Network maximum: by the end of 2029, gasification in Russian regions will exceed 80%
By the end of 2029, the level of gasification in Russian regions is planned to reach 80.4%. The growth rate will be achieved through the development of network infrastructure, regional programs and alternative solutions for remote areas. At the same time, the gap between the country's regions remains significant: while coverage in some regions already exceeds 90%, in some areas of Siberia and the Far East there is practically no network gas. How the gas infrastructure in Russia is changing, which regions are leading in terms of gasification, and what role LNG plays in this process is described in the Izvestia article.
Planned indicators
By the end of 2029, the level of gasification in Russian regions should reach 80.4%. This indicator is fixed in the updated passport of the state program "Energy Development". The dynamics provides for gradual growth: by the end of 2025, the indicator was 75.3%, in 2026 it should reach 75.8%, in 2027 - 76.7%, and in 2028 — 78.8%. A target level of 82.9% has been set for 2030.
The draft federal budget provides 155.7 billion rubles for the implementation of the state program "Energy Development" in 2026-2029. At the same time, the funds are unevenly distributed over the years: for example, in 2026 — 48.83 billion rubles, and in 2029 - 34.32 billion rubles.
These expenses, in particular, are related to state regulation of the fuel and energy complex, support for privileged categories of citizens and the implementation of federal initiatives. Among them is the provision of stable transportation of oil, gas condensate and gas.
At the same time, a significant part of the costs of directly creating infrastructure come from other sources: we are talking about the construction of main and distribution gas pipelines, networks and facilities necessary for the further growth of gasification. In particular, the main financing of such works is provided by the investment program of the Unified Gasification Operator. Additional funds come from regional budgets and through special tariff allowances.
After the withdrawal of European manufacturers and the imposition of sanctions, the gas equipment market has changed significantly. After 2022, the construction of gas distribution networks and hydraulic power plants has increased in price by about 30%, while the costs of automation, electronics, compressor equipment and control valves have increased the most.
Increased logistics, rising prices for building materials and a shortage of qualified specialists have created additional pressure. By 2026, prices had stabilized, but remained above the previous level. In general, the sanctions increased the cost of construction, but did not stop the development of the gas distribution infrastructure.
Regional specifics
The territory of Russia is extremely unevenly gasified. With an average of about 75-76%, the difference between regions remains significant: in the south, in the Volga region and Central Russia, coverage in many cases exceeds 80-90%. In particular, in the Stavropol Territory, gasification of suburban housing reaches 96%, in Tatarstan — about 90%, in the Volgograd region, the level of gasification of apartments exceeds 92.6%, and in the Kaliningrad region — 92.5%.
The Rostov Region and the Chechen Republic are also among the territories with a high level of gas supply: in the private sector and rural areas, the figure is above 85%. As a rule, a more developed network is associated with a high population density and the location of large main gas pipelines.
The situation is quite different in Siberia and the Far East. The average gasification level here is about 30%. In the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Irkutsk Region, network gas is still used to a limited extent, while in the Trans-Baikal Territory, Buryatia, Tuva and Khakassia, the indicator is close to zero. Serious restrictions also remain in the Murmansk Region, the Magadan Region, the Jewish Autonomous Region, the Chukotka Autonomous Region and the Kamchatka Territory.
The reasons are primarily related to distances, terrain, permafrost, and low population density. In addition, the eastern territories have historically been more dependent on coal and hydropower, and the necessary pipeline infrastructure has developed much more slowly. In such conditions, different solutions are used: the construction of gas pipelines to large consumers, the development of LNG and the connection of settlements to the already established infrastructure.
Environmental impact
The expansion of gasification can significantly change the environmental situation in Russian industrial centers, especially in Siberia and the Far East. The transition from coal to natural gas is provided for by the federal Clean Air project, which is part of the national Environmental Well-being project. When burning gas, ash and soot are not formed, and the amount of carbon dioxide emissions is about twice as low as compared with coal fuel.
A separate effect is expected in the private sector. Coal-fired and wood-fired stoves make a significant contribution to surface air pollution, as smoke enters residential areas directly. Switching houses to gas helps to reduce the concentration of harmful substances.
The changes also affect the large thermal power industry. In Omsk, at CHPP-2, by the autumn of 2026, six of the eight boilers have been converted to natural gas, and the remaining two units are planned to be upgraded. In Krasnoyarsk, the transfer of load from the old EVRZ boiler house to the renovated CHP-2 should reduce annual emissions of pollutants by almost 500 tons.
According to forecasts for 2026-2030, the abandonment of coal can reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by 70-90%, and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions is estimated at 40-50%. For cities participating in the Clean Air project, the target is to reduce total hazardous emissions by more than 20%.
Special gasification
Autonomous LNG-based gasification is also developing in the regions, which makes it possible to supply gas to settlements where the construction of a conventional main gas pipeline is too difficult or expensive. Liquefied natural gas is produced at a temperature of about -162 ° C: after cooling, its volume decreases by about 600 times. The LNG is then transported in special cryogenic tanks by road or rail.
A reception, storage and regasification station (SPHR) is being installed on the outskirts of the village. Here, the imported fuel enters special tanks, after which it passes through evaporators and returns to a gaseous state. The resulting methane is heated, its pressure is reduced to the required level, and an odorant is added to the composition to detect possible leaks. After that, the gas is supplied via the local network to residential buildings and boiler rooms.
Such a scheme is developing especially actively in the east of the country. The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) has become one of the key regions: by 2030, it is planned to build 27 regasification stations for remote settlements here. Projects are also being implemented in the Amur Region, the Trans-Baikal and Khabarovsk Territories, as well as in certain territories of the Arctic zone. In the Amur Region, a low-tonnage LNG plant in the Svobodnenskiy district provides fuel to Belogorsk and new residential areas.
Its own infrastructure is being formed in the North-West, the Urals and Central Russia. The Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and Tula regions, as well as other regions, are among the regions where such projects are being developed. The main sources of LNG for the domestic market are facilities in the Leningrad Region, Sverdlovsk Region, Tatarstan, Perm Region and Chelyabinsk Region. Unlike LPG (liquefied petroleum gas — a mixture of propane and butane), LNG contains methane and is designed to supply not only individual homes, but also entire villages, enterprises and municipal facilities.
Gasification of regions is a systematic process based on the implementation of a general scheme for the development of the gas industry, taking into account the fuel and energy balance of the region, the current state of the gas distribution system, estimated gas demand and other key parameters, Tamara Safonova, associate professor at the Presidential Academy, told Izvestia. To connect specific households, proposals on the order and volume of new construction are taken into account.
Gasification of the territories of the Far East remains a strategically significant task, the solution of which directly affects the pace of economic growth, the competitiveness of local enterprises and the quality of public utilities in regions with extreme climatic conditions and complex logistics, said Peter Shcherbachenko, associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, in an interview with Izvestia. The goal has been set for gasification of the Far East to reach 50% by 2030.
Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Energy, but no response had been received at the time of publication.
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