TASS, February 2. The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region plans to renovate about 203 of 486 outdated utilities infrastructures under a program, which will continue to 2027, the regional government's press service told TASS.
In July, 2022, Governor Dmitry Artyukhov announced a five-year program, saying annual investments in it will be about 1 billion rubles ($14 million).
"The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region's governor, in compliance with the president's orders, has adopted a five-year plan to upgrade the region's utilities infrastructures in 2023-2027," the press service said. "The plan is that within five years the region will reconstruct about 203 kilometers of infrastructures, including 132 km of heat pipelines, 64 km of water supplying pipelines and 7 km of sewage systems," the press service continued.
The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region's most part is located beyond the Arctic Circle, and another part is on the Ural Ridge slope. The climate is cold; the permafrost takes a certain part of the territory; the cold Kara Sea is located nearby. Reliable heat supplies are of particular importance in the region. On the peninsula, a short break between central heating periods continues for not longer than one month, and this has to be taken into account when planning repairing works.
Situation in utilities sector
In 2022, the regional management center reported fewer complaints about pipe gusts, low-quality heating, or a lack of water. The biggest positive difference was registered in the Muravlenko settlement, where the number of complaints dropped by three times - from 24.3% in 2021 to 8% in 2022.
"We have registered fewer complaints about the utilities problems from residents of the Tazov District (by 2.5 times fewer). Twice fewer complaints in 2022 came from people living in Salekhard, Priuralsky, Krasnoselkupsky, Purovsky, Shuryshkarsky districts, and in Gubkisky. In Labytnangi the number of complaints in 2022 dropped by 1.5 times. The situation has improved insignificantly in Noyabrsk, Novy Urengoy, Nadym and Yamal districts," the center posted on VKontakte (social network).
According to the regional government, the number of emergency situations over 10 months of 2022 decreased by 30% year-over-year. At the same time, the share of unreliable heating networks in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region by the program's launch is 15%, water supply systems - 7.9%, sewage - 3.74%. "As of 2022, the region needs to replace 486.5 km of worn-out networks, including heating networks - 289.3 km, water supply networks - 161.2 km, and 36 km of sewage lines," the press service said.
The region has completed an inventory of utilities infrastructures and made lists of outdated engineering networks. "We will use them to schedule priority measures to overhaul the emergency passages," the government added.
Stages and financing
In 2023, the region will replace utilities networks in 12 of the 13 municipalities: in the cities of Salekhard, Labytnangi, Novy Urengoy, Noyabrsk, Gubkinsky, as well as in the Nadymsky, Shuryshkarsky, Priuralsky, Yamal, Tazovsky, Purovsky, Krasnoselkupsky districts. The plan for the current year is to have replaced 47 km of worn-out networks, including 30 km of heat supply pipes and 15 km of water supply lines.
"The five-year plan for the upgrade of municipal infrastructures is the first stage of the initiative to cut every year the share of dilapidated utilities networks in the region," the press service stressed. The program's implementation would mean fewer failures of utilities networks, as well as smaller losses of water, heat energy, and lower operating costs.
In recent years, the region has been replacing 5-7% of outdated utilities networks. Thus, the maintenance services can repair priority emergency areas, and consequently the share of outdated networks is declining. In 2022, the region's budget allocated additionally more than 600 million rubles ($8.5 million) for the overhaul of engineering networks. As the upgrade program is launched, the financing will amount to about one billion rubles ($14 million).
"The municipal infrastructure upgrade plan is financed from the district and municipal budgets. In 2024 and 2026, the region will also attract federal funds," the government noted. Additionally, repair works will be carried out at the expense of municipal enterprises, which in 2021 already invested in upgrade of more than 16 km of engineering infrastructures, and in 2022 - of almost 28 km.
In order to save budget funds and to implement the state policy to substitute earlier imported goods, the region will use materials produced in the Russian Federation. "Russia produces all the necessary materials to replace worn-out infrastructures," the press service stressed. The Yamalo-Nenets Region has been using galvanized and polymer pipes, which exclude secondary water contamination.