The governments and businesses of Russia's Arctic regions should start choosing sites where renewable energy projects can be built and innovation technologies introduced, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said at a June 9 meeting of the State Commission for Arctic Development.

"At this point, we should work together with Arctic regions and businesses there to collect and analyze information about possible sites for building renewable energy projects and introducing innovation technologies. We also need to consider regional schemes for building small power stations in the Arctic," Rogozin said as quoted by RIA Novosti.

According to Rogozin, the available power-generating plants in the Arctic are diesel-electric units that use fuel oil. Heating plants use coal and timber, and so have a negative impact on the environment.

"Every year we deliver between 6 and 8 million metric tons of fuel and lubricants and 20 to 25 million metric tons of coal to regions in the Extreme North, the Far East and Siberia. The transportation distance and relevant outlays increase the cost of production two- or even three-fold. Renewable energy is a way to reduce costs," Rogozin said.

He pointed out the importance of providing self-contained electrical power supply systems based on renewable energy for purposes of navigation and communication in the Arctic, where settlements are located at a large distance from each other.

The Deputy Prime Minister added that institutional obstacles to the development of renewable energy have been removed and a legal framework has been created, and that the next task is to implement proposed projects.