serov Regional Power Station in Sverdlovsk Region.

I would like to note that the turbines were made by our partners in Germany, by Siemens, and by our company Siloviye Mashiny, or the Krasny Kotelshchik plant to be precise. This is a good example of cooperation that produces a positive effect both for us and for our partners.

The new power unit will allow TPP-20 to increase its power generating capacity by 50 percent and will add 10 percent to its heating capacity.

The new unit will raise the efficiency of heat and power supply to homes and offices in Moscow and will reduce the power deficit for the development of Moscow’s central and southwestern areas (about 1.5 million people live in these areas). I would like to congratulate Muscovites on this event as well.

A similar up-to-date combined cycle unit will be launched today at the Serov Power Station, almost doubling its energy capacity. Natural gas will replace coal as the main fuel for power generation, for which I would like to thank Gazprom. Mr Miller, my gratitude to you and your colleagues who worked on this project.

As Mr Novak said, emissions into the atmosphere will be reduced and water resources in the area of the power station will be used more rationally. The launch of the new power unit will raise the efficiency and reliability of the Serov Power Station. This is very good news.

A very important task that we all need to work on is to increase the use of natural gas for our own needs, for our people, our citizens, to develop our economy and address environmental issues.

Mr Miller, could you say a few words, please?

Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller: Mr President, today is the first time we are commissioning two power units simultaneously: at the TPP-20 in Moscow and at the Serov Power Station, and the country will immediately receive an additional 840 megawatt of power.

I would like the shift supervisor at TPP-20 to report readiness for nominal power ascension.

Yevgeny Milovanov: No faults in the work of equipment, the power unit is ready for nominal power ascension. TPP-20 shift supervisor Yevgeny Milovanov.

Vladimir Putin: Begin, please.

Yevgeny Milovanov: The power unit has reached nominal capacity.

Alexei Miller: The Serov Power Station.

Pavel Savkin: No faults in the work of equipment, the power unit is ready for nominal power ascension. Shift supervisor Pavel Savkin.

Vladimir Putin: Fine, Pavel, begin.

Alexei Miller: Mr President, two power units have been commissioned.

Vladimir Putin: My congratulations to those working in the energy industry, and those who made the equipment (I would like to repeat that they have done a very important job), to all who took part in the reconstruction (the equipment was old, dating back to the 1950’s), to those who built the new facilities. Generally, to all who took part in this work – my congratulations on what we have done today, rather what you have done, while we only attended the final stage of this work.

Once again, my congratulations to all employees of the energy industry. I wish you all success and all the best.

 Thank you for your work. Thank you very much.