One of the primary intentions of modern civilization is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote renewable energy.

An international team of scientists has set its sights on Russia and took a closer look at the country's opportunities for utilizing renewable resources.

It turns out that it has enormous potential as its renewable resources are close to perfectly spread across the nation. The only thing needed is for the Russians themselves to realize this and take action.

Russia has a lot of potential for wind power and hydropower in particular - (Image Credit: Zentangle via Shutterstock / HDR tune by Universal-Sci) — Russia has a lot of potential for wind power and hydropower in particular - *(Image Credit: Zentangle via Shutterstock / HDR tune by Universal-Sci)*

Renewable energy sources in Russia

Russia's vast landmass, along with its diverse climatic conditions and topography, allows it to develop a wide range of renewable energy sources. The most promising among which are hydropower and wind power.

The quantity of power generated from these two sources will be sufficient to meet Russia's own needs with enough remaining that some European countries can be supplied as well.

The researchers determined that territories such as the Ural, Siberia, and the far eastern federal districts are particularly suitable for the development of wind farms. In addition, a considerable amount of uninhabited land is beneficial to the construction of power plants.

Despite the tremendous potential and rising interest in renewable energy, Russia is taking a long time to make use of these opportunities. According to experts, the central issue is the large amounts of fossil fuels and nuclear energy available. Russia is not yet pushing towards a switch to renewable energy, and as a result, the regulatory structure for implementation programs is still underdeveloped.

Russia’s vast uninhabited area’s are well suited for the development of sustainable energy sources - Image Credit: zorinjonny via Shutterstock

Challenges faced in the development of Russia’s renewable energy sector

According to the researchers, the renewable energy sector requires a lot of funds and assets and depends significantly on legislation. Unfortunately, current legislation in the field of renewable energy is insufficient to ensure its long-term growth.

Developing legislation is just one fundamental requirement for developing the green energy sector. Russian universities' research and development will also play an essential role because scientists think energy installation designs used in other countries could be inefficient in Russian environmental circumstances.

Ephraim Bonah Agyekum, one of the authors, expressed that the country's current plans to decrease greenhouse gas emissions are essential.

Het continued by stating: "Despite the comprehensive nature of the study, further research into the sector and the opportunities and challenges of its development is needed. The article provides valuable insights that can influence the direction of policy in Russia, but we plan to work on this topic further."

The research team published their findings in the scientific journal Energy Reports listed below.

All things considered, there is reason to be optimistic about Russia's prospects for future exploitation of renewable energy resources. If handled properly, the country can even assist European nations in meeting their green energy goals. So let us hope Russia will reach its potential.

Sources and further reading on the subject of renewable energy: