MURMANSK, September 2. /TASS/. Three new boilers, which use local peat as fuel, began working in the Umba village on the White Sea (the Murmansk Region), the local government said.
Thus, the region will cut its dependence on heavy fuel oil, which is the biggest problem in the North, the regional government said in a statement, posted on its website.
"Under a concession agreement between the Murmansk Region’s Tersky District and the government, three new boilers with a total capacity of 7.25MW began working in the Umba village before the heating season," the statement reads. "The boilers use local fuel — peat and woodchip."
The Murmansk Region will stop using outdated boilers, which use heavy fuel oil, when the new equipment proves to be reliable in low temperatures.
Under the project, the Umba village will have four bio-fuel boilers, which will supply heat to all social and housing facilities. Another, fourth, boiler will enter service in the village by the year-end.
"The project is important, as we shall replace the expensive black oil fuel with local fuel," the government said. "Thus, we shall cut the heating tariffs and, respectively, the local budget will save money, which we allocate in subsidies."
TASS wrote earlier that about 80% of the region’s heat energy facilities run on heavy fuel oil. The heavy fuel oil prices went up in 2018, and thus the region has spent additional 18 billion rubles ($269 million). The Murmansk Region plans to switch from heavy fuel oil to local fuel, as well as to gas and electricity.