HELSINKI, November 23 (RIA Novosti) - The process of synchronizing the national power grids of Russia, the CIS and the European Union, is proceeding in fits and starts, Russia's electricity monopoly said Thursday.
"Unfortunately, halts have occurred in the process, over the EU's idea of integrating Ukraine and Moldova into its power grid, and that is quite a new project that needs to be adapted to the already existing one," Leonid Drachevsky, a deputy board chairman of Unified Energy System, said.
Drachevsky said a project to synchronize the energy systems of Russia with the ex-Soviet republics of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the EU, has been ongoing for a several years. The project is aimed at making the power grids work on a single electricity frequency, enabling power flows between national networks.
He said it is in Russia's interests for powerful European companies to become strategic investors in Russia's power sector, acting as major shareholders in some generating companies.
Russia's aging power sector has undergone radical changes in recent years aimed at increasing the efficiency of power plants and modernizing the industry by attracting investment. The country, traditionally a net exporter of electricity to the European Union, experienced major domestic shortfalls last winter amid record low temperatures.
Russia signed a new deal earlier in the month on resuming power supplies from neighboring Ukraine.
Ukraine's energy ministry had proposed in late September helping Russia cover its power deficit with the spare capacity of its power plants in exchange for Russian natural gas.
The head of UES, Anatoly Chubais, said earlier that Russia will consider reducing the volume of electricity exports during the coming winter to cover the domestic energy shortfall.
