The development scheme will serve an industrial cluster in Buryatia comprised of mines as well as chemical and metallurgical plants. Buryatia has major reserves of zinc, beryllium, molybdenum, lead, uranium and nephrite, noted Hydro OGK.
The budget for the scheme, which also includes hydro power plants at Mokskuyu and Ivanovo, is Rub 170B (US$6.8B). Recently, in preparation for the development scheme in the Siberian republic, which borders Mongolia, Hydro OGK was involved in establishing Zabaykalya Development Corp in a public-private partnership basis.
As part of the infrastructure expansion, the economic development scheme will also require construction of more than 650km of transmission lines, more than 500km of roads and 160km of railways. Hydro OGK said that, strategically, the area's development could be linked up to schemes also underway in Siberia and the Far East of Russia.
Separately, Hydro OGK said last month it wanted to build more plants and pumped storage projects in the south of the country by 2020, and it had agreed a funding deal with a national investment body.
The total investment for all 18 hydro power projects is more than US$4.4B. Possible projects are being examined for 10 hydro power and pumped storage plants in Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachayevo-Cherkesii, North Ossetia-Alania, and Krasnodar. In addition, eight small plants are proposed.
