MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. Chinese companies are interested in implementing renewable energy projects in the Far East, Russian Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic Alexey Chekunkov told TASS.

"We expect quite a high level of interest from foreign investors. We have inquiries, in particular, from large Chinese companies that are ready to localize production in Russia and to implement a fairly large-scale project measured in gigawatts to create new facilities, primarily in renewable energy," he said.

Particular attention is being paid to the development of hydropower in the Far East, the minister added. "I find the Elga company’s proposal for the construction of the Kankunskaya Hydroelectric Power Station very interesting. This is a project that has been discussed for a long time, and the design documentation already exists. Building it with private investment would be very attractive for southern Yakutia, for the entire large industrial cluster. Potentially, new hydroelectric power stations could also be built in the Amur Region, which has hydroelectric resources. But overall, this competence needs to be maintained," he explained.

The Russian Energy Ministry told TASS earlier that the possibility of constructing new energy facilities in the Far East, including generation based on renewable energy sources, was under consideration.