MOSCOW, May 12. /TASS/. Russia is sitting on coal reserves that will last it more than 500 years, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak wrote in an article for Energy Policy magazine.
"The development of new coal mining hubs will provide up to 250 million tons of additional production capacities by 2050. The environmentally friendly and safe mining of reserves remains our priority," he noted.
According to Novak, by 2050 the industry will be made up of high-tech, modern enterprises operating under strict environmental standards. "Installed coal-power generation capacity in Siberia and the Far East is expected to reach about 38 GW. We also plan to introduce 'clean coal' technologies and innovative coal mining approaches to develop a wide range of products for coal and coal-waste processing, as well as to boost the development of coal chemistry industries," the deputy prime minister added.
According to Russia’s energy strategy which runs through 2050, the country’s target for coal production in 2030 is 530.1 million tons, with a goal of 662 million tons by 2050. In 2024, coal output stood at 443.5 million tons.
The deputy prime minister noted that coal remains a backbone industry for several regions and for the country's economy as a whole.
"Russia has a vast resource base and every opportunity to efficiently extract and use these reserves to reliably meet domestic demand and expand export supplies," Novak emphasized.