Co-chairmen of the Russian-Chinese Intergovernmental Commission on Energy Cooperation – Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich and First Vice Premier of China’s State Council Zhang Gaoli – met during Mr Dvorkovich’s visit to China on 9 April 2014.
They reaffirmed the strategic character of their cooperation and discussed the implementation of joint projects. “Our strategic cooperation is making steady headway and we are going to step up its progress,” Mr Dvorkovich said.
The sides supported cooperation between Russian and Chinese companies on the following projects: the development of Yamal LNG, Sakhalin-3, the Srednebotuobinskoye oil deposit, the Severo-Veninskoye gas condensate deposit, the Ogodzhinskoye coal deposit and the construction of the Tianjin oil refinery.
Russia suggested that China take part in developing the Elginskoye coal deposit.
Participants in the meeting also supported cooperation among their companies aimed at increasing Russia’s oil supplies to China by 10 million tonnes per year by sea on commercial terms. They also approved of the idea to study the possibility of making contractual settlements on energy supplies in their national currencies.
The sides considered expedient government support for companies in their respective countries with a view to signing an agreement on natural gas supplies from Russia via the eastern route in May 2014.
Mr Dvorkovich and Mr Gaoli agreed to establish two working groups within the Intergovernmental Commission – on electric power and renewable energy sources.
They also supported the development of bilateral energy cooperation with a view to increasing electricity supplies from Russia to China, the construction of generating facilities in Russia, the modernisation of the grid complex, the production of electricity equipment and the use of new coal-burning technology. Russia suggested discussing the opportunity of cooperation regarding floating nuclear power stations.
To advance cooperation in power-engineering, the sides suggested considering the issue of the certification of energy equipment within the sub-commission on trade and economic cooperation of the commission on preparing regular meetings of the Russian and Chinese prime ministers.
Following the meeting, the sides signed a protocol and continued discussing bilateral energy cooperation at a celebratory dinner on behalf of Mr Gaoli.
