New hard coal-mining projects in the russian federation

The Russian Federation is an important global producer and exporter of coal. According to its Long-term Program, coal will continue to be one of the most important raw materials in the Russian economy. According to this Program, coal production in 2030 will amount to 430 million tons (in comparison with basis year 2010, production will increase by 33%), and hard coal exports to 125 million tons (an increase of 46% from basis year 2010). This paper provides an overview of the situation in light of the foreseen numbers of new Russian hard coal-mining projects. Just as with other coal producers and coal exporters worldwide, Russian attention is also concentrated on Asian markets. As a result of this global orientation, new coal-mining projects are being planned in the Russian Far East. The Long-termProgramof Russian coal development until 2030 is concentrated in part on development of the two most promising coal deposits: the Elginskoye coal deposit in the Republic of Yakutia and the Elegetskoye coal deposit in the Republic of Tuva. This Program also assumes new coal-mining areas in the Komi Republic, the Rostovskaya Oblast, the Kemerovskaya Oblast, the Irkutskaya Oblast, the Sakhalinskaya Oblast, the Khabarovsky Krai, the Zabaykalsky Krai, and the Khanty-Mansik Autonomous Okrug. New coal-mining projects are planned in ten federal subjects in Russia. For each case of hard coal mining project, this paper describes the following: the coal deposit, the kind of exploitation, additional investments (for example construction of processing plant, new railway line, development of infrastructure at sea ports, etc.), numbers of new jobs, and capital spending. The Long-term Program supposes 37 new investments, with 16 of them planned in the Kemerovskaya Oblast where several new coal mines will be constructed, both coking and steam coal, seven new processing plants, two power facilities (500 MW and 40 MW), 30 km of railway lines, and a new raw coal stockyard.