It is planned to create a single heating supply company for most settlements in Kolyma
Governor Sergey Nosov noted that centralization of heating supply companies and other resource-supplying companies is important for ensuring the public utilities security of Kolyma residents. It is also important in terms of economic impact.
"We drew the municipalities' attention to a number of issues, initiated the elaboration of the flow process charts of the heat supply systems, and we had this urgent work done by invited professionals. The real heat consumption tariff was calculated based on these flow process charts. The avoidance of unreasonable and excessive overconsumption of fuel is important for us. It is essential to evaluate the heat losses not only in the boiler room equipment, but also in heating lines, buildings and residential houses," noted the governor by summarizing the preliminary work that underlies the heating supply centralization initiated in the region.
According to the Regional Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities, almost one third of the costs are accounted for by fuel purchases in heating supply companies. Many of the companies are unable to pay for that fuel, which makes them bankrupt and poses the no-heating risk in winter.
It is essential to avoid bankruptcies of small resource supplying companies in the region's settlements, according to Sergey Nosov. Not only will the centralization help ensure viability of the public utilities industry but it will allow for the stringent accounting for fuel spending and monitoring the technical status of boiler rooms and heating lines. It will improve the financial discipline, the poor condition of which is adversely affected - no matter how paradoxical it might seem - by the regional budgetary support represented by the inter-tariff difference compensation.
"Centralization will help wean the resource supply industry off the inter-tariff. Small businesses of Kolyma are accustomed to getting budgetary subsidies. With this approach, there is no internal need to improve the heat supply and heat consumption system, by enhancing its efficacy. There is no objective to chase up debts both from the population and legal entities. In the settlements, only a handful of people perform claim-related work with debtors. Now there are no extra costs for resource companies in the tariffs. All calculations are based on the data of updated flow charts. Now it is important to exclude unreasonable heat losses," the governor continued, referring to the data of the regional department of prices and tariffs.
The Head of the Region explained that the Magadan region already has positive experience in reducing heat losses, but it is important to analyze it thoroughly and move forward. The next step requires involving managing organizations in the process of resource conservation.
"We can already see the reduction of heat losses on the example of Evensk, where there were constant problems with the boiler room and people complained that it was cold in their apartments. As part of the "500/500" program, we insulated the facades of five-story buildings. Now we have started to insulate the facades of residential buildings in Susuman, but it is not enough. It is necessary to go the competent engineering way. Now it is important to install whole-building meters in the basements of houses and assess the resulting effect of heat savings. It is necessary to check the efficiency of heat consumption on the example of budgetary institutions - schools, kindergartens. If the boiler heats the street, we'll get tired of throwing coal into the furnace. It's simply not practical. We need to focus on two or three settlements and then scale up the experience to the entire region," added Sergey Nosov.
Marina Usova, Minister of Construction, Housing and Utilities and Energy of the Magadan region, explained that analytical calculations make it possible to record real progress in improving energy efficiency in municipal districts. In addition to Severo-Evensky District, Khasynsky, Tenkinsky and Omsukchansky districts were involved in the work. Municipalities already have the first positive results. It is also planned to establish a single settlement financial center to reduce consumer spending in the region. It will be established in parallel with the centralization. As a result of centralization, Regional State Unitary Enterprise "Magadankommunenergo", the coal supplier for the local boiler houses, will become the main company supplying heat to the settlements.
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Magadan region, subsoil users produced 2.3 tons of gold and 41.7 tons of silver in January. Gold mining decreased by 0.17 ton of gold compared to the same period last year. Silver mining decreased by 16.5 tons compared to the same period last year. The decrease in the level of precious metals mining is associated with the decrease in the planned targets at the enterprises.
The planned targets of 2023 are 4.3% for gold and 6.4% for silver. The planned targets of precious metals mining for 2023 are as follows: gold - 54.0 tons; silver - 650.0 tons.
Precious metals mining in the reporting period of 2023 by subsoil users of the Magadan region was carried out from ore deposits. Ore gold mining was 2.3 tons. The leader in mining is Tenkinsky municipal district (1.6 tons). The main silver mining district is Omsukchansky district. In 2023, 38.1 tons of silver were produced there.
The main volume of silver on the territory of the region is produced by subsidiaries of the Polymetal Company: Magadan Silver JSC and Omolon Gold Mining Company LLC, Primorskoye LLC. Silver was also produced by Omsukchan Mining and Geological Company (OMGC) JV CJSC and Agat LLC, an enterprise of the Arbat Concern.
Lead mining was 241.6 tons and zinc mining was 356.9 tons. These non-ferrous metals are produced by Magadan Silver JSC at the Dukat and Perevalnoye deposits in Omsukchan urban district.