OREANDA-NEWS. Moscow has hosted the International Conference within the International Forum  "Week of Efficient Gas Distribution and Utilization", the Gazprom press-service reports.

The Conference was attended by Gazprom delegation including Valery Golubev, Deputy Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, Bogdan Budzulyak, Member of the Gazprom Management Committee, Head of the Gas Transportation, Underground Storage and Utilization Department, heads and specialists of the Company's core business units and subsidiaries.

Reporting at the Conference, Bogdan Budzulyak specified that energy security concern was currently the main policy priority of any country. In order to ensure energy security it was not enough just to manage fuel and energy resources, but crucially important to rationally and efficiently use it. The energy efficiency enhancement was currently examined as the principle direction of economic policy due to the fact that Russia was one of the largest producers, suppliers and largest consumers of energy resources in the world.

The reporter paid attention to the fact that according to the expert valuation the existing energy saving potential in Russia is at 360-430 mln tons of fuel equivalent or nearly 40-45 percent of the current consumption including 34 per cent concentrated in the fuel and energy complex (one third in power generation and heat supply), 31 per cent in the industry and 26 per cent in the housing and utilities sector.

Gas consumption share in the fuel and energy balance of Russia currently exceeds 50 percent and reaches 80 per cent and more in some Russian regions. Therefore, natural gas efficiency enhancement and utilization in power generation and housing & utilities are the major issues. Bogdan Budzulyak underscored that Gazprom was the only company in Russia, which was aimed at solving issues related to energy supply security and reliability, energy efficiency and energy saving due to the opportunities of the hydrocarbon resource base, gas transportation and distribution system as well as reasonable demand for fuel and energy resources. At the same time, Gazprom develops the resource base, increase production potential and invests significant amount of capital to upgrade the pipeline system as well as develops new supply markets, diversifies energy resources transportation routes, continues to develop motor fuel market as well as enters new core businesses such as power generation.

Additionally, the Company is aimed at upgrading, expanding the existing and construction of the new gas processing capacities aimed at increasing production of valuable components from natural gas and products with deeper processing level. "Gazprom is a reliable supplier of natural gas on the internal and external markets, andthe efficiency enhancement of fuel and energy market activity in terms of growing demand is a priority issue for the Company," Bogdan Budzulyak specified.