Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1314 “On approval of the Rules for connection (technological connection) of facilities capital construction to gas distribution networks, as well as on the amendment and invalidation of certain acts of the Government Russian Federation” (link to download) regulates the procedure for technological connection (connection) and approves the amount of payment for connecting gas equipment. In accordance with Decree No. 1314, the Guidelines, according to which the payment for connection to gas networks is calculated. For example, for consumers with an hourly gas consumption of 5 m3 to 15 m3 and located at a distance of up to 200 meters from the gas main, the cost of connection is from 20,000 to 50,000 rubles.

In 2001, a plan for the gasification of Russian regions was approved, which is being implemented by the authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation together with the Gazprom company, which bears the costs associated with laying gas pipelines to settlements. In turn, regional authorities should lay street gas networks with simultaneous preparation for receiving gas from end consumers.

The new law on gasification approved the connection of gas according to the new rules. At the core normative documents and regulations on gas connection lies the federal law about gasification. It contains all the main legal, economic and organizational provisions. In addition, the Federal Law on gasification regulates the relationship between gas suppliers and consumers, which are detailed in the "Regulations on Approving the Rules for Gas Supply". It describes the basic principles of gasification of private houses, dacha cooperatives and enterprises, as well as the calculation of the cost of connection and the procedure for paying for gas supply services.

Connecting gas according to the new rules

Previously, residents had to wait for years to connect gas to a private (country) house. The new rules clearly spell out the terms of connection. The gas distribution company is required to issue specifications within 14 days, and the pipeline itself must be laid within 2 years. Significantly reduced the cost of the connection itself. If earlier connecting gas to a private house cost 100,000 to 700,000 rubles, now it costs from 20,000 to 50,000 rubles, provided that the distance from the house to the gas main does not exceed 200 meters. In the event that the distance to the gas distribution point is greater, then the residents of the village (dacha cooperative) can be advised to create a public organization that will seek to bring the gas main to the houses at the expense of the budget. In addition, the new rules spell out the connection procedure in detail, which eliminates the possibility of discrepancies (which occurred earlier).

According to the results of 2017, the level of gasification in Russia will grow from 67.2 to 68.1 percent, Valery Golubev, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Gazprom, said yesterday. Despite the accelerating pace, the current model remains inefficient due to local authorities failing to prepare consumers for gas. At the same time, the level of penetration of network gas in a number of regions is extremely low, so the Ministry of Energy is not going to refuse to supply alternative fuel - in cylinders.

“As long as we have a population that depends on gas supplies in gas cylinders, we will control this issue, try to find the right elements of interaction,” Deputy Energy Minister Kirill Molodtsov said at the Gas of Russia 2017 forum, referring to the regions that responsible for this kind of gas supply, and fuel suppliers. "As long as there is a regulation of the price of network gas,<...>we will pay special attention to alternative gas so that any of our citizens has the opportunity to say: "Yes, I have gas," Molodtsov stressed.

According to him, Russia still lags behind other countries in terms of gasification rates. Thus, in Belarus this indicator in the middle of 2016 was 73.9 percent, in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine - 75-93 percent. There is a geographic and economic explanation for this - a vast territory that requires significant investments in gas transportation infrastructure. But there are other obstacles as well.

"From the point of view of further gasification and development of connection to networks, local governments and local authorities are doing this inefficiently, it is rather difficult in terms of the timing of commissioning of these internal networks," said the head of the regulation department for the fuel and energy complex of the Federal antimonopoly service(FAS) Dmitry Makhonin. According to him, even a few years after the construction of the networks, the authorities "do not understand what to do with them," but the main problem is that all this time since the commissioning of the gas pipeline, the consumer has practically not consumed gas.

Most experts believe that domestic gas consumption, including by the population, will stagnate. Increased demand for this fuel will only come from the gas chemistry and electric power industries, says Grigory Vygon, managing director of Vygon Consulting.

In order to increase the pace of gasification, it is necessary to change the gas pricing model and the concept of the domestic market as a whole, the participants in the discussion pointed out. At the same time, one must understand that 100% gasification of the country is impossible and economically inexpedient, Molodtsov said earlier. The target is 85 percent, including autonomous gasification.

The gasification program from 2005 to 2025 provides for the implementation of measures to 833 objects. The total length of the constructed gas pipelines will be4856 km. Conditions for gasification will be created742 settlements of the Moscow region, where more than370.2 thousand Human.

Program criteria:

1. For measures to develop gasification of settlements in the Moscow Region - the number of citizens permanently residing in a settlement in the Moscow Region, from 100 people (with the exception of settlements in the Moscow Region, the development of gasification of which is planned to be carried out as part of the fulfillment of the obligations of the Moscow Region under the Synchronization Schedule implementation of programs for gasification of the regions of the Russian Federation, agreed with PJSC "Gazprom").

2. For measures to increase the capacity of the gas distribution system:
1) design and construction of new gas distribution stations, construction of inter-settlement gas pipelines-links necessary for the uninterrupted operation of existing networks from gas distribution stations, the capacity of which has reached the design one and / or the reconstruction of which is provided for by the Agreement on Gasification of the Moscow Region dated March 18, 2015 N 03, signed between the Government Moscow Region and LLC "Gazprom transgaz Moscow";
2) construction of gas pipelines-links in cities and rural areas of the Moscow Region, including gas pipelines-links between gas reduction points and social facilities, the need for which is associated with the minimum fixed pressure in the networks:
for high-pressure gas pipelines of category I less than 0.6 MPa;
for high-pressure gas pipelines of category II less than 0.3 MPa;
for gas pipelines of medium pressure less than 0.005 MPa;
for low pressure gas pipelines less than 0.0013 MPa;
3) reconstruction of gas pipelines in connection with their significant wear or damage identified on the basis of the results of: diagnostics of gas pipelines with a service life of more than 40 years; instrumental examination (every 5 years); corrosion inspection (annually).

3. For measures to create conditions for ensuring the development of gas supply to land plots for the implementation investment projects on the territory of the Moscow Region for the period up to 2025 - compliance of investment projects to be implemented in the relevant land plots, Decree of the Government of the Moscow Region of 03.09.2015 N 757/24 "On the procedure for concluding, amending and terminating agreements on the implementation of investment projects in the Moscow Region" and the existence of a concluded agreement on the implementation of investment projects in the Moscow Region

Main goals and objectives of the Program

1. Implementation public policy to provide the population of the Moscow Region with natural gas based on the introduction of advanced technologies and the maximum use of the potential of the gas distribution system of the Moscow Region.
2. Creation of favorable conditions for the long-term development of gas supply to housing and communal services, industrial and other organizations.
3. Creation of favorable conditions for gasification of rural settlements of the Moscow region.
4. Creation of favorable conditions for the transfer of gas distribution systems of settlements of the Moscow region from liquefied petroleum gas to natural gas and transfer of boiler houses from other types of fuel to natural gas with the introduction of energy-saving technologies and modern materials, decentralization of heating and hot water systems.
5. Assistance in the reform of housing and communal services in the Moscow region.
6. Improving the living conditions of the population of the Moscow Region, ensuring the growth of industrial and agricultural production, creating new jobs, increasing taxes, fees and other payments to the budgets of all levels of the budget system of the Russian Federation.
7. Increasing the investment attractiveness of the Moscow region and the development of investment activity of economic entities.
8. Creation of new sources of gas supply to supply gas to the gas distribution system of the Moscow region.
9. Increasing the capacity of the gas distribution system

Russia supplies blue fuel to the whole of Europe, but cannot deliver gas to the homes of its own residents. Why is this happening and who is to blame for the failure of gasification of Russian regions?

Shoemaker without boots, Russia without gas supply

As of the first quarter of 2016, the gasification rate in the Russian Federation was 66.2%. Is it a lot or a little? For comparison, we present the level of gasification of other states:

• Holland - 99.9%;
• Armenia - 93%;
• Azerbaijan - 80%;
• Uzbekistan - 75%;
• Ukraine - 72%.

In Europe, the average rate of gasification by country exceeds 90%. How did it happen that the great gas power did not provide its inhabitants with gas?

Map of gasification of Russia.

Naturally, the “fathers”, that is, the USSR, are to blame for everything, according to Dmitry Medvedev, who told NTV in 2007 that as of 1991 the RSFSR was only 30% gasified, and in 2009 promised to supply gas for all by 2015. Then Russia's success in gasification seems staggering: in just 25 years, we have installed blue fuel in more homes than was done under the USSR. We have a lot to be proud of, don't we?

No it is not true. According to official data, the level of gasification of the Russian Federation in 1991 was 40%. In 1998 it was 47.6%, i.e. the dynamics of annual growth is only 1.085%. Of course, such low rates can be attributed to "" and post-perestroika. But what do we see next? During the period from 1999 to 2012, the gasification of the country increased by 15.6%, i.e. the annual growth of gasified consumers amounted to 1.2%, and despite the fact that Gazprom's profits have increased many times over the years! And if you look at the invested funds, it turns out that Gazprom spent… 4.6% of its profits on gasification over the same 13-year period!

Gasification rates for 2001-2012.

But already in 2015, the gasification rate dropped to 0.9%, as Gazprom is losing interest in investing in this project. Why is this happening?

Why did gasification in Russia fail?

There are several reasons to explain this, but the most important of them is quite banal: it is simply unprofitable for Gazprom to invest in such a large-scale construction.

1. Bad investment

What is the point of investing in the construction of local gas pipelines if it is more profitable to sell fuel to Europe through an existing pipeline? At the same time, it should be taken into account that gas prices for Europeans and for the population of Russia are different. If earlier in Gazprom they expected that they would equalize the cost of blue fuel for residents of the Russian Federation and Europe in 2014, now they are talking about at least 2019-2020.

But there are also, first of all, those in need of financial injections, for example, the development of the Chayanda field. So why spend money on obviously unprofitable laying of pipes for a Russian, if the European is already paying more and, what is important, regularly, unlike our debtors?

2. Debtors

And the debt of Russians for gas is really impressive: 65.6 billion rubles is the debt of heat supply companies, and 67.5 billion rubles is the debt of the population; the total gas debt of all consumers amounted to 189.3 billion rubles as of April 2016. Of these, 52.5 billion falls on the North Caucasian Federal District. And until this situation is corrected, .

On the contrary, non-payers are disconnected from the service. And since already existing consumers cannot pay for gas, how will the poor villagers, who are the target of the gasification program, pay for it?

3. Poor population

If you look at the recently gasified villages, you can see a paradox: there is a gas pipe, but the locals are in no hurry to connect to it and continue to heat the stoves with wood and coal. Why is that? Yes, it's just cheaper!

The fact is that even if there is a gas pipe in the village, you still need to pay for connecting to it. And for this you will have to:

• apply for connection of the house to gas;
• draw up a gasification project;
• lay a gas pipe both from the highway to the house and inside it;
• embed the pipe in the line;
• pass inspection.

And all this costs a lot of money! For example, the project will cost an average of 3,500 rubles, and the installation of a gas pipe - from 35,000 rubles. (10-20 meters) up to 65,000 rubles. and above (more than 30 meters). The average price tag for gasification of households in Siberia in 2016 is 200,000 rubles. And in the Moscow region, the cost of gasification of a dacha partnership can reach $20,000! Where will a village grandmother get that kind of money, given that the average pension in Russia in 2015 is 12,000 rubles?

4. “Just no money”

If you look at the European experience, then there the state helps the population with the supply of gas to the house, providing profitable loan. We have interest rate for the "gas" credit is 18%. Not surprisingly, few people agree to such a predatory percentage.

On the other hand, local authorities could take care of the gasification of settlements, because the more developed the infrastructure, the more expensive the price of land. But here, too, everything is not so simple: the share of municipal budgets is only 5% of the total budget of the country, and even those are successfully plundered by local officials. In other words, the state has to help the population in gasification, and it also turned out to be impossible to shift this task to potential consumers: they also have no money.

So it turned out a vicious circle, the way out of which is not visible. And this means that Russia is unlikely to be gasified not only by 2020, but even by 2030. Moreover, even in those regions where gas is produced, the level of gasification is extremely low, as, for example, in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Here is one of the largest gas fields in the world, but gasification is less than 50%. And this can be considered symbolic: in the same way, Russia, the largest gas country, cannot provide its citizens with gas supplies to every home.

Ivan Sergeev,

especially for Anvictori

While Gazprom is driving fuel to Europe, half of Russian villagers are forced to make do with coal and firewood

The other day, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Gazprom Valery Golubev announced that by 2020 Russia will be gasified "to the ideal level." That is, the pipe will reach 85% of the country's settlements. While now the level of gasification is 63.2%. Access to blue fuel has 70% of urban residents and less than half (46.8%) of rural residents.

Meanwhile, back in 2006, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev announced the gasification of Russia as the "fifth national project."

- Such a powerful gas power as Russia cannot allow the level of gasification of its citizens to remain so low. Therefore, Gazprom is implementing the program of gasification of the regions as a social one,” Medvedev said at the time.

And in 2009, already being president, he promised to complete universal gasification by 2015. According to him, the main goal of the program is to supply gas to all villages and cities by 2015.

“We just have very remote places, especially in Siberia and Far East, villages that are located at a distance of hundreds of kilometers. But all the same, gas needs to be pulled there too, ”Dmitry Anatolyevich reasoned.

However, as usual, the onset of a bright gasified future was pushed back until the next round date.

Moreover, gas has not yet come not only to remote villages “in three houses”, but also to fairly large settlements. Lack of gas is a death sentence for some of them. For example, in the densely populated Kuban, one can observe how farms and villages are emptying where blue fuel has not arrived - people tend to move to where there is gas, and, therefore, a minimum set of household amenities.

Valery Golubev promised that Gazprom would spend about 37 billion rubles on the "fifth national project" next year. Meanwhile, as it became known on Tuesday, the company's additional investment in the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline will amount to 509 billion rubles. And the total cost of this rather dubious project has already reached $40 billion. As they say, feel the difference.

Why is the gasification of the "energy superpower" constantly delayed?

The problem here is conceptual, painful, there are a lot of reasons. - Says the head of the analytical department of the fund "National Energy Security" Alexander Pasechnik. - The main aspect is the inability to prioritize. This is primarily due to the fact that the export of gas brings more benefits to Gazprom than selling it on the domestic market. Accordingly, the gas monopoly makes the main investments in the "European direction". Although from the point of view of social policy, the state strategy, the concern should develop equally, both in the domestic and foreign markets. The head of Gazprom himself, Alexei Miller, when difficulties arose in foreign markets, repeatedly stated that the company has huge potential for the growth of the gas market within the country.

"SP": - Why is this potential so poorly used?

The key point here is the principle of equal profitability, which was previously relied upon. In other words, they tried to equalize the prices for gas sold on the external and internal markets. This principle has been put aside. If earlier it was said that it would start working in 2014, now we are talking about 2019-2022. Moreover, statements are being made that this equalization will occur, among other things, due to lower prices for export gas. But so far there are no signs of cheaper gas prices in Europe.

The bottom line is that Gazprom is now not at all as interested as it was a few years ago in the development of the domestic Russian gas transportation system.

In addition, the company has huge expenses not only in the western direction, but also in the eastern direction. For example, the Chayanda gas field development program requires more than 1.2 trillion rubles. Money, as you know, rather big. Gazprom cannot run all these programs simultaneously.

"SP": - And how much are huge expenses for new gas transportation systems necessary?

Yes, experts have a lot of questions here. For example, South Stream is being built in order to reduce dependence on Ukraine. But if it is possible to agree with Ukraine on the acquisition of its gas transportation system, investments in South Stream may not be justified. By the way, today Nord Stream is not fully loaded, and its throughput capacity will continue to expand. As a result, we may end up with a colossal excess of gas pipeline capacity. There are predictions that all of them will be useful in twenty years. But even if the forecasts come true, until that time it will be necessary to keep them on the balance sheet, to serve them. And this is also a big expense. This is largely why the development of Russia's domestic gas transmission system is proceeding so slowly.

It must be understood that Medvedev's statement about the gasification of the entire country by 2015 was more populist than supported by any real calculations, says Sergei Pravosudov, director of the National Energy Institute. - This whole story is a headache for Gazprom. He makes his main profit by selling gas abroad, and the Russian population receives fuel at a price sometimes below cost. Therefore, Gazprom is leading the gasification of Russia, frankly speaking, according to the residual principle. In addition, the system in our country is built in such a way that it is profitable to sell gas in areas close to the place of its production, and the farther the settlement is from the field, the more profit is eaten up by transportation. Therefore, even in some fairly populated regions of Russia, many villages and even cities remain without gas.

There are 153,000 settlements in Russia, and pulling gas into each of them is an unreasonable waste of money, - says Natalya Zubarevich, director of the regional program of the Independent Institute for Social Policy. - Someone misled Medvedev that it is possible to gasify the entire territory of Russia. This will not happen in 2015 or 2020. And in the Far East, this is unrealistic in principle. There simply are no gas pipelines, except for the recently built one from Vladivostok to Sakhalin. Yes, there are regions where almost every settlement is supplied with gas. There are only two of them - Tatarstan and the Moscow region. And there it mostly justifies itself thanks to high density population and high gas consumption.

Meanwhile, in practice, a paradoxical situation can be observed more and more often: gas is brought to a settlement or village, but residents are in no hurry to take advantage of the long-awaited “gift” of gas workers.

In an interview with the Politsib.ru portal, Vladimir Milov, director of the Energy Policy Institute, expressed the opinion that the increase in gas prices in recent years raises the question: do Russians need such gasification at all? Indeed, in some areas, the conversion of power plants and boiler houses to gas becomes meaningless - coal there is cheaper than "blue fuel".

In turn, rising gas prices drag up the cost of electricity, heat, and water supply services.

But there is another problem that is unbearable for the poor rural population of Russia - the cost of connecting to the gas "pipe".

The population itself has to pay for gas supply directly to our houses. Therefore, there are a lot of stories in the same Tver region, when the pipe reaches the village, but the residents do not connect. - Natalya Zubarevich says. - Where does a poor village grandmother get 30-40 thousand rubles to pay for such a pleasure ?! In the Moscow region, the cost of connecting a dacha partnership is $20,000. Where does this fit? It is necessary either to save people from gas connection fees altogether, or to make this procedure less painful for their wallets.

After all, the system of support for citizens who cannot bear the cost of gasification is virtually absent in Russia. In the West, for example, lending to the population for such needs is widely used. In our country, the rates on "gas" credits are up to 18 percent per annum. Who will go to such enslaving conditions? The country needs a well-thought-out scheme for gasification of poor regions and districts. Otherwise, the situation will remain deadlocked.

The very concept of developing Gazprom's pipelines within the country must be changed, Alexander Pasechnik agrees. - Let me give you a simplified but demonstrative analogy: let's say a certain oil company is building a gas station. She does not collect money from motorists for the right to refuel on it in the future! Because she is interested in people buying her product. The same should be done with gas. Today, colossal money is taken from people through substructures for supplying gas. But this is a matter of development of the territory as a whole. Land is much more expensive where there is gas. The entire intermediary system must be removed and pipelines must be built from beginning to end at the expense of Gazprom. True, in this case, the gas monopolist will have another reason to push through the principle of equal profitability, that is, in fact, to increase gas prices, both for industrial enterprises and for the population.

So far, Gazprom has little interest in domestic Russian market. And all its "social" programs for gasification are carried out only because of the constant pressure of the state. In regions headed by active governors with large administrative resources, these programs are at least somehow going on. And where there is no luck with the governor, there is no movement. The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug can serve as an illustration of the paradoxical nature of the situation. As you know, there is the world's largest gas field. But the district itself is not gasified even by half.