REGIONAL ECONOMY Problems of Energy Base Development and Energy Security
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Economic and social changes in Russia’s coal industry during the crisis REGIONAL ECONOMY Problems of energy base development and energy security UDC 658.155:622.33(470) © А.А. Kalinina © V.N. Lazhentsev © V.P. Lukanicheva Economic and social changes in Russia’s coal industry during the crisis In this article the features of the global economic crisis’ influence in its sharp phase (the 4th quarter of 2008 and the first half of 2009) on Russia’s coal industry are considered. It is shown, that its re- structuring in 1994 – 2007 allowed to alleviate the global crisis’ influence. Major factors of the crisis’ negative influence and basic anti-recessionary actions are formulated. Attributes of the branch’s outlet from the crisis are designated. Opportunities and prospects of the coal-mining industry’s development are appreciated within the framework of Russia’s Power Strategy till 2030 and necessity of the transi- tion from the fuel circuit of development to the coal-mining industry’s diversity on the basis of the state innovational policy is shown. Economic crisis, production changes, innovational development, social and economic problems. Albina A. KALININA Ph. D. in Economics, Senior Researcher of Institute of Socio-Economic and Energy Problems in the North Komi scientific centre of the Ural RAS department [email protected] Vitaliy N. LAZHENTSEV Correspondent member of RAS, Doctor of Geographical Sciences, Professor, Director of ISEEP North Komi SC of the Ural RAS department [email protected] Vera P. LUKANICHEVA Ph. D. in Economics, Senior Researcher of ISEEP North Komi SC of the Ural RAS department [email protected] The world economic crisis which began in all large-scale investment programs (except for 2008, affected all spheres of social and eco- social ones) stopped, the inflation grew, etc. The nomic activity in Russia. The volume of gross great scale of the crisis was especially caused by national product reduced, the rate of unem- such factors, as the raw branches’ dependence ployment increased, the realization of almost on export, the financial and banking system’s 32 2 (10) 2010 Economical and social changes: facts, trends, forecast REGIONAL ECONOMY A.A. Kalinina, V.N. Lazhentsev, V.P. Lukanicheva weak sides, the unsolved problems in the field It showed the low level of the social division of the industrial and the agrarian policy. of labor, but that level was also caused by the The first impact of the crisis was assumed by Russia’s geographical features, which led to the export-orientated branches, including the economic remoteness of the potential par- coal industry because of the sharp reduction in ticipants of the technological and economic demand for the ferrous metallurgy production cooperation. The problem of the new or- and, accordingly, for the coking coal. ganization of those manufactures which were Re-structuring is the crisis’ damper for the considered subsidiary and attendant earlier, coal branch nowadays has become rather actual. Their As a result of the coal industry’s re-struc- registration as independent managing subjects turing in 1994 – 2007, unprofitable mines were can be carried out owing to the regional fea- closed, the number of employees was consider- tures, for example, with a partial leading-out ably reduced, technological modernization of from the Pechora and the Southern-Yakut the basic mine and open pit facilities was car- coal basins or, on the contrary, with the total ried out. The coal branch became the effective allocation on the territories of Kuznetsk and sector of the market economy. Here significant Kansko-Achinsky basins. institutional changes took place; the most At the end of 2008, after re-structuring, 231 part of the coal-mining enterprises’ assets was coal-mining enterprises, including 138 open- passed to the financial groups, metallurgical pit mines and 93 mines with the total capacity and coal-power holdings. Nowadays practically of 376 million tons a year, 48 concentrating 100% of the coal-mining enterprises are in the factories and installations with the mechanized private property or in the stock ownership. Five rock excerption with the total capacity of 120 large-scale holdings on extraction, processing million tons a year functioned. The share of and sale of coal were generated; basically it cor- the basic Russia’s basins in the coal mining is responds to the world’s practice. In 2008 their submitted in figure 1. share made 75% of the power coal extraction The enterprises of the basins specified in and 66% of the coking coal extraction. The figure 1, have a rather reliable prospects of organizational and industrial structure of the the development. Other enterprises (the Ural, coal branch essentially changed due to the the Moscow Area’s and the Donetsk basins), non-profile actives’ leading-out to outsourcing. providing 5% of the total extraction, work in In this connection we can note, that the the fading mode. From 1999, and up to 2008 companies’ refusal from the significant part (basically due to Kuzbass) the volume of the of the subsidiary and attendant productions extraction annually grew for 15% on the aver- became characteristic for the heavy industry as age. In 2008 the volume of the coal mining in a whole. The mentioned process is the reaction Russia made 328.8 million tons; the share of to the mistakes of the previous years when the the open-pit mining made 68% (tab. 1). large-scale enterprises aspired to practically It is necessary to note, that at the first stage absolute technical and economic autonomy. (till 2000) not all the basins could cope with the For example, in the structure of the machine- basic problems of re-structuring. So, in the Pe- building factories there was metallurgical pro- chora basin modernization and solution of the duction, manufacturing of control equipment, social and economic problems caused by the repairing, heat power and transport workshops. market relations began only with the appear- The same situation was in the coal industry; its ance of such a large-scale proprietor as Public basic enterprises acquired repairing and sawing Corporation “Severstal” in the mid-2003. factories, building and electro-power sub-units. So, after Russia’s coal branch re-structuring All social and agricultural infrastructures were the latter achieved positive results: stable coun- the part of plant and combines management. try and export providing with coal began; the Economical and social changes: facts, trends, forecast 2 (10) 2010 33 Economic and social changes in Russia’s coal industry during the crisis Figure 1. The share of the basic Russia’s basins in the coal mining in 2008 [1] Pechorsky The Eastern Siberia&The Far 4% East 23% 55% 5% Others Kuznetsky 13% Kansko-Achinsky Table 1. Coal production and preparation in Russia, million tons [1, 2] Indicators 2005 2006 2007 2008 6 months 2008 6 months 2009 Coal production, total Including: 299.8 310.0 314.1 328.8 161.3 137.6 – coal used for coking 69.9 70.5 72.9 68.7 36.9 26.5 – coal used for energy 229.9 239.5 241.2 260.1 124.4 111.1 Of the total production volume of 91.8 98.7 114 110.4 58.8 49.6 prepared coal basic parameters of the coal mining in 2008 All the mentioned factors, and also the par- improved in comparison with 2005 (among tial resettlement of the northern coal monoci- them the growth of the average daily load- ties’ population, softened the global crisis’ ing of the functioning clearing bottom-hole influence on Russia’s coal branch. in 1.34 times, and the integrated mechanized Crisis’ influence on Russia’s coal sector bottom-hole in 1.36 times); integrated mecha- The comparison of the coal industry’s data nized bottom-holes’ quantity reduction for 9% for the first half-year 2008 and the similar pe- (fig. 2, 3); the labor productivity growth for 18%; riod of 2009 reflects the following processes: the coal sector’s personnel reduction for 7% 1. Reduction in demand for the coking coal (fig. 4); the export growth in 1.2 times (fig. 5). (in connection with the world reduction of Figure 2. The average daily loading dynamics of the functioning clearing bottom-hole [1, 2] 3157 3320 3500 2970 3040 2760 3000 2455 2322 2198 2318 2235 2500 1986 2000 1722 1500 1000 500 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 6 months 2008 6 months 2009 Functioning bottom-hole Integrated mechanized bottom-hole 34 2 (10) 2010 Economical and social changes: facts, trends, forecast REGIONAL ECONOMY A.A. Kalinina, V.N. Lazhentsev, V.P. Lukanicheva Figure 3. Dynamics of the workers’ labor productivity in extraction and average functioning quantity of the integrated mechanized bottom-holes, tons [1, 2] 200 159,8 168,1 167,6 142,5 146,4 150 142,5 102 97 92 95 88 100 80 50 0 2005 г. 2006 г. 2007 г. 2008 г. 6 months 2008 6 months 2009 Average functioning quantity of the integrated mechanized bottom-holes Workers’ labor productivity in extraction, tons a month Figure 4. The coal sector’s personnel dynamics and the monthly average workers’ salary dynamics [1, 2] 25,00 250 246,1 245 240 20,00 235 230 230 225,1 225 21,88 People 222 225 (thous.) 22,99 15,00 220 17,87 Roubles (thous.) 15,98 215 13,6 210 10,00 205 2005 2006 2007 2008 6 months 2009 Monthly average workers’ salary Number of the personnel Figure 5. Russia’s coal export and import dynamics [1, 2] 100 93,4 95,5 87,3 90 80,1 80 70 60 48 50 46,2 Million tons 40 29,3 31,1 32,8 31,9 32,6 30 36 20 24,3 25,8 21,1 21 10 14,3 7,9 0 2005 2006 2007 2008 6 months 2008 6 months 2009 Export Import Export share in the delivery volumes, % the steel production for 30%) in the second First of all, the crisis influenced independ- half-year of 2008 led to its extraction falling for ent coal enterprises.