According to the company’s press service, the Russian energy and metallurgical holding En+ in 2023 continued a large-scale modernization program of its enterprises, strengthened international relations and implemented dozens of projects aimed at improving the environmental and social situation in the regions.
Despite external challenges in 2023, En+ continued the project to modernize the New Energy hydroelectric power plant, fully maintaining the pace of implementation and investment. Approximately $300 million will be allocated to the program until 2026. The modernization of power plants has already made it possible to increase production by 2 billion kWh with an amount of water comparable to the amount of water used. This will provide affordable energy supplies for the Siberian population and economy, and will also reduce the demand for electricity from coal-fired power plants.
One of the most important areas of 2023 is strengthening cooperation with China. En+ and China China Energy Investment Corporation (State Energy Investment Corporation) signed an agreement on the joint development of the Zashulan coalfield, which will allow the production of up to 5 million tons of thermal coal by the end of 2027.
En+ also continued to develop new projects in the field of renewable energy. One of such projects is the construction of a wind power plant in the Amur region. Its capacity will be 1,058 MW and investments are estimated at 60 billion rubles.
Ecology is one of the company’s main investment areas. Last year En+ presented its second report on progress towards carbon neutrality, confirming the ambitious target of achieving full carbon neutrality by 2050. The medium-term target for 2023 has been slightly modified: a 35% reduction in emissions is planned by 2035. To present the report, the company organized for the first time the En+ Carbon Neutrality Day in the Skolkovo Technopark district.
En+ monitors the preservation of the ecology of Lake Baikal. In August, more than 1.5 thousand company volunteers collected 60 tons of garbage, and in October, more than 770 volunteers collected garbage on an area of 14.4 hectares over three weekends. During the campaigns on October 3 alone, volunteers collected more than 14 tons of garbage.
The holding continues to focus on building personnel reserves and improving the quality and accessibility of education. In 2023, the company participated in the federal “Vocation” project, which aims to train qualified personnel to meet business needs and accelerate the social development of the regions. En+ is participating in the project by two educational institutions: Ust-Labinsk Social Pedagogical College will train specialists in computer systems and programmers, and Irkutsk Energy College will train heating engineers, electricians, electrical mechanics, special equipment and machine operators, mechanics, and welders. En+ actively advocates the expansion of the federal project in terms of training teachers and professors.
In addition, last year the company opened four competence development centers in digitalization and robotics for schoolchildren “Multilab” in Divnogorsk, Bratsk, Angarsk and Nizhny Novgorod. Classrooms are equipped with modern computer technology, digital equipment, photo and video equipment and functional furniture. The latest equipment will help develop digital competencies among schoolchildren and their parents, as well as teachers. A total of 7 Multilabs have been opened in different cities to date, and the company plans to open three more such spaces in 2024.
The company’s efforts have been highly appreciated by the expert community; En+ maintains its leading position in Russian ratings. The company was recognized as one of the largest investment companies in Russia in 2023 and took 11th place in the Forbes ranking with an investment volume of 118.5 billion rubles.
En+ also took one of the leading positions in the ESG transparency rating of Russian companies and banks according to the Expert RA rating agency and received “Gold” in the rating of the best Russian employers according to Forbes.