Rosseti Siberia in Krasnoyarsk: combating illegal mining and negligence in operations

Rosseti Siberia recently addressed the issue of cryptocurrency mining, highlighting the significant losses caused by unscrupulous miners to power engineers.

The company's press service stated that illegal mining farms in Siberia, particularly in Krasnoyarsk, Omsk, and Khakassia, use electricity without permission. These farms are located in garages, outbuildings, and residential basements, where the computer equipment acts as a source of heat. The company finds it challenging to identify these miners as they frequently change energy connection points and move equipment between locations.

Rosseti Siberia pointed out that the lower the electricity tariff for individuals in the region, the more profitable it is for miners.

Since the beginning of last year, 40 cryptocurrency miners have been discovered in Khakassia, including two large ones whose electricity theft exceeded six million rubles. These consumers often connect as regular homeowners and pay individual rates.

In Omsk and Krasnoyarsk, miners often connect to networks without authorization. For instance, in Omsk, several KamAZ trucks were needed to remove seized equipment last year. In Krasnoyarsk, a mining farm operated on the 17th floor of a building under construction in Studgorodok under the guise of a local HOA and illegally consumed energy amounting to 5.8 million rubles.

Rosseti warned that interfering with the power system can lead to power surges, emergency shutdowns, and poses risks to both the violators and others.

However, the instructive tone of the energy giant appears hypocritical. While emphasizing justice and the damage caused by mining farms, Rosseti of Siberia has been implicated in a case of negligence which seems more serious than the actions of the miners.

In the Krasnoyarsk Territory, a criminal case was sent to court against the head of the Dzerzhinsk Electric Networks of PJSC Rosseti Siberia – Krasnoyarskenergo, who is accused of negligence for not preparing the power grid for the fire season, leading to a short circuit and subsequent fire in residential areas.

As a result of the neglect, a short circuit occurred in the power grid on May 7, 2022, due to contact between overhead lines and tree branches, causing a fire that spread to residential buildings in Kuray and Ashpatsk, Dzerzhinsky district, due to weather conditions.

As a result, the fire destroyed more than a hundred residential buildings and outbuildings. Two women also died. The damage from the actions of the official was estimated at almost 190 million rubles.

Currently, the materials of the criminal case under the article “Negligence” are under consideration in the Dzerzhinsky District Court. Babr is following developments.