Types of electric power industry. History of the Belarusian electric power industry

Before the reform of 2008, most of the energy complex of the Russian Federation was under the control of RAO UES of Russia. This company was established in 1992 and by the beginning of the 2000s had become practically a monopoly on the Russian generation and energy transportation market.

The reform of the industry was due to the fact that RAO "UES of Russia" was repeatedly criticized for incorrect distribution of investments, as a result of which the accident rate at power facilities increased significantly. One of the reasons for the disbandment was an accident in the power system on May 25, 2005 in Moscow, as a result of which the activities of many enterprises, commercial and state organizations were paralyzed, and the work of the metro was stopped. Besides, RAO UES of Russia was often accused of selling electricity at deliberately inflated tariffs in order to increase its own profits.

As a result of the dissolution of RAO "UES of Russia", natural state monopolies were created in the network, distribution and dispatching activities. The private one was involved in the generation and sale of electricity.

Today, the structure of the energy complex is as follows:

• OJSC "System Operator of the Unified Energy System" (SO UES) - carries out centralized operational and dispatch control of the Unified Energy System of the Russian Federation.
• Non-commercial partnership “Market Council for the Organization of an Efficient System of Wholesale and Retail Trade in Electric Energy and Power” - unites sellers and buyers of the wholesale electricity market.
• Electricity generating companies. Including state-owned - RusHydro, Rosenergoatom, jointly managed by the state and private capital, WGCs (wholesale generating companies) and TGKs (territorial generating companies), as well as fully private capital.
• OJSC Russian Networks - management of the distribution grid complex.
• Power supply companies. Including JSC Inter RAO UES - a company owned by government agencies and organizations. Inter RAO UES is a monopolist in the import and export of electricity to the Russian Federation.

In addition to the division of organizations by type of activity, there is a division of the Unified Energy System of Russia into technological systems operating on a territorial basis. The United Energy Systems (UES) do not have one owner, but unite the energy companies of a particular region and have a single dispatch control, which is carried out by the branches of SO UES. Today in Russia there are 7 IES:

• OES of the Center (Belgorod, Bryansk, Vladimir, Vologodsk, Voronezh, Ivanovsk, Tverskaya, Kaluga, Kostroma, Kursk, Lipetsk, Moscow, Oryol, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tambov, Tula, Yaroslavl power systems);
• UES of the North-West (Arkhangelsk, Karelian, Kola, Komi, Leningrad, Novgorod, Pskov and Kaliningrad energy systems);
• UES of the South (Astrakhan, Volgograd, Dagestan, Ingush, Kalmyk, Karachay-Cherkess, Kabardino-Balkarian, Kuban, Rostov, North Ossetian, Stavropol, Chechen energy systems);
• UES of the Middle Volga (Nizhny Novgorod, Mari, Mordovia, Penza, Samara, Saratov, Tatar, Ulyanovsk, Chuvash power systems);
• UES of the Urals (Bashkir, Kirov, Kurgan, Orenburg, Perm, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen, Udmurt, Chelyabinsk energy systems);
• UES of Siberia (Altai, Buryat, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk, Kuzbass, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Tomsk, Khakass, Transbaikal power systems);
• UES of the East (Amurskaya, Primorskaya, Khabarovskaya and Yuzhno-Yakutskaya energy systems).

Key performance indicators

The key performance indicators of the power system are: installed capacity of power plants, electricity generation and electricity consumption.

The installed capacity of a power plant is the sum of the rated capacities of all generators of a power plant, which may change during the reconstruction of existing generators or the installation of new equipment. At the beginning of 2015, the installed capacity of the Unified Energy System (UES) of Russia was 232.45 thousand MW.

As of January 1, 2015, the installed capacity of Russian power plants increased by 5,981 MW compared to January 1, 2014. The growth was 2.6%, and this was achieved due to the introduction of new capacities with a capacity of 7,296 MW and an increase in the capacity of the existing equipment, by re-labeling at 411 MW. At the same time, generators with a capacity of 1,726 MW were decommissioned. In the industry as a whole, in comparison with 2010, the growth of production capacity amounted to 8.9%.

The distribution of capacities across the interconnected power systems is as follows:

• IES Center - 52.89 thousand MW;
• UES of the North-West - 23.28 thousand MW;
• IES of the South - 20.17 thousand MW;
• UES of the Middle Volga - 26.94 thousand MW;
• URES of the Urals - 49.16 thousand MW;
• UES of Siberia - 50.95 thousand MW;
• IES East - 9.06 thousand MW.

The largest increase in 2014 was in the installed capacity of the URES of the Urals - by 2,347 MW, as well as the IES of Siberia - by 1,547 MW and the IES of the Center by 1,465 MW.

At the end of 2014, the Russian Federation produced 1,025 billion kWh of electricity. According to this indicator, Russia ranks 4th in the world, behind China 5 times, and the United States of America 4 times.

Compared to 2013, electricity generation in the Russian Federation increased by 0.1%. And in relation to 2009, the growth was 6.6%, which in quantitative terms is 67 billion kWh.

Most of the electricity in 2014 in Russia was produced by thermal power plants - 677.3 billion kWh, hydroelectric power plants produced - 167.1 billion kWh, and nuclear power plants - 180.6 billion kWh. Electricity production by interconnected energy systems:

• IES Center –239.24 billion kWh;
• UES of the North-West –102.47 billion kWh;
• IES of the South - 84.77 billion kWh;
• UES of the Middle Volga - 105.04 billion kWh;
• URES of the Urals - 259.76 billion kWh;
• UES of Siberia - 198.34 billion kWh;
• IES East - 35.36 billion kWh.

Compared to 2013, the largest increase in electricity generation was recorded in the IES of the South - (+ 2.3%), and the smallest in the IES of the Middle Volga - (- 7.4%).

Electricity consumption in Russia in 2014 amounted to 1,014 billion kWh. Thus, the balance was (+ 11 billion kWh). And the largest consumer of electricity in the world at the end of 2014 is China - 4,600 billion kWh, the second place is occupied by the USA - 3,820 billion kWh.

Compared to 2013, electricity consumption in Russia increased by 4 billion kWh. But in general, the dynamics of consumption over the past 4 years has remained at approximately the same level. The difference between electricity consumption for 2010 and 2014 is 2.5%, in favor of the latter.

At the end of 2014, electricity consumption by interconnected energy systems is as follows:

• IES Center –232.97 billion kWh;
• UES of the North-West - 90.77 billion kWh;
• IES of the South - 86.94 billion kWh;
• UES of the Middle Volga - 106.68 billion kWh;
• URES of the Urals –260.77 billion kWh;
• UES of Siberia - 204.06 billion kWh;
• IES East - 31.8 billion kWh.

In 2014, 3 IESs had a positive difference between generated and generated electricity. The best indicator for the IES of the North-West is 11.7 billion kWh, which is 11.4% of the generated electricity, and the worst for the IES of Siberia (- 2.9%). The balance of electricity in the IES RF looks like this:

• IES Center - 6.27 billion kWh;
• UES of the North-West - 11.7 billion kWh;
• IES South - (- 2.17) billion kWh;
• UES of the Middle Volga - (- 1.64) billion kWh;
• URES of the Urals - (- 1.01) billion kWh;
• UES of Siberia - (- 5.72) billion kWh;

• IES East - 3.56 billion kWh.

The cost of 1 kWh of electricity, at the end of 2014 in Russia, is 3 times lower than European prices. The average annual European indicator is 8.4 Russian rubles, while in the Russian Federation the average cost of 1 kWh is 2.7 rubles. Denmark is the leader in terms of the cost of electricity - 17.2 rubles per 1 kWh, the second is Germany - 16.9 rubles. Such expensive tariffs are primarily due to the fact that the governments of these countries have abandoned the use of nuclear power plants in favor of alternative energy sources.

If we compare the cost of 1 kWh and the average salary, then among European countries, residents of Norway can buy the most kilowatt / hour per month - 23,969, Luxembourg is second with 17,945 kWh, and the Netherlands is third - 15,154 kWh. The average Russian can buy 9,674 kWh per month.

All Russian energy systems, as well as the energy systems of neighboring countries, are interconnected by power lines. For transmission of energy over long distances, high-voltage power lines with a capacity of 220 kV and above are used. They form the basis of the Russian energy system and are operated by intersystem power grids. The total length of power transmission lines of this class is 153.4 thousand km, and in general, the Russian Federation operates 2 647.8 thousand km of power lines of various capacities.

Nuclear power

Nuclear power is an energy industry that generates electricity by converting nuclear energy. Nuclear power plants have two significant advantages over their competitors - environmental friendliness and economy. If all operating standards are observed, the NPP practically does not pollute the environment, and nuclear fuel is burned in disproportionately smaller quantities than other types and fuels, and this saves on logistics and delivery.

But despite these advantages, many countries do not want to develop nuclear energy. This is due primarily to the fear of an environmental disaster that may occur as a result of an accident at a nuclear power plant. After the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986, close attention of the world community is riveted to nuclear power facilities around the world. Therefore, nuclear power plants are operated mainly in technically and economically developed countries.

According to 2014 data, nuclear power provides about 3% of the world's electricity consumption. Today, power plants with nuclear reactors operate in 31 countries around the world. In total, there are 192 nuclear power plants with 438 power units in the world. The total capacity of all nuclear power plants in the world is about 380 thousand MW. The largest number of nuclear power plants is located in the USA - 62, France - 19, the third - Japan - 17. There are 10 nuclear power plants in the Russian Federation and this is the 5th indicator in the world.

Nuclear power plants of the United States of America generate a total of 798.6 billion kWh, this is the best indicator in the world, but in the structure of electricity generated by all US power plants, nuclear power accounts for about 20%. The largest share in the generation of electricity from nuclear power plants in France, nuclear power plants in this country generate 77% of all electricity. The generation of French nuclear power plants is 481 billion kWh per year.

At the end of 2014, Russian NPPs generated 180.26 billion kWh of electricity, which is 8.2 billion kWh more than in 2013, the percentage difference is 4.8%. Electricity production by nuclear power plants in Russia is more than 17.5% of the total amount of electricity produced in the Russian Federation.

With regard to the generation of electricity by nuclear power plants through the interconnected energy systems, the largest amount was generated by the NPP of the Center - 94.47 billion kWh - this is just over half of the country's total generation. And the share of nuclear power in this united energy system is the largest - about 40%.

• IES Center - 94.47 billion kWh (39.8% of all generated electricity);
• UES of the North-West - 35.73 billion kWh (35% of all energy);
• IES South –18.87 billion kWh (22.26% of all energy);
• UES of the Middle Volga –29.8 billion kWh (28.3% of all energy);
• URES of the Urals - 4.5 billion kWh (1.7% of all energy).

This uneven distribution of production is associated with the location of Russian nuclear power plants. Most of the capacity of nuclear power plants is concentrated in the European part of the country, while in Siberia and the Far East they are absent altogether.

The largest nuclear power plant in the world is Japan's Kashiwazaki-Kariva, with a capacity of 7,965 MW, and the largest European nuclear power plant is Zaporozhskaya, with a capacity of about 6,000 MW. It is located in the Ukrainian city of Energodar. In the Russian Federation, the largest nuclear power plants have a capacity of 4,000 MW, the rest from 48 to 3,000 MW. List of Russian nuclear power plants:

• Balakovo NPP - capacity 4,000 MW. Located in the Saratov region, it has been repeatedly recognized as the best nuclear power plant in Russia. It has 4 power units and was commissioned in 1985.
• Leningrad NPP - capacity 4,000 MW. The largest nuclear power plant in the North-West IES. It has 4 power units and was put into operation in 1973.
• Kursk NPP - capacity 4,000 MW. Consists of 4 power units, operation commenced in 1976.
• Kalinin NPP - capacity 4,000 MW. Located in the north of the Tver region, it has 4 power units. Opened in 1984.
• Smolensk NPP - capacity 3,000 MW. Recognized as the best NPP in Russia in 1991, 1992, 2006 2011. It has 3 power units, the first was put into operation in 1982.
• Rostov NPP - capacity 2,000 MW. The largest power plant in the south of Russia. 2 power units were put into operation at the station, the first in 2001, the second in 2010.
• Novovoronezh NPP - capacity 1,880 MW. Provides electricity to about 80% of consumers in the Voronezh region. The first power unit was launched in September 1964. Now there are 3 power units.
• Kola NPP - capacity 1,760 MW. The first nuclear power plant in Russia built in the Arctic Circle provides about 60% of the electricity consumption of the Murmansk region. It has 4 power units and was opened in 1973.
• Beloyarsk NPP - capacity 600 MW. Located in the Sverdlovsk region. It was commissioned in April 1964. It is the oldest currently operating nuclear power plant in Russia. Now only 1 power unit is in operation out of the three envisaged by the project.
• Bilibino NPP - capacity 48 MW. It is part of the isolated Chaun-Bilibino energy system, generating about 75% of the electricity it consumes. It was opened in 1974 and consists of 4 power units.

In addition to the existing nuclear power plants, 8 more power units are under construction in Russia, as well as a floating nuclear power plant of low power.

Hydropower

Hydroelectric power plants provide a rather low cost of one generated kWh of energy. Compared to thermal power plants, the production of 1 kWh at hydroelectric power plants is 2 times cheaper. This is due to the rather simple principle of operation of hydroelectric power plants. Special hydraulic structures are being built that provide the necessary water pressure. Water, falling on the turbine blades, sets it in motion, which in turn drives generators that generate electricity.

But the widespread use of hydroelectric power plants is impossible, since a necessary condition for operation is the presence of a powerful moving water flow. Therefore, hydroelectric power plants are being built on deep large rivers. Another significant drawback of hydroelectric power plants is the blockage of river beds, which makes it difficult for fish to spawn and flood large volumes of land resources.

But despite the negative consequences for the environment, hydroelectric power plants continue to function and are being built on the world's largest rivers. There are hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of about 780 thousand MW in the world. It is difficult to calculate the total number of hydroelectric power plants, since there are many small hydroelectric power plants operating in the world, operating for the needs of a separate city, enterprise, or even a private economy. On average, hydropower generates about 20% of the world's electricity.

Of all the countries in the world, Paraguay is the most dependent on hydropower. In the country, 100% of electricity is generated by hydroelectric power plants. In addition to this country, Norway, Brazil and Colombia are very dependent on hydropower.

The largest hydroelectric power plants are located in South America and China. The largest hydroelectric power plant in the world is Sanxia on the Yangzi River, its capacity reaches 22,500 MW, the second place is taken by the hydroelectric power station on the Parana River - Itaipu, with a capacity of 14,000 MW. The largest hydroelectric power plant in Russia is Sayano-Shushenskaya, with a capacity of about 6,400 MW.

In addition to the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP, there are 101 more hydroelectric power plants operating in Russia with a capacity of over 100 MW. The largest hydroelectric power plants in Russia:

• Sayano-Shushenskaya - Capacity - 6 400 MW, average annual electricity production - 19.7 billion kWh. Commissioning date - 1985. The hydroelectric power station is located on the Yenisei.
• Krasnoyarskaya - Capacity 6,000 MW, average annual electricity production - about 20 billion kWh, commissioned in 1972, also located on the Yenisei.
• Bratskaya - Capacity 4,500 MW, located at the Angara. It generates on average about 22.6 billion kWh per year. Commissioned in 1961.
• Ust-Ilimskaya - Capacity 3,840 MW, located at the Angara. Average annual productivity is 21.7 billion kWh. It was built in 1985.
• Boguchanskaya HPP - Capacity of about 3,000 MW, was built at Angara in 2012. Produces about 17.6 billion kWh per year.
• Volzhskaya HPP - Capacity 2 640 MW. Built in 1961 in the Volgograd region, the average annual capacity is 10.43 kWh.
• Zhigulevskaya HPP - Capacity of about 2,400 MW. It was built in 1955 on the Volga river in the Samara region. It produces about 11.7 kWh of electricity per year.

As for the interconnected energy systems, the largest share in the generation of electricity with the help of hydroelectric power plants belongs to IES of Siberia and the East. In these IESs, hydropower plants account for 47.5 and 35.3% of all generated electricity, respectively. This is due to the presence in these regions of large deep rivers of the Yenisei and Amur basins.

At the end of 2014, Russian hydroelectric power plants produced more than 167 billion kWh of electricity. Compared to 2013, this indicator decreased by 4.4%. The largest contribution to the generation of electricity using hydroelectric power plants was made by the IES of Siberia - about 57% of the total Russian.

Heat power engineering

Thermal power engineering is the backbone of the energy complex of the vast majority of countries in the world. Despite the fact that thermal power plants have a lot of disadvantages associated with environmental pollution and high cost of electricity, they are used everywhere. The reason for this popularity is the versatility of TPPs. Thermal power plants can operate on various types of fuel, and the design must take into account which energy resources are optimal for a given region.

Thermal power plants generate about 90% of the world's electricity. At the same time, the share of thermal power plants using petroleum products as fuel accounts for the production of 39% of all world energy, coal-fired thermal power plants - 27%, and gas-fired thermal power plants - 24% of the generated electricity. In some countries, there is a strong dependence of TPPs on one type of fuel. For example, the overwhelming majority of Polish thermal power plants operate on coal, the same situation is in South Africa. Most thermal power plants in the Netherlands use natural gas as fuel.

In the Russian Federation, the main types of fuel for TPPs are natural and associated petroleum gas and coal. Moreover, most TPPs in the European part of Russia operate on gas, while coal-fired TPPs prevail in southern Siberia and the Far East. The share of power plants using fuel oil as the main fuel is insignificant. In addition, many thermal power plants in Russia use several types of fuel. For example, the Novocherkasskaya GRES in the Rostov region uses all three main types of fuel. The share of fuel oil is 17%, gas - 9%, and coal - 74%.

In terms of the amount of electricity generated in the Russian Federation in 2014, thermal power plants firmly hold a leading position. In total, over the past year, TPPs produced 621.1 billion kWh, which is 0.2% less than in 2013. On the whole, electricity generation by thermal power plants in the Russian Federation has decreased to the level of 2010.

If we consider the generation of electricity in the context of the UPS, then in each energy system the share of TPPs accounts for the largest electricity production. The largest share of TPPs in the UES of the Urals - 86.8%, and the smallest in the UES of the North-West - 45.4%. As for the quantitative production of electricity, in the context of the UPS, it looks as follows:

• URES of the Urals - 225.35 billion kWh;
• IES Center - 131.13 billion kWh;
• UES of Siberia - 94.79 billion kWh;
• UES of the Middle Volga - 51.39 billion kWh;
• IES of the South - 49.04 billion kWh;
• UES of the North-West - 46.55 billion kWh;
• IES of the Far East - 22.87 billion kWh.

Thermal power plants in Russia are divided into two types of CHP and GRES. A combined heat and power plant (CHP) is a power plant with the ability to extract heat energy. Thus, the CHPP produces not only electricity, but also thermal energy used for hot water supply and space heating. GRES is a thermal power plant that produces only electricity. The abbreviation GRES remained from Soviet times and meant the state regional power plant.

Today in the Russian Federation there are about 370 thermal power plants. Of these, 7 have a capacity of over 2,500 MW:

• Surgutskaya GRES - 2 - capacity 5,600 MW, fuel types - natural and associated petroleum gas - 100%.
• Reftinskaya GRES - capacity 3 800 MW, fuel types - coal - 100%.
• Kostromskaya GRES - capacity 3,600 MW, fuel types - natural gas - 87%, coal - 13%.
• Surgutskaya GRES - 1 - capacity 3,270 MW, types of fuel - natural and associated petroleum gas - 100%.
• Ryazanskaya GRES - capacity 3070 MW, types of fuel - fuel oil - 4%, gas - 62%, coal - 34%.
• Kirishskaya GRES - capacity 2,600 MW, fuel types - fuel oil - 100%.
• Konakovskaya GRES - capacity of 2,520 MW, types of fuel - fuel oil - 19%, gas - 81%.

Industry development prospects

Over the past few years, the Russian energy complex has maintained a positive balance between the generated and consumed electricity. Typically, the total amount of consumed energy is 98-99% of the generated. Thus, we can say that the existing production capacities fully cover the country's electricity needs.

The main areas of activity of Russian power engineers are aimed at increasing the electrification of remote regions of the country, as well as updating and reconstruction of existing facilities.

It should be noted that the cost of electricity in Russia is significantly lower than in the countries of Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, therefore, due attention is not paid to the development and implementation of new alternative energy sources. The share of wind energy, geothermal energy and solar energy in the total electricity production in Russia does not exceed 0.15% of the total. But if geothermal energy is very territorially limited, and solar energy in Russia is not developing on an industrial scale, then neglect of wind energy is unacceptable.

Today in the world, the capacity of wind generators is 369 thousand MW, which is only 11 thousand MW less than the capacity of the power units of all nuclear power plants in the world. The economic potential of the Russian wind energy is about 250 billion kWh per year, which is about a quarter of all electricity consumed in the country. Today, the production of electricity using wind turbines does not exceed 50 million kWh per year.

It should also be noted the widespread introduction of energy-saving technologies in all types of economic activities, which has been observed in recent years. In industries and households, various devices are used to reduce energy consumption, and in modern construction they actively use thermal insulation materials. But, unfortunately, even in spite of the Federal Law "On Energy Saving and Increasing Energy Efficiency in the Russian Federation" adopted in 2009, the Russian Federation lags far behind the countries of Europe and the United States in terms of energy savings and energy saving.

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The industry of any country consists of a large number of diverse industries, such as mechanical engineering or power engineering. These are the directions in which a particular country is developing, and different states may have different accents depending on many factors, such as natural resources, technological development, and so on. This article will focus on one very important and actively developing industry today - the electric power industry. The electric power industry is an industry that has evolved continuously over the years, but it has been in recent years that it has begun to actively move forward, pushing humanity to use more environmentally friendly energy sources.

What it is?

So, first of all, you need to figure out what this industry is in general. Electricity is a division of energy that is responsible for the production, distribution, transmission and sale of electrical energy. Among other industries in this area, it is the electric power industry that is the most popular and widespread at once for a number of reasons. For example, because of the ease of its distribution, the possibility of its transmission over huge distances in the shortest periods of time, and also because of its versatility - electrical energy can be easily transformed into others, if necessary, such as heat, light, chemical, and so on. Thus, it is the development of this industry that the governments of world powers pay great attention to. The power industry is an industry with the future. This is what many people think, and that is why you need to familiarize yourself with it in more detail with the help of this article.

Electricity production progress

So that you can fully understand how important this industry is to the world, you need to look at how the electric power industry developed throughout its history. It should be noted right away that electricity production is indicated in billions of kilowatts per hour. In 1890, when the electric power industry was just beginning to develop, only nine billion kWh were produced. The big leap took place by 1950, when more than a hundred times more electricity was being produced. From that moment on, the development proceeded in giant strides - several thousand billion kWh were added at once every decade. As a result, by 2013 the world powers produced 23,127 billion kWh - an incredible figure that continues to grow every year. Today, China and the United States of America provide the largest amount of electricity - these two countries have the most developed electric power industries. China accounts for 23 percent of the world's electricity generation, while the United States accounts for 18 percent. They are followed by Japan, Russia and India - each of these countries has at least four times less share in world electricity production. Well, now you also know the general geography of the electric power industry - it's time to move on to specific types of this industry.

Thermal power engineering

You already know that the electric power industry is an energy sector, and the energy sector itself, in turn, is an industry as a whole. However, the branching does not end there - there are several types of electric power industry, some of them are very common and used everywhere, others are not so popular. There are also alternative areas of the electric power industry, where unconventional methods are used, which make it possible to achieve large-scale production of electricity without harming the environment, as well as with the neutralization of all the negative features of traditional methods. But first things first.

First of all, it is necessary to talk about the thermal power industry, since it is the most widespread and famous all over the world. How is electricity produced in this way? You can easily guess that in this case there is a transformation of thermal energy into electrical energy, and thermal energy is obtained by burning various types of fuel. Combined heat and power plants can be found in almost every country - this is the simplest and most convenient process for obtaining large amounts of energy at low cost. However, it is this process that is one of the most harmful to the environment. First, natural fuel is used to generate electricity, which is guaranteed to run out someday. Secondly, combustion products are released into the atmosphere, poisoning it. That is why there are alternative methods of generating electricity. However, these are far from all traditional types of electric power industry - there are others, and we will focus on them further.

Nuclear power

As in the previous case, there is a lot to learn from the name when considering nuclear power. The generation of electricity in this case is carried out in atomic reactors, where atoms are split and their nuclei fission - as a result of these actions, a large release of energy occurs, which is then transformed into electrical energy. Hardly anyone else knows that this is the most unsafe electric power industry. The industry of not every country has its share in the global production of nuclear electricity. Any leak from such a reactor can lead to catastrophic consequences - just remember Chernobyl, as well as the incidents in Japan. However, in recent years, more and more attention has been paid to safety, so nuclear power plants are being built further.

Hydropower

Another popular way to generate electricity is from water. This process takes place at hydroelectric power plants, it does not require dangerous processes of nuclear fission, or fuel combustion that is harmful to the environment, but it also has its drawbacks. Firstly, this is a violation of the natural flow of rivers - dams are built on them, due to which the necessary flow of water into the turbines is created, due to which energy is obtained. Often, due to the construction of dams, rivers, lakes and other natural reservoirs are drained and perished, so it cannot be said that this is an ideal option for this energy sector. Accordingly, many electric power companies turn to alternative, rather than traditional, methods of generating electricity.

Alternative electricity

Alternative electricity is a collection of types of electricity that differ from traditional ones mainly in that they do not require any kind of harm to the environment, and also do not endanger anyone. We are talking about hydrogen, tidal, wave and many other varieties. The most common of these are wind and solar energy. It is on them that the emphasis is placed - many believe that they are the future of this industry. What is the essence of these species?

Wind power is the production of electricity from wind. Windmills are being built in the fields, which work very efficiently and provide energy not much worse than the previously described methods, but at the same time only wind is needed to operate the windmills. Naturally, the disadvantage of this method is that the wind is a natural element that cannot be subdued, but scientists are working to improve the functionality of modern windmills. With regard to solar energy, electricity is obtained from the sun's rays. As in the case with the previous view, it is also necessary to work on increasing the storage capacity, since the sun does not always shine - and even if the weather is cloudless, in any case, at a certain moment, night comes when solar panels are not able to generate electricity.

Electricity transmission

Well, now you know all the main types of generating electricity, however, as you could already understand from the definition of the term electricity, everything is not limited to receiving. Energy needs to be transmitted and distributed. So, it is transmitted through power lines. These are metallic conductors that create one large electrical network all over the world. Earlier, overhead lines were most often used - you can see them along the roads, thrown from one pillar to another. However, in recent years, cable lines that are laid underground have become very popular.

History of the development of the electric power industry in Russia

The electric power industry in Russia began to develop at the same time as the world - in 1891, when the first successful transmission of electrical power was carried out for almost two hundred kilometers. In the realities of pre-revolutionary Russia, the electric power industry was incredibly underdeveloped - the annual electricity generation for such a huge country was only 1.9 billion kWh. When the revolution took place, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin proposed the implementation of which was started immediately. By 1931, the planned plan was fulfilled, but the speed of development was so impressive that by 1935 the plan was exceeded three times. Thanks to this reform, by 1940, the annual electricity generation in Russia amounted to 50 billion kWh, which is twenty-five times more than before the revolution. Unfortunately, the dramatic progress was interrupted by the Second World War, but after its completion, work was restored, and by 1950 the Soviet Union was generating 90 billion kWh, which was about ten percent of total electricity generation worldwide. By the mid-sixties, the Soviet Union had become the second largest producer of electricity in the world and was second only to the United States. The situation remained at the same high level until the collapse of the USSR, when the electric power industry turned out to be far from the only industry that was severely affected by this event. In 2003, a new Federal Law on the electric power industry was signed, within the framework of which the rapid development of this industry in Russia should take place in the coming decades. And the country is definitely moving in that direction. However, it is one thing to sign the Federal Law on the electric power industry, and quite another to implement it. This is what will be discussed below. You will learn about the current problems of the electric power industry in Russia, as well as what ways will be chosen to solve them.

Excess power generation capacity

The power industry in Russia is already in a much better condition than ten years ago, so we can safely say that progress is underway. However, at a recent energy forum, the main problems of this industry in the country were identified. And the first of these is the surplus of power generating capacity, which was caused by the massive construction of low power plants in the USSR instead of the construction of a small number of high power plants. All these stations still need to be serviced, so there are two ways out of the situation. The first is the decommissioning of facilities. This option would be ideal if not for the huge costs of such a project. Therefore, Russia is likely to move towards the second exit, namely an increase in consumption.

Import substitution

After the introduction of western power plants, the Russian industry felt very acutely its dependence on foreign supplies - this also strongly affected the power industry, where in almost none of the modern spheres of activity the full production process of certain generators took place exclusively on the territory of the Russian Federation. Accordingly, the government plans to increase production capacity in the right directions, control their localization, and also try to get rid of dependence on imports as much as possible.

Fresh air

The problem is that modern Russian companies operating in the electricity sector pollute the air very heavily. However, the Ministry of Ecology of the Russian Federation tightened the legislation and began to collect more fines for violation of established norms. Unfortunately, the companies suffering from this do not plan to try to optimize their production - they are throwing all their strength into crushing the "green" by the number, and demand to soften the legislation.

Billions of debt

Today, the total debt of electricity users across Russia is about 460 billion Russian rubles. Naturally, if the country had at its disposal all the money owed to it, it could develop the electric power industry much faster. Therefore, the government plans to tighten penalties for late payment of electricity bills, and will also urge those who do not want to pay their bills in the future to install their own solar panels and supply themselves with energy.

Regulated market

The most important problem of the domestic electric power industry is the complete regulation of the market. In European countries, regulation of the energy market is almost completely absent, there is real competition, so the industry is developing at a tremendous pace. All these rules and regulations impede development very much, and as a result, the Russian Federation has already started purchasing electricity from Finland, where the market is practically not regulated. The only solution to this problem is the transition to a free market model and a complete rejection of regulation.

Saint Petersburg State University

Service and Economy

Ecology Abstract

on the topic "Electricity"

Completed: 1st year student

Checked:

Introduction:

ELECTRIC POWER ENGINEERING, the leading area of \u200b\u200benergy, providing electrification of the national economy. In economically developed countries, the technical means of the electric power industry are combined into automated and centrally controlled electric power systems.

Energy is the basis for the development of production forces in any state. Power engineering ensures uninterrupted operation of industry, agriculture, transport, utilities. The stable development of the economy is impossible without the constantly developing energy sector.

The electric power industry, along with other sectors of the national economy, is considered as part of a single national economic system. At present, our life is inconceivable without electrical energy. Electricity has invaded all spheres of human activity: industry and agriculture, science and space. Without electricity, the operation of modern means of communication and the development of cybernetics, computing and space technology are impossible. The importance of electricity in agriculture, the transport complex and in everyday life is also great. It is impossible to imagine our life without electricity. Such widespread use is explained by its specific properties:

the ability to transform into almost all other types of energy (thermal, mechanical, sound, light and others) with minimal losses;

the ability to relatively easily be transmitted over long distances in large quantities;

enormous speeds of electromagnetic processes;

the ability to split energy and the formation of its parameters (change in voltage, frequency).

the impossibility and, accordingly, unnecessary storage or accumulation.

Industry remains the main consumer of electricity, although its share in the total useful electricity consumption is significantly decreasing. Electrical energy in industry is used to drive various mechanisms and directly in technological processes. Currently, the electrification rate of power drive in industry is 80%. At the same time, about 1/3 of the electricity is consumed directly for technological needs. Industries that often do not use electricity directly for their technological processes are the largest consumers of electricity.

Formation and development of the electric power industry.

The formation of the electric power industry in Russia is associated with the GOELRO plan (1920) for a period of 15 years, which provided for the construction of 10 hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of 640 thousand kW. The plan was fulfilled ahead of schedule: by the end of 1935, 40 district power plants had been built. Thus, the GOELRO plan created the basis for the industrialization of Russia, and it took the second place in the production of electricity in the world.

At the beginning of the XX century. in the structure of energy resources consumption, coal occupied an absolutely predominant place. For example, in developed countries by 1950. not coal accounted for 74%, but oil - 17% in total energy consumption. At the same time, the bulk of energy resources was used within the countries where they were mined.

Average annual growth rates of energy consumption in the world in the first half of the XX century accounted for 2-3%, and in 1950-1975. - already 5%.

To cover the increase in energy consumption in the second half of the XX century. the global structure of energy consumption is undergoing major changes. In the 50-60s. more and more oil and gas are replacing coal. In the period from 1952 to 1972. oil was cheap. The price for it on the world market reached $ 14 / t. In the second half of the 70s, the development of large deposits of natural gas also begins and its consumption is gradually increasing, displacing coal.

Until the early 1970s, the growth in energy consumption was largely extensive. In developed countries, its rate was actually determined by the growth rate of industrial production. Meanwhile, the developed fields are beginning to deplete, and the import of energy resources, primarily oil, begins to grow.

In 1973. an energy crisis broke out. The world oil price jumped to $ 250-300 per ton. One of the reasons for the crisis was the reduction of its production in easily accessible places and its movement to areas with extreme natural conditions and to the continental shelf. Another reason was the desire of the main oil exporting countries (OPEC members), which are mainly developing countries, to more effectively use their advantages as owners of the bulk of the world's reserves of this valuable raw material.

During this period, the leading countries of the world were forced to revise their energy development concepts. As a result, forecasts for growth in energy consumption have become more moderate. Energy saving has become a significant place in the energy development programs. If before the energy crisis of the 70s, energy consumption in the world was predicted by 2000 at the level of 20-25 billion tons of standard fuel, then after it the forecasts were adjusted towards a noticeable decrease to 12.4 billion tons of standard fuel.

Industrialized countries are taking major measures to ensure savings in the consumption of primary energy resources. Energy saving is increasingly taking a central place in their national economic concepts. There is a restructuring of the sectoral structure of national economies. The preference is given to low-energy-intensive industries and technologies. There is a curtailment of energy-intensive industries. Energy-saving technologies are actively developing, first of all, in energy-intensive industries: metallurgy, metal-working industry, transport. Large-scale scientific and technical programs are being implemented to find and develop alternative energy technologies. In the period from the beginning of the 70s to the end of the 80s. energy intensity of GDP in the United States decreased by 40%, in Japan - by 30%.

During the same period, the nuclear power industry was developing rapidly. In the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s, about 65% of the currently operating nuclear power plants in the world were put into operation.

During this period, the concept of energy security of the state was introduced into political and economic use. Energy strategies of developed countries are aimed not only at reducing the consumption of specific energy carriers (coal or oil), but also generally at reducing the consumption of any energy resources and diversifying their sources.

As a result of all these measures in developed countries, the average annual growth rate of consumption of primary energy resources has noticeably decreased: from 1.8% in the 80s to up to 1.45% in 1991-2000 According to the forecast, until 2015 it will not exceed 1.25%.

In the second half of the 80s, another factor appeared, which today has an increasing influence on the structure and development trends of the fuel and energy complex. Scientists and politicians around the world are actively talking about the consequences of the impact on the nature of man-made human activities, in particular, the impact on the environment of fuel and energy facilities. The tightening of international requirements for environmental protection in order to reduce the greenhouse effect and emissions into the atmosphere (according to the decision of the conference in Kyoto in 1997) should lead to a decrease in the consumption of coal and oil as the most affecting the environment of energy resources, as well as stimulate the improvement of existing and creation of new energy resources. technologies.

Geography of Russia's energy resources.

Energy resources on the territory of Russia are located extremely unevenly. Their main reserves are concentrated in Siberia and the Far East (about 93% of coal, 60% of natural gas, 80% of hydropower resources), and most of the electricity consumers are in the European part of the country. Let's consider this picture in more detail by region.

The Russian Federation consists of 11 economic regions. It is possible to distinguish regions in which a significant amount of electricity is generated, there are five of them: Central, Volga, Ural, Western Siberia and Eastern Siberia.

Central economic region (CED) has a rather favorable economic position, but does not have significant resources. The reserves of fuel resources are extremely small, although the region occupies one of the first places in the country in terms of their consumption. It is located at the intersection of land and water roads, which contribute to the emergence and strengthening of inter-district ties. Fuel reserves are represented by the Moscow Region brown coal basin. The mining conditions there are unfavorable, and the coal is of poor quality. But with the change in energy and transport tariffs, its role has increased, since imported coal has become too expensive. The region possesses rather large, but significantly depleted peat resources. Hydropower reserves are not large; reservoir systems have been created on the Oka, Volga and other rivers. Oil reserves have also been explored, but production is still a long way off. It can be said that the energy resources of the CED are of local importance, and the electric power industry is not an industry of its market specialization.

Large thermal power plants prevail in the structure of the electric power industry of the Central Economic Region. Konakovskaya and Kostromskaya GRES, with a capacity of 3.6 million kW each, operate mainly on fuel oil, Ryazanskaya GRES (2.8 million kW) - on coal. Also quite large are Novomoskovskaya, Cherepetskaya, Shchekinskaya, Yaroslavskaya, Kashirskaya, Shaturskaya thermal power plants and Moscow CHP. HPPs of the Central Economic Region are small and few in number. In the region of the Rybinsk reservoir, the Rybinsk hydroelectric power station was built on the Volga, as well as the Uglich and Ivankovskaya hydroelectric power stations. The pumped storage power plant was built near Sergiev Posad. There are two large nuclear power plants in the region: Smolensk (3 million kW) and Kalininskaya (2 million kW), as well as Obninsk NPP.

All of these power plants are part of the interconnected power system, which does not meet the district's electricity needs. The power systems of the Volga region, the Urals, and the South are now connected to the Center.

The power plants in the region are distributed fairly evenly, although most are concentrated in the center of the region. In the future, the electric power industry of the Center for Economic Development will develop through the expansion of existing thermal power plants and nuclear power.

Volga Economicdistrictspecializes in oil and petroleum refining, chemical, gas, manufacturing, construction materials and power generation. In the structure of the economy, an intersectoral machine-building complex is distinguished.

The most important mineral resources of the region are oil and gas. Large oil fields are located in Tatarstan (Romashkinskoye, Pervomayskoye, Elabuzhskoye, etc.), in the Samara (Mukhanovskoye), Saratov and Volgograd regions. Natural gas resources have been found in the Astrakhan region (a gas production complex is being formed), in the Saratov (Kurdyumo-Elshanskoye and Stepanovskoye fields) and Volgograd (Zhirnovskoye, Korobovskoye and other fields) regions.

In the structure of the electric power industry, there is a large Zainskaya GRES (2.4 million kW) located in the north of the region and operating on fuel oil and coal, as well as a number of large thermal power plants. Separate smaller thermal power plants serve settlements and industry in them. Two nuclear power plants have been built in the region: Balakovskaya (3 million kW) and Dimitrovgrad NPP. The Samara HPP (2.3 million kW), the Saratov HPP (1.3 million kW), and the Volgograd HPP (2.5 million kW) have been built on the Volga. The Nizhnekamsk hydroelectric power station (1.1 million kW) was built on the Kama near the city of Naberezhnye Chelny. Hydroelectric power plants operate in an interconnected system.

The energy sector of the Volga region is of interdistrict importance. Electricity is transmitted to the Urals, Donbass and the Center.

A feature of the Volga economic region is that most of the industry is concentrated along the banks of the Volga, an important transport artery. And this explains the concentration of power plants near the Volga and Kama rivers.

Ural Is one of the most powerful industrial complexes in the country. The areas of market specialization of the region are ferrous metallurgy, non-ferrous metallurgy, processing, timber industry and mechanical engineering.

The fuel resources of the Urals are very diverse: coal, oil, natural gas, oil shale, peat. Oil is mainly concentrated in Bashkortostan, Udmurtia, Perm and Orenburg regions. Natural gas is produced in the Orenburg gas condensate field, the largest in the European part of Russia. Coal reserves are small.

In the Urals economic region, thermal power plants prevail in the structure of the electric power industry. There are three large GRES in the region: Reftinskaya (3.8 million kW), Troitskaya (2.4 million kW) operate on coal, Iriklinskaya (2.4 million kW) - on fuel oil. Some cities are served by Perm, Magnitogorsk, Orenburg thermal power plants, Yaivinskaya, Yuzhnouralskaya and Karmanovskaya TPPs. Hydroelectric power plants were built on the Ufa River (Pavlovskaya HPP) and Kama (Kamskaya and Votkinskaya HPPs). In the Urals there is a nuclear power plant - Beloyarsk NPP (0.6 million kW) near the city of Yekaterinburg. The largest concentration of power plants is in the center of the economic region.

Western Siberia refers to areas with a high endowment of natural resources with a shortage of labor resources. It is located at the crossroads of railways and the great Siberian rivers in close proximity to the industrially developed Urals.

In the region, industries of specialization include the fuel, mining, chemical, power generation and construction materials industries.

Thermal power plants play the leading role in Western Siberia. Surgutskaya GRES (3.1 million kW) is located in the center of the region. The main part of the power plants is concentrated in the south: in the Kuzbass and adjacent areas. There are power plants serving Tomsk, Biysk, Kemerovo, Novosibirsk, as well as Omsk, Tobolsk and Tyumen. The hydroelectric power plant was built on the Ob near Novosibirsk. There are no nuclear power plants in the region.

On the territory of the Tyumen and Tomsk regions, the largest program-target TPK in Russia is being formed on the basis of unique reserves of oil and natural gas in the northern and middle parts of the West Siberian Plain and significant forest resources.

Eastern Siberia is distinguished by an exceptional wealth and variety of natural resources. Huge reserves of coal and hydropower resources are concentrated here. The most studied and developed are the Kansk-Achinsk, Irkutsk and Minusinsk coal basins. There are less explored deposits (on the territory of Tyva, Tunguska coal basin). There are oil reserves. In terms of the wealth of hydropower resources, Eastern Siberia ranks first in Russia. The high speed of the Yenisei and Angara flows creates favorable conditions for the construction of power plants.

The industries of market specialization in Eastern Siberia include the electric power industry, non-ferrous metallurgy, mining and fuel industries.

The most important area of \u200b\u200bmarket specialization is the power industry. Until relatively recently, this industry was poorly developed and hindered the development of industry in the region. Over the past 30 years, a powerful electric power industry has been created on the basis of cheap coal and hydropower resources, and the region has taken the leading position in the country in terms of electricity production per capita.

Ust-Khantayskaya HPP, Kureyskaya HPP, Mainskaya HPP, Krasnoyarsk HPP (6 million kW) and Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP (6.4 million kW) have been built on the Yenisei. The hydraulic power plants built on the Angara are of great importance: Ust-Ilimskaya HPP (4.3 million kW), Bratsk HPP (4.5 million kW) and Irkutsk HPP (600 thousand kW). The Boguchanovskaya HPP is under construction. The Mamakanskaya hydroelectric power station on the Vitim river and a cascade of Vilyui hydroelectric power plants were also built.

Powerful Nazarovskaya GRES (6 million kW), powered by coal, have been built in the region; Berezovskaya (design capacity - 6.4 million kW), Chitinskaya and Irsha-Borodinskaya GRES; Norilsk and Irkutsk CHPPs. Thermal power plants were also built to serve cities such as Krasnoyarsk, Angarsk, Ulan-Ude. There are no nuclear power plants in the region.

The power plants are part of the unified energy system of Central Siberia. The electric power industry in Eastern Siberia creates especially favorable conditions for the development of energy-intensive industries in the region: metallurgy of light metals and a number of chemical industries.

Unified Energy System of Russia.

For a more rational, comprehensive and economical use of the general potential of Russia, the Unified Energy System (UES) has been created. It has over 700 large power plants with a total capacity of over 250 million kW (84% of the capacity of all power plants in the country). The UES is managed from a single center.

The Unified Energy System has a number of clear economic benefits. Powerful power transmission lines (power transmission lines) significantly increase the reliability of electricity supply to the national economy. They align the annual and daily schedules of electricity consumption, improve the economic performance of power plants and create conditions for the full electrification of areas where there is a lack of electricity.

The UES of the former USSR included power plants, which spread their influence over an area of \u200b\u200bover 10 million km 2 with a population of about 220 million people.

The United Energy Systems (UES) of the Center, the Volga region, the Urals, the North-West, the North Caucasus are included in the UES of the European part. They are connected by high-voltage highways Samara - Moscow (500 kW), Moscow - St. Petersburg (750 kW), Volgograd - Moscow (500 kW), Samara - Chelyabinsk, etc.

There are numerous thermal power plants (KES and CHPP) operating on coal (near Moscow, Ural, etc.), shale, peat, natural gas and fuel oil, and nuclear power plants. Hydroelectric power plants are of great importance, covering the peak loads of large industrial areas and nodes.

Russia exports electricity to Belarus and Ukraine, from where it goes to the countries of Eastern Europe and Kazakhstan.

Conclusion

RAO "UES of Russia", as a leader in the industry among the former Soviet republics, managed to synchronize the energy systems of 14 CIS and Baltic countries, including five EurAsEC member states, and thereby enter the final stretch of the formation of a single electricity market. In 1998, only seven of them worked in parallel.

The mutual benefits our countries receive from the parallel operation of power systems are obvious. The reliability of power supply to consumers has improved (in light of recent accidents in the United States and Western Europe, this is of great importance), and the amount of reserve capacity required by each country in case of power failures has decreased. Finally, conditions have been created for mutually beneficial export and import of electricity. Thus, RAO "UES of Russia" is already importing cheap Tajik and Kyrgyz electricity through Kazakhstan. These supplies are extremely important for the energy-deficient regions of Siberia and the Urals; they also make it possible to "dilute" the federal wholesale electricity market, restraining the growth of tariffs within Russia. On the other hand, RAO "UES of Russia" simultaneously exports electricity to those countries where tariffs are several times higher than the national average, for example, to Georgia, Belarus, and Finland. By 2007, the synchronization of the energy systems of Russia and the European Union is expected, opening up huge prospects for the export of electricity from the EurAsEC member countries to Europe

List of used literature:

Monthly production - mass magazine "Energetik" 2001. # 1.

Morozova T.G. "Regional Studies", M .: "Unity", 1998

Rodionova I.A., Bunakova T.M. "Economic Geography", M.: 1998.

Fuel and energy complex is the most important structure of the Russian economy. / Industry of Russia. 1999 No. 3

Yanovskiy A.B. Energy Strategy of Russia until 2020, M., 2001

Electricity is a key global industry that determines the technological development of humanity in the global sense of the word. This industry includes not only the whole range and variety of methods of production (generation) of electricity, but also its transportation to the end consumer, represented by industry and society as a whole. The development of the electric power industry, its perfection and optimization, designed to meet the constantly growing demand for electricity, is a key global global task of today and the foreseeable future.

Electricity development

Despite the fact that electricity, as a kind of energy resource, was known to mankind for a relatively long time, before its rapid development there was a serious problem - the lack of the ability to transmit electricity over long distances. It was this problem that held back the development of the power industry until the end of the eighteenth century. Based on the discovery of an efficient method of transmission, technologies based on electric current began to develop. The telegraph, electric motors, the principle of electric lighting - all this became a real breakthrough, which entailed not only the invention and constant improvement of mechanical electric generating machines (generators), but also entire power plants.

One of the most significant milestones in the development of the electric power industry can be called hydroelectric power plants (HPPs), the functioning of which is based on the so-called renewable energy sources, which look like pre-prepared water masses. Today this type of power plant is one of the most efficient and proven for decades.

The domestic history of the formation and development of the electric power industry is filled with unique achievements and the brightest contrast between the pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary periods. And if the first of the two periods is due to the insignificant volume of electricity generation and the almost complete absence of the development of the electric power industry as a global industrial industry, then the second period is a real and indisputable technological breakthrough, which provided in the shortest time possible ubiquitous electrification, which also affected many Soviet factories and plants. and every Soviet citizen. The ubiquitous total electrification of our country made it possible to catch up and, in many industries, significantly surpass many foreign countries in the development of technologies, thereby forming an unsurpassed industrial potential in the middle of the twentieth century. Of course, the electric power industry also developed rapidly abroad, but in terms of its mass scale and availability, it did not manage to surpass the level of the Soviet Union.

Power industry sectors

Today, the power industry can be divided into three fundamental technological branches, each of which carries out power generation in its own, unique way.

Nuclear power

A high-tech and most promising branch of the electric power industry, which is based on the process of fission of atomic nuclei in reactors specially adapted for this. Thermal energy generated by nuclear fission is converted into electricity.

Thermal energy

The basis of this energy is one or another fuel (gas, coal, certain types of oil products), which, when burned, is transformed into electricity.

Hydropower

The key aspect of power generation in this type of energy is water, which is stored in a certain way in rivers and reservoirs (reservoirs). The stored water masses pass through power generating turbines, thereby generating a significant amount of electricity.

In addition to this, one can also note the so-called alternative energy, which, for the most part, is based on environmentally friendly resources. These resources include sunlight, wind power and geothermal sources. However, alternative energy is, first of all, a bold experiment, rather than a full-fledged electric power industry that does not have the required efficiency.

Electricity in Russia

Russia is one of the power generation giants and a leading power in the power industry. Advanced technologies, rich natural resources, many fast, deep rivers have allowed the development and commissioning of modern highly efficient nuclear power plants and hydroelectric power plants. Continuous development and improvement of technologies has led to the formation of one of the world's largest power grids, which includes a colossal amount of generated and consumed electric current.

The electricity industry in Russia is divided into several large energy companies, which, as a rule, operate on a territorial basis and are responsible for their own, strictly defined share of the industry. The main generation capacities of the country are located in nuclear and hydroelectric power plants, where the latter provide about 18-20% of electricity per year.

It is important to note that the existing power plants are constantly being upgraded and new power plants are being commissioned. Today, the total volume of generated electricity fully covers all the needs of industry and society, allowing a stable increase in energy exports to neighboring countries.

Electricity of the countries of the world

Any large state with a developed industrial sector will always be a very large producer and consumer of electricity. Consequently, the electric power industry in any of these states is a strategically important industrial sector that is constantly in need of development. Countries with a developed electric power industry include: Russia, the USA, Germany, France, Japan, China, India and some other countries, where either a consistently high level of economy and industrial potential is observed, or there is active economic growth.

The electric power industry is a basic infrastructure industry that meets the domestic needs of the national economy and the population for electricity, as well as exports to the countries of near and far abroad. The state of life support systems and the development of the Russian economy depend on its functioning.

The power industry is of great importance, since it is the basic sector of the Russian economy, thanks to its significant contribution to the social stability of society and the competitiveness of industry, including energy-intensive industries. The construction of new capacities for smelting aluminum is mainly tied to hydroelectric power plants. The energy-intensive sector also includes ferrous metallurgy, petrochemicals, construction, etc.

Electric power industry is a branch of the economy of the Russian Federation, which includes a set of economic relations arising in the process of production (including production in the mode of combined generation of electric and thermal energy), transmission of electric energy, operational dispatch control in the electric power industry, sales and consumption of electric energy from the use of production and other property objects (including those included in the Unified Energy System of Russia) owned by or on another basis stipulated by federal laws by the subjects of the electric power industry. Electricity is the basis for the functioning of the economy and life support.

The production base of the electric power industry is represented by a complex of power facilities: power plants, substations, boiler houses, electrical and heating networks, which, together with other enterprises, as well as construction and installation organizations, research institutes, design institutes, provide the functioning and development of the electric power industry.

The electrification of industrial and domestic processes means the use of electricity in all spheres of human activity. The priority of electricity as an energy carrier and the efficiency of electrification are explained by the following advantages of electricity in comparison with other types of energy carriers:

• · Possibility of concentrating electrical power and generating electricity at large blocks and power plants, which reduces capital costs for the construction of several small power plants;
• · The possibility of dividing the flow of power and energy into smaller quantities;
• · Easy transformation of electricity into other types of energy - light, mechanical, electrochemical, thermal;
• · Possibility of fast and low-loss power and energy transmission over long distances, which makes it possible to efficiently use energy sources remote from power consumption centers;
• · Ecological cleanliness of electricity as an energy carrier and, as a result, improvement of the ecological situation in the area where energy consumers are located;
• · Electrification helps to increase the level of automation of production processes, increase labor productivity, improve product quality and reduce its cost.

Taking into account the listed advantages, electricity is an ideal energy carrier that ensures the improvement of technological processes, an increase in product quality, an increase in technical equipment and labor productivity in production processes, and an improvement in the living conditions of the population.