Coal companies are sent to the east – increase in the industry is connected with export to countries of the Asia-Pacific region

The Ministry of Energy expects increase of supply of Russian coal to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region by two times by 2030; it may grow to 120 million tons per year due to new projects and a redirection of export flows. Partly it is a necessary measure: coal loses gas in the Russian energy market, and it has to compete with cheap coal from the United States in Europe. But coal miners will have to contend with competitors from Australia and Indonesia in the countries of the Asia-Pacific region too.

The Ministry of Energy has adjusted a long-term program of the Russian coal industry development through until 2030 (approved in January of 2012). According to the presentation of the Ministry dated on March 5, the adjustment was associated with "more ambitious" moving the center of the coal production from Western Siberia (Kuzbass) to the Far East and Eastern Siberia, last year approved by preferential tax regime for investment projects in these regions, as well as by the decision to allocate budget funds and funds of the National Welfare Fund for the extension of the Trans-Siberian railway and the Baikal-Amur Mainline.