Author 1:
Name & Surname: Panov V. V.
Company: East European Institute of Peat, Tver State Technical University (Tver, Russia)
Work Position: Head of department
Scientific Degree: Doctor of Geographical Sciences
Contacts: vvpanov@mail.ru

Author 2:
Name & Surname: Misnikov O. S.
Company: Tver State Technical University
Work Position: Dean
Scientific Degree: Doctor of Engineering Sciences

Historically Russia used peat as a fuel instead of fire wood (in order to prevent large-scale extraction of timber) and, later on, instead of coal (considering higher availability of peat in the provinces). Peat being readily accessible for the purpose of fueling was a recue for Russia in the time of war when coal supply was temporarily cut. In the Soviet period, with almost unlimited governmental support, peat production in the country reached the peak: maximum peat production of 220 Mt fell on 1975, where the third was peat for fueling and the rest was for agriculture. Fertilizers were mainly manufactured of natural peat, which was of lower efficiency as compared with compost fertilizers made of oil and with products of peat processing. On the whole, the governmental investment in peat production industry was fruitless and the industry remained budget-unprofitable. Once production of coal, oil and especially cheap natural gas grew, peat was pushed out from the fuel balance and went into sliding from agriculture when mineral fertilizers made their appearance. The final attack on the large-scale use of peat in the national economy took place when Russia completed transition to market economy and the exclusive support from the government was canceled. Thus, peat as an all-purpose fuel became uncompetitive and was completely replaced by mineral fertilizers in agriculture. Russian peat producers crashed, and peat production in 2011 merely made 2 Mt. Afloat are a few peat fields that supply fuel to local boiler-houses remote from coal sources and gas networks. The future of peat is reduced to its use as a local fuel in remote areas and as a component in compositions of compound organic fertilizers. By estimates, annual peat production in the decade to come will make 4–6 Mt.

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