On Development Prospects of the Energy Industry in the Russian Far North

Abstract

This paper reviews the research activities of the Energy Department of the IPTPN SB RAS from 2018 to this day with a focus on development prospects of the energy industry in the Far North of the country through a case study of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Systems studies of the energy industry require accumulating a wide array of information that vary in terms of its granularity. We review published research that addressed the issue of how researchers the raw data and what established sources of data are available to facilitate the analysis of energy systems operating in Yakutia. The aim of this study is to outline approaches to enhancing the quality of both fuel supply and modeled projections of the outcomes of integrated heating and cooling systems deployment in the city of Yakutsk. The simulations we performed attested to the availability of a sufficient amount of the waste heat as long as they have been in operation, including the periods of maximum possible cooling load. The values of key economic performance metrics support our claim of economic feasibilty of such a project, given sufficient demand for cooling. The study also details recurring failures of one of the components of engineering systems operating in an Arctic village of Yakutia and proposes possible solutions. We conclude that either the design of the boiler or the material of the pipes has to be changed there. This is due to the fact that the pipes fail to operate properly under the extreme operating conditions, since the low ambient temperatures cause the intensification of heat transfer, and a lower temperature of exhaust gases contributes to moisture condensation and corrosion of the pipes. Finally, we outline main directions to be pursued in ensuring environmental protection by the efficient use of fuel and energy resources of Yakutia and detail the methods to be used to this end.