THE COAL INDUSTRY IN THE FAR NORTH: DISTINCTIVE FEATURES, CURRENT STATUS, AND A DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT

Abstract

The study was carried out to design a concept for developing the coal industry in the Far North of the Russian Federation. The concept is based on an assessment of the region’s prospects for the industrial development and the specific features of local coal mining. The object of the study was a set of licensed companies operating coal deposits in the Far North. The subject of the study was a long-term development concept for such companies. The relevance of the study lies in the fact that the economic potential of the Far North of Russia is not fully realized. One of the promising areas for the development of the region is the creation of new coal production and processing centers. The diverse coal compositions in the Far North make it possible to produce advanced carbon products, which is an alternative direction for the use of solid fuels in the conditions of the fourth energy transition accompanied by a decrease in the role of coal in the energy sector. The article presents the results of an analysis of the current situation in the coal industry of the Far North. The analysis covers such aspects as the distribution of coal reserves, the locations of coal mine operators, their production and economic indicators, and their relationships with the external environment. Based on the results of the analysis, proposals for the development of the industry in the short and long term are formulated. The study’s novelty lies in the concretization of the list of coal mining companies operating in the Far North, the analysis of their economic indicators for the period from 2018 to 2021, and the presentation of a new concept for the development of such businesses. The study identified a lower level of coal deposit development in the Far North compared to other regions of Russia, an increase in the contribution of mining companies operating in the Far North regions to the total financial output of the coal industry, and factors limiting the growth rate of coal production in the northern areas, including the limited scope of distribution channels for end products.

Keywords

• coal industry
• coal production
• russian far north
• the arctic
• industrial development
• target vision
• economic situation
• long-term outlook