KEMEROVO, February 18 (RIA Novosti) - Russia should increase the share of coal in its fuel and energy balance, the Russian prime minister said Saturday.
Mikhail Fradkov, currently visiting the Kemerovo Region in western Siberia, a major coal-producing area, said: "Unfortunately, not everything has been done to bring coal to its rightful place in the fuel and energy balance."
At to the town of Borovoi, the premier visited the Chernigovets coal strip mine and a mine under construction, Yuzhnaya.
Fradkov highlighted the need to boost the profitability of the coal industry.
"Better incentives need to be provided for the sector to perform more effectively," he said.
Coal output in 2005 grew by 15 mln metric tons year-on-year, hitting 300 mln mt - of this, 80 mln mt was exported, the prime minister said.
Fradkov said it was essential to implement comprehensive measures to develop the industry, including railway transit tariffs, sea shipments, and support for Russian companies abroad.
"This is an important resource, and the country should use it to good effect," he said.
Natural gas accounts for just over half of Russia's energy consumption, with coal and oil at below 20% each, and nuclear power accounting for most of the remainder. Russia has the world's second largest coal reserves.
