Power industry affects all levels of economy, therefore, all sciences are important and necessary for the oil and gas industry as a component of the global energy market, said Sergey Lavrov, Professor of the Department of International Economic Relations at the Patrice Lumumba RUDN University. He expressed this opinion during the round table «Union of Science and Industry in Transformation of the World Energy Market», which was held during the second day of SPIGF 2024 at St. Petersburg ExpoForum.

«Business has been always appreciating and currently appreciates interaction with science, including fundamental science. This is because it helps business to earn money where it could not and did not know how to before», – Sergey Nekludov, partner of Beterra consulting company, said.

Interaction of scientists with metallurgists and representatives of power industry and pipeline transport may be the example of cooperation of different branches of economy and science. One of the major problems in this field, which was solved by nobody, is transfer of the latter to use of plastic pipes.

«Those plastic pipes that are used in municipal services are not suitable for oil and gas industry as pipes of larger diameter are used in it withstanding tremendous pressure. In fact, we have no technologies allowing creation of such product not from metal, but from plastic, they are in embryonic state, Grigory Krotkov, Head of Projects of Administration of Assets of Gazprom International Limited ILLC, remarked.

Many things depend on science and scientists in marketing area as well. For example, in order Russia could rival the USA and Canada at the world markets of natural gas in the years to come, it is necessary to develop technologies of its output, liquation and transportation of gas, assistant professor of the Department of International Economic Relations of RUDN named after Patrice Lumumba, Alexander Simonov said. He also noted that the necessity of activation of scientific research in the field of electrical energy industry, particularly concerning extraction of rare-earth metals and manufacturing of electricity generating equipment.

«Accelerated growth of electrical energy consumption all over the world leaded to the fact that capacities, including reserve capacities, of oil production are almost exhausted. This should give impetus both to development of renewable sources of energy and appearance of larger quantity of innovations in the field of electricity generating equipment», – the scientist said.

He took as an example actively developing market of energy storage systems and power supply sources, at which lithium-ion batteries are more eagerly sought. Their production, therefore, requires significant volumes of raw materials – lithium, and in the foreseeable future demand in search and development of new deposits of lithium will appear, as well as in optimization of technologies of its extraction, Alexander Simonov thinks.

International cooperation plays a vital role in the issues of new scientific research and development of production sector, Andrey Berezin, Development Director of RUDN International Developing Markets Research Centre reminded to the participants of the discussion. Interaction between Russian scientists and entrepreneurs with colleagues of the «Global South» – countries of the Pacific region, Middle East and Central Asia, Africa and South and Latin America – are the most promising in new geopolitical reality, the speakers noted.

For example, in Africa they appreciate a lot competencies of Russian power and mining engineers. According to the president of Economic Association of Zambia Lubinda Haabazuka, 80 % of electric supply of his country depends on the work of hydro-electric power stations. However, large-scale droughts that have become frequent in recent years have led to depletion of rivers of Zambia, electrical energy shortage has appeared and is growing in the country, due to which «a decision has been made to look at more reliable sources of electrical energy». Among them Zambia is considering construction of nuclear power generation station and increasing of coal production, deposits of which are on the territory of the country, provided that in both these intentions Zambia is reckoning on participation, aid and support of Russian business and science.

But not all countries of the world, like Zambia, are ready to cooperation with Russian oil and gas and mining companies, including CIS countries, Aza Migrayan, senior research scientist of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of Russian Academy of Sciences noted. She underlined that such situation is the direct consequence of lack of interest of Russian gas, oil and energy companies to the developing markets of countries of Central Asia, the Caucasus in the 1990s and 2000s.

«As a result they totally fell under the influence of Western corporations, which continue to dominate in these countries, especially in the field of gas output. Now it is extremely difficult to crowd into this field, even China has difficulties doing so», – Aza Migrayan said.

However, in her opinion, it is still possible.

«If there are no possibilities to enter directly the market of gas output, it is worth trying to do so through participation in infrastructure projects. Electric and heat supply infrastructure in these countries remains from Soviet times, it is extremely worn out and needs modernization and development. Through this it is possible to increase our own supply volumes of energy sources – oil, gas and coal. This, of course, will not replace the supply volumes to the European market, but we need to start with something», – representative of the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of Russian Academy of Sciences explained.

Also, among the promising areas for domestic oil and gas sector Aza Migrayan sees construction of small forms of gas processing and gas liquefaction stations on the territory of CIS countries and strengthening of Russian presence.