Biomass[edit]
Biomass is already used in some parts of Russia to provide a total of 1%, or 9 Twh/year, of Russia's total energy. However, due to Russia's vast forest and peat reserves,[nb 1] it has a total biomass technical potential of 431 Twh/year, of which 285 Twh/year is economically feasible.[42][43] Most of this potential is found in northwestern Russia, which has a developed pulp and paper industry that can provide wood-based waste to use as biomass energy.[44]
Use of peat for energy production was prominent during the Soviet Union, with the peak occurring in 1965 and declining from that point. In 1929, over 40% of the Soviet Union's electric energy came from peat, which dropped to 1% by 1980. Currently, Russia is responsible for 17% of the world's peat production, and 20% of the peat that it produces, 1.5 million tons, is used for energy purposes.[12][45] Shatura Power Station in Moscow Oblast and Kirov Power Station in Kirov Oblast are the two largest peat power stations in the world.[46][47]