Russia will launch a test site for electric transport and renewable energy technologies in the foothills of Adygeya in summer 2026, according to Atomic Energy citing TASS.
The project is being implemented by researchers from the youth renewable energy laboratory at Adyghe State University together with scientists from the V. A. Trapeznikov Institute of Control Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The renewable energy laboratory at ASU was established in December 2022 with support from the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education under the national “Science and Universities” project. Around 2 million rubles in federal funding have already been allocated for the creation of the basic test site unit. The system will include a wind power plant, a small hydropower plant, a solar photovoltaic station, a battery storage system, and a guaranteed power supply bus.
Electric transport at the site will not only consume renewable energy but also serve as an element of energy storage and delivery to consumption points. Scientists plan to study the efficiency of horizontal and vertical wind power plants under local wind conditions, assess the performance of small mobile hydropower plants on different water flows, analyze battery degradation, and test an inverter that synchronizes power systems from different renewable energy sources.
Adygeya was selected due to its complex terrain, which allows simulation of conditions different from urban environments. Experience from the V. A. Trapeznikov Institute in testing electric transport on Mount Elbrus, the Kola Peninsula, and in Arkhyz will help adapt the technologies to challenging natural conditions.
