Energy consumption analysis in agriculture in the Tula region 2005–2015

Energy resources are one of the main cost items in agriculture. Rational use of them is an important factor in competitiveness. Transformations are continuing in Russia's agriculture, demand for energy resources changes also. There are different hypotheses – that the development of agriculture should lead to savings in energy consumption, or that the development of agriculture should require faster growth in energy generation. An analysis of energy consumption in agriculture in the Tula region for the period 2005-2015 was carried out, compared with regional agricultural indicators. The choice of region and period is determined by the availability of data – balances of fuel and energy were made by the staff of IEF RAS for the Tula region for 2005, 2010 and 2015 with pointing out of the agricultural sector. The analysis showed that regional specifics are significant, and the structure of energy consumption in the region differs from the average Russian one. This structure changed over time, with electricity being replaced by gas and heat. In 2015, the energy intensity of agricultural products in the Tula region and in Russia as a whole almost coincided – about 7 tons of conventional fuel per 1 million rubles of products. It is concluded that agricultural development scenarios may imply both an increase and a decrease in energy consumption. It is noted that the need for energy leads to a spatial preference in location of agricultural facilities and supports concentration of economic activity near relatively large settlements.