For Russia, the abundance of energy resources is both its own strength, but at the same time its weakest point when struck by external forces. Therefore, as a major energy country, Russia has suffered a lot because of energy in the past two years of conflict.
Taking the opportunity of his visit to China, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister made a request to the Chinese side on the energy transition.
(Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak)
As a major energy country, energy exports are almost the backbone of Russia's economic income, but the ban on Russian energy by the United States and the West in the past two years has brought severe challenges to Russia's energy exports. In this context, Russia has also adopted two plans, one is to start turning to other markets for energy exports, and the other is to accelerate the process of diversifying its energy structure and reduce its dependence on exporting crude oil and natural gas.
Therefore, at the 20th meeting of the Sino-Russian Energy Cooperation Committee held recently, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Novak said that Russia has a certain plan for the use and transformation of renewable energy, and then Russia plans to achieve energy transformation and reduce environmental damage by improving energy efficiency and using environmentally friendly energy.
However, regarding this plan, the Russian side said that the Russian side has not yet reached the stage where the equipment production can be completely produced by its own country, so the Russian side hopes to cooperate with the Chinese side in this field. And in view of the truth that "it is better to teach a man to fish than to teach him to fish", the Russian side has also focused its request to the Chinese side mainly on the technical aspect.
Novak said that China has become an absolute leader in the field of alternative energy, and its technology and capabilities far surpass Russia's, so Russia hopes to learn Xi technology from China, so that Russia can have the ability to produce its own batteries, wind turbines and solar substations.
(China is the world's largest producer of solar photovoltaic panels)
The three areas mentioned by the Russian side are China's strong points.
As the world's largest lithium-ion battery manufacturer, China has the ability to produce batteries on a large scale, and is not only a world leader in technological innovation, but also has continuous R&D investment and breakthroughs in improving energy density, reducing costs, and improving battery safety.
In the wind power industry, China has accumulated a lot of experience in construction and operation and maintenance, and can provide Russia with a full set of solutions from design, manufacturing, installation and commissioning, and post-operation and maintenance.
Finally, China is the world's largest producer of solar PV panels and one of the most complete PV industry chains in the world. From the production and manufacturing of silicon materials, silicon wafers, cells to modules, China's photovoltaic industry chain has a comprehensive layout and huge production capacity, which can provide efficient module and system solutions for solar power projects in Russia.
It can be said that on the Chinese side, the Russian side has got the best plan.
(The mainstay of Russia's economy is energy exports)
In addition, it is actually a very wise choice for Russia to focus its cooperation with China on the field of technology, because there are many differences and differences between China and Russia in terms of the needs and development of the energy transition.
The first is that the structure of economic development is different. For the Chinese side, we are now at an advanced stage of industrialization, and there is a huge and growing demand for energy. Therefore, it is very important to carry out diversified reform of the energy structure, because it can not only meet the urgent needs of industrial development, but also promote the sustainable development of the domestic energy industry and reduce environmental pollution, so as to achieve a better balance between economic growth and ecological balance.
Russia's economic development, by contrast, is largely dependent on the export of fossil fuels, especially oil and gas. The energy industry is an important part of the country's source of income and is at the heart of its economic vitality. Therefore, the energy transition is not just a technical challenge for Russia, but also involves extensive economic restructuring and may directly affect its fiscal revenue level. So, until Russia fully transforms its economy, fossil fuels will continue to be an important pillar of its economy.
The second is that the geographical and climatic characteristics are different. In general, Russia's climate tends to be colder, especially in the vast Siberian region, where months-long winters are unusually harsh. In such an environment, the use of traditional energy, especially fossil fuel-based heating systems, is essential to maintain the quality of life and the functioning of society.
Therefore, when considering the energy transition and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Russian side must fully consider the impact of such natural climatic conditions on energy demand and supply patterns.
(The climate of the Siberian region is harsh)
In short, if Russia can successfully implement the energy transition with China's help and according to its own situation, it will not only reduce Russia's sensitivity to fossil fuel market fluctuations and improve its ability to withstand global energy price fluctuations, but also create jobs in new industries and achieve sustainable economic growth.
In the long run, this kind of cooperation in the field of energy not only strengthens the cooperation between China and Russia in energy security and economic development, but also has a positive impact on promoting the improvement and development of the global energy governance system, promoting the achievement of the goals of environmental protection, climate change and sustainable development between the two countries and the international community, and creating a more prosperous and livable planet for future generations.