Overview
- Chinese purchases of Russian electricity were suspended on Jan. 1, 2026, with Kommersant reporting even the minimal contractual volumes were not taken.
- The Russian Energy Ministry told TASS that exports may resume only if Beijing requests them and pricing works for both sides, adding that serving the Far East remains a priority.
- Kommersant attributed the halt to export prices that for the first time exceeded Chinese domestic tariffs, which it reported hover near 350 yuan per MWh.
- The long-term supply deal with China’s State Grid, signed in 2012 and reported to run until 2037, envisaged roughly 100 billion kWh over its lifetime.
- Inter RAO said it shipped 300 million kWh to China in the first nine months of 2025, and Kommersant’s sources assessed a restart in 2026 as unlikely.