FAS opened a case against “Unipro” PJSC and the System Operator of the Integrated Energy System

FAS exposed signs of violating the antimonopoly law that could have led to infringing the interests of market participants

On 23 June 2017, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) opened a case against “Unipro” PJSC and the “System Operator of the Integrated Energy System” JSC.  

In October 2015, “Unipro” PJSC put into operation the generating unit of Berezovsky Hydroelectric Power Plant. Capacity supply contracts were concluded with electric power consumers.

In February 2016 there was a breakdown in a boiler unit of the generating facilities of Berezovsky Hydroelectric Power Plant, and the operations stopped.

“There were no capacity supplies since the breakdown; however, “Unipro” PJSC continued receiving payments from consumers under the earlier concluded contracts. As a result, the effect for consumers was around 1 billion RUB”, said Head of FAS Department for Regulating the Electric Power Industry, Dmitry Vasiliev. “Therefore, consumers paid for the capacity that was not supplied and could not have been supplied due to lost equipment functionality, which could have infringed their interests”.

The “System Operator” was supposed to initiate a procedure of testing the generating equipment and “Unipro” PJSC – request recalibration of the equipment, but they failed to undertake such actions.

Based on the above facts, the antimonopoly body opened a case against “Unipro” PJSC and the “System Operator of the Integrated Energy System” upon signs of violating the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” (Part 1 Article 10, Part 4 Article 11).

The fist case meeting is scheduled on 6 July.