St. Petersburg, June 11, 2019. At the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), held fr om June 6 - 8 2019, Dagestan company “EcoEnergy” and the Agency for Entrepreneurship and Investments of the Republic of Dagestan signed a cooperation agreement on the implementation of the Samursky energy cluster integrated investment project based on renewable energy resources .

Earlier this year, the project was presented at the meeting on the socio-economic development of Dagestan chaired by the Minister for Affairs of Northern Caucasus Sergey Chebotarev and the Head of the republic Vladimir Vasilyev.
At the SPIEF, the parties agreed to cooperate in the implementation of renewable energy investment projects on the territory of the Republic of Dagestan that meet modern technological solutions and the tasks aimed at the socio-economic development of the region.

The cooperation will cover the other promising areas apart from those associated with the creation of modern small hydropower and solar generation facilities in the reservoirs of newly created hydropower units and adjacent territories, as well as research work on wind energy potential in the areas wh ere the project is implemented.

The basic direction are: conducting research on the geothermal energy potential in the areas of the complex project and the creation of geothermal energy facilities; the creation of production of localized structures to accommodate solar energy on water surfaces; the creation of localized production of hydrogen from the energy of the Samursky energy cluster. The development of the latter direction according to specialists' forecasts may become very popular in the next five to ten years in connection with the development and introduction of technologies based on hydrogen energy, including in transport.

“The agreement is a significant event in the implementation of the project of the Samursky energy cluster. It is difficult to overestimate the potential of renewable energy in Dagestan. Its implementation becomes more attainable when we meet support and assistance from part of the executive authorities of the region”- Artur Alibekov, EcoEnergy Executive Director is quoted saying.

Currently, the EcoEnergy is the only Dagestan company planning to build large energy facilities based on renewable energy in the republic.

Samursky energy cluster is a complex of energy and industrial facilities based on the use of renewable energy sources (hydropower, solar, wind and geothermal), with a total capacity of 525 MW. The preparation for the project started in 2016 with research on the potential of renewable energy sources in the subjects of the North Caucasian Federal District. On results of the research, the experts recognized Samur region of the Republic of Dagestan optimal for implementation of the comprehensive project.

The project is structured on the phased introduction of renewable energy facilities until 2030, working in a hybrid mode, which contributes to obtaining a synergistic effect from their integrated nature. At the same time, it is planned to create localized production facilities that allow replicating the concept of the energy cluster in the other regions.