“Siberian Generating Company” at the International Forum “Ecology” presented a solution to minimize emissions from the private sector

At the XVII International Forum “Ecology”, participants from different regions of Russia agreed: a significant factor in air pollution in cities are autonomous stoves – the private sector, garages, etc.

Their contribution to the deterioration of air quality and the need for systemic solutions was stated, in particular, by the Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Omsk Region, Ivan Kuptsov, and the head of the Minusinsk Municipal District, Dmitry Merkulov. Siberian Generating Company (SGC) presented a practical solution to this problem using the example of Krasnoyarsk.

Head of SGC development programs Igor Zagorodniy shared the first measurable results of converting the city’s private sector to electric heating as part of the “New Heat” project. The project forms a new approach to environmental policy: the key sources of impact on air quality in residential buildings are considered not only large enterprises, but also the private sector, distributed throughout the city and integrated into the residential environment.

There are about 14.5 thousand households in Krasnoyarsk, of which 88% use coal and wood for heating. Despite the smaller volumes of heat production, such sources have a significant impact on air quality due to the low emission height (5-10 meters) and high specific indicators – approximately 7 times higher than those of thermal power plants.

As a result, pollution forms directly in the ground layer – where people live. Summary calculations of air pollution for 2025, which were supervised by the Ministry of Ecology of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, show that excesses of maximum permissible concentrations are recorded in a significant part of the city: for benzo(a)pyrene – by 24.6%, for carbon monoxide – by 7.1%. At the same time, benzo(a)pyrene, despite its small share in gross emissions, forms about 73% of the total harmful impact and poses the greatest threat to health.

“The New Heat project moves the environmental agenda from the level of discussion to practical implementation. We work with those sources that directly affect the quality of life in residential areas,” noted Igor Zagorodniy.

The same principle is embedded in the projects of the Government of the Krasnoyarsk Territory aimed at reducing pollution from the private sector: connecting houses to centralized heating, gasification with liquefied gas, modernization of heating systems. The main approaches are being implemented within the framework of the federal project “Clean Air” and the national project “Ecological Well-Being”.

SGK chose electric heating as the optimal solution based on several factors: implementation time, cost and controllability of the environmental effect. The average cost of installing equipment is about 250–300 thousand rubles per home, the implementation time is several months. At the same time, the project initially provides for a tariff compensation mechanism, since without support, electric heating is economically inferior to traditional types of fuel. The implementation is carried out using a cluster approach, which allows to maximize the environmental effect in the most polluted areas and take into account the load on the electrical grid infrastructure.

Since 2021, the SGK “New Heat” project has gone from a pilot (111 participants) to a scalable model: by 2026, the number of connected households reached 771, total electricity consumption – 33.3 million kWh, investment volume – more than 200 million rubles. Already at this stage, summary calculations of air pollution recorded a decrease in average annual concentrations in the city by 2%, and in individual points – up to 4-6% for nitrogen dioxide, sulfur, dust and benzo(a)pyrene. Minimal changes are observed in areas where there are the fewest single-family homes.

Thus, Krasnoyarsk became one of the first cities where the problem of distributed low sources, recognized at the federal level, received a practical solution with a confirmed environmental effect.

“Of course, the overall reduction in pollution in the city is the merit of all projects, including those implemented by the Government of the Krasnoyarsk Territory. But let’s imagine what will happen if not 5% of the total number of private houses switches to electric heating, as now, but 30 – 50%? The project has very high potential,” Zagorodny emphasized.

At the current stage, the mechanism of the “New Heat” project includes inspection of houses and networks, selection of participants, conclusion of agreements, design and installation of equipment. Further scaling is limited primarily by the capabilities of the electrical grid infrastructure, rather than by demand or technology. The second limiting factor is the cost of electricity for household consumers. At the current tariff, government support measures are required. Subject to these two factors, according to surveys, from 27% to 60% of private sector residents are ready to switch to alternative heating methods.

“Today it is important that the problem of distributed emissions itself is recognized at the level of regions and municipalities. The next step is to replicate already working solutions. The “New Heat” project can become such a model for cities participating in the federal project “Clean Air,” said Igor Zagorodniy, head of development programs at SGC.