A plenary session, Building the Energy of the Future Together, takes place as part of Russian Energy Week
16 October 2025
A plenary session, Building the Energy of the Future Together, takes place as part of Russian Energy Week
16 October 2025
A plenary session, Building the Energy of the Future Together, takes place as part of Russian Energy Week
A plenary session of the Russian Energy Week 2025 forum titled "Building the Energy of the Future Together" was the central event of the programme, which defined the strategic guidelines for Russia’s fuel and energy complex through 2050. The industry, which has maintained its leading position despite sanctions pressure, continues to demonstrate resilience and technological mobilisation and is forming a new investment cycle based on domestic resources and international partnerships.
President Vladimir Putin outlined the key benchmarks for the development of global and Russian energy. The main trend is the reconfiguration of global energy links towards the countries of the Global South amid the collapse of the previous system. Russia continues to rank among the world’s leading oil producers, with output expected to reach around 510 million tonnes this year under the OPEC+ agreement. Gas exports are diversifying through new products such as LNG, while domestic consumption is growing thanks to vigorous gas infrastructure development efforts. About 100,000 kilometres of gas distribution networks have been built, bringing the gas supply level to 74.7 percent. In the electric power sector (with 270 GW of installed capacity), priorities include eliminating shortages, expanding grid infrastructure, and commissioning new power plants without increasing the tariff burden on consumers. Russia’s energy balance remains green with 87 percent of electricity generation coming from sources with minimal carbon footprint. Rosatom continues to strengthen its leadership, implementing plans to introduce over 29 GW of nuclear capacity, including small NPPs. The growing demand from the digital economy, such as data centres and artificial intelligence, will be met through local generation. Particular attention is being given to technological sovereignty, including import substitution in oil and gas equipment manufacturing and the development of industrial cooperation with BRICS partners and the Global South. Despite its cyclical nature, the coal market is expected to play a significant part for decades to come, particularly amid growing business activity in the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, the industry is experiencing a price decline, and the state is supporting companies and workers through measures such as loan restructuring. At the same time, the coal sector must enhance its own efficiency and competitiveness. The overall goal is to build a fair, predictable, and sustainable global energy order, in which Russia continues to strengthen its position as a global leader. "Ensuring that extraction operations and reserves benefit from smart management practices while promoting technological development and advancing on the environmental agenda is becoming an imperative for supplying the domestic market, achieving the national development goals, as well as delivering on our international commitments. We have always acted this way, and of course, will continue to honour our obligations – this is one of our unquestionable priorities," the President said.
The primary focus of discussions was the elaboration of key provisions within the energy strategy up to 2050, including the modernisation and digitalisation of the sector, as well as the nation’s technological sovereignty.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak highlighted that the energy strategy-2050 outlines critical objectives: ensuring energy security, expanding the domestic market, improving petroleum product quality, advancing regional gasification, and establishing fuel-and-energy balances. A second priority is preserving and enhancing export potential, which currently accounts for approximately 17 percent of the total resource base, including coal and liquefied natural gas supplies. "The paramount technological objective is transitioning from import substitution to leadership: by 2028, Russia must achieve 90 percent technological independence and attain competitiveness in key sectors. By 2035, we anticipate full digitalisation of the energy sector, the implementation of artificial intelligence and digital twins, while energy efficiency is projected to rise by 40 percent by 2050," stated Alexander Novak.
Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev emphasised that Russia’s nuclear industry possesses unique full-cycle competencies – from development to operational management – with nuclear energy becoming a backbone of the global energy balance. Over 110 power units of Russian design have already been launched, including abroad, while small-scale nuclear power plants will form part of Siberia and the Far East’s energy systems. Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov noted that global oil demand is rising due to Global South nations, petrochemicals, and aviation, with Russia possessing all necessary resources to increase production while advancing domestic innovations. Seventy-seven priority technologies have already been developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy.
Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov underscored the need to transition to a project-based economy: "Amid rising interest rates and constrained external capital sources, ensuring programme continuity, refining regulatory mechanisms, and balancing tariff distribution between producers and consumers are imperative," he explained.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin observed that the capital has already shifted from an energy-intensive model to an efficient one: 90 percent of the city’s transport runs on electric power, while the digital economy has become one of the largest energy consumers. Moscow is implementing a unified urban energy management system integrating data from producers to end-users.
Rosseti CEO Andrei Ryumin added: "Rising electricity demand is linked to AI and data centre expansion – within Rosseti’s grid alone, their connected capacity exceeds 1 GW. E-mobility infrastructure is advancing rapidly, with over 120 charging stations already operational, and growth rates will only accelerate." Special Presidential Representative for Investment and Economic Cooperation with Foreign Countries Kirill Dmitriev highlighted chronic underinvestment in the global energy sector: despite 3ドル.3 trillion in annual investments, predictability and reliability remain key investor priorities – criteria Russia meets, thereby unlocking its investment potential. Notable examples include Power of Siberia-2 and Middle East partnerships in joint technological solutions. Participants agreed that the coming years’ pivotal tasks are sustainable energy development, reliable domestic supply, and strengthening competitiveness on global markets.
Transitioning from technology consumer to technology leader, forging a digital energy ecosystem, expanding local generation for the digital economy, and exporting Russian technological solutions will define the next cycle of energy policy. The Russian Energy Week 2025 plenary session affirmed that infrastructure reliability, technological sovereignty, and capacity for accelerated development are decisive growth drivers.