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The Saturday meeting
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On November, 28 at their traditional Saturday meeting Head of the Republic of Karelia, Prime Minister of the Government and Assistants to the Prime Minister considered issues of execution of the regional program of development of the fuel branch of the republic on the basis of local power resources. Vladimir Koryagin, Chairman of the State Committee on Reforming of Housing and Communal Services, has given a report.
In 2007 the Government of Karelia has approved the Active Involving of Local Fuel and Energy Resources in the Fuel-Energy Complex of the Republic of Karelia regional target program. The program is meant through to 2010. By 2020 activities of the government in this direction are defined by the Regional Strategy of Fuel Branch Development in the Republic of Karelia on the Basis of Local Fuel and Energy Resources. The purpose of policy of the Government in this sphere is only one: to get away from use of imported coal and black oil as much as possible in municipal energy sector. Imported power resources are expensive, their prices are unpredictable, dependence on their suppliers is high. At the same time, Karelia is very rich with such kinds of fuel as peat and wood. Transition of municipal energy sector to these kinds of fuel would allow to make heat supply of our towns and settlements much cheaper and more stable. By the way, this policy meets requirements of the European Union's modern policy which aspires to make its energy sector as independent of oil deliveries as possible. In particular, the neighbouring Finland is switching its local energy sector over to local kinds of fuel.
Vladimir Koryagin
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The problem is that though peat apparently underlains our feet we should be able to prepare it, that demands equipment and technology. Timber has to be not only logged, but also processed in fuel wood chips, that also it is not simple technologically. Besides, if boiler-houses switch over to effective use of these kinds of fuel, they should be re-equipoed or modernized. In short, switch of the municipal energy sector to local kinds of fuel demands considerable investments and constant attention of the state.
During last years the republics was moving ahead in this direction rather confidently. During implementation of the regional program 20 boiler-houses in regions of the republic have been switched over to local kinds of fuel, that, of course, has produced a positive effect on life-support of settlements served by these boiler-houses. However, financial and economic crisis had had its adverse effect there. Investments reduced in all branches of economy have almost disappeared in the small-scale and municipal energy sector. The program was ceased, four boiler-houses which according to the program should have been switched to local fuel remained unreconstructed. Head of the Republic Sergey Katanandov who has initiated consideration of this issue at the Saturday meeting has also paid attention to it.
Nikolay Levin
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In Sergey Katanandov's opinion, despite of the crisis it is necessary to search for ways for further reforming of the municipal energy sector and decrease of its dependence on the imported fuel. First of all, citizens of the republic who bear the burden of high municipal tariffs are interested in it. At the meeting its participants have extensively analyzed reasons on which the program has started skidding, and actions of the Government which will help to revive its implementation. Sergey Katanandov has emphasized he was not satisfied with the way that responsible departments conduct their work, and has suggested no later than by January, 10 to submit the well-founded plan of measures on activization of this work for his consideration.
Head of Petrozavodsk urban district Nikolay Levin also has taken part in the Saturday meeting of the Head of Republic with the Government. In particular, he has informed Sergey Katanandov on the current situation in Petrozavodsk, on the course of works on implementation of the Clean Water project which Head of the Republic keeps under his personal control. Also Head of the city has mentioned the epidemic situation in Petrozavodsk. On his information, the number of influenza and acute respiratory viral infection cases in the capital of Karelia is on the decrease. If at the peak of the epidemic about three thousand citizens of Petrozavodsk sought medical advice every day, today the number of seekings reduced up to 800 on the average. Nikolay Levin has told about organizational measures taken in Petrozavodsk to exclude the epidemic distribution. According to Nikolay Levin, since Monday, November 30, all schoolchildren of Petrozavodsk proceeded with their classes at schools after the compelled vacation.
Maxim Tikhonov
Press-secretary of the Head of the Republic of Karelia
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