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Starting from 2025, Russia may be left without domestic LEDs and lamps. This was stated by Olga Grekova, CEO of the Association of Manufacturers of LEDs and Systems Based on them (APSS), during the section "Development of small and medium-sized Enterprises in the manufacturing industry" at Innoprom.

The problem is explained by the fact that the production of enclosures and light-emitting semiconductor crystals has not yet been mass-produced in Russia, which from 2025 will become necessary for the recognition of LEDs as domestic.

The point question

The criteria for determining the origin of LEDs are set out in the appendix to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 719 dated July 17, 2015. There is a point system for LEDs, which implies a gradual tightening of production localization requirements. A certain number of points are assigned for each technological operation performed on the territory of Russia. The minimum number of points required to recognize an LED as Russian is gradually increasing.

Starting from December 1, 2020, to recognize an LED as Russian, it is required to score at least 150 points, Stanislav Lermontov, technical consultant at the APSS, explained to Vedomosti. According to him, now this indicator is achieved by Russian manufacturers due to the localization of technological operations for the production or use of phosphors (50 points), packaging (60 points) and control tests (40 points).

"But from January 1, 2025, another tightening of requirements is coming, and in order to recognize the LED as Russian, you will have to score at least 200 points," Lermontov continues. And for this, it is necessary to produce or use light-emitting semiconductor crystals (70 points) or LED housings (50 points) produced in the territory of the EAEU countries, he continued.

"No signs of commercial production of either on the territory of the EAEU member states, including Russia, have yet been found," Lermontov comments.

From January 1, 2025, those Russian LEDs that are present in the register of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (includes equipment recognized as Russian. – Vedomosti), but they do not meet the requirements, will be excluded from it, warned Evgeny Dolin, GR Director of the international lighting corporation BL Group.

An expensive investment

According to Grekova, the production of crystals or cases is unlikely to be created, "because it is a big financial expense." "Since 2023, we have been writing to the Ministry of Industry and Trade with a request to delve into our problem, but the ministry, unfortunately, completely ignores this issue," she explains. "Therefore, we risk losing both the Russian LED and the Russian lamp by 2025."

According to estimates by BL Group, at least 25 billion rubles should be invested in the construction of a new crystal plant, including R&D on mass technologies and the purchase of Russian equipment, with access to a full cycle of mass production by 2030. But, Dolin explains, firstly, strong regulation is needed with the phased closure of the lighting and LED market by barriers duties. Secondly, when calculating investments and production volumes, we aim to reach market prices for crystals of comparable quality with those supplied from China.

Today in Russia there are a number of LED manufacturers that have mastered small-scale production, in particular, Proton JSC can be singled out, a representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade told Vedomosti. According to him, the issue of manufacturing materials for LEDs is being actively worked out. "We are in constant contact with the industry and relevant associations and are ready to consider their proposals," the source said.

In Russia, the Kaliningrad GS Group and the Armavir company "Rusid" are engaged in the housing of LEDs. According to Grekova, subsidies were promised to these enterprises. In addition, Russia has a decree on subsidizing the Russian electronic component base. "When we applied to the Ministry of Industry and Trade for subsidies for these enterprises, we received a response that the LED would not be subsidized," she said.

"It is quite difficult to produce LEDs on the territory of Russia only for domestic consumers without the support of the state," Grekova explains. According to her, the Russian LED is 7-8 times more expensive than a foreign one.

To reduce the price to the level of China

At the end of October 2023, Vedomosti wrote about the proposal of manufacturers of electronic products to introduce reporting on compliance with the minimum mandatory share of purchases of domestic lighting equipment and electricity meters, as well as to impose fines for non-compliance. This was stated in a letter from the Association of Enterprises in the field of radio electronics, IT, digital innovation and engineering. But they were never introduced. Under the guise of goods from Russia, equipment that is not included in the Unified Register of Russian Radioelectronic Products is often put up for auction, or foreign devices are included in the batch during the execution of the contract, the appeal said. As a rule, components of Chinese origin are used for replacement, since they are much cheaper than their Russian counterparts.

According to Alexey Boyko, an independent analyst and author of the abloud62 Telegram channel, there are no enterprises that are engaged in the serial production of LED housings and light-emitting semiconductor crystals. Indeed, there is no mass production of enclosures and chips for LEDs in Russia, Dolin confirmed. There are no mass production technologies and no staff of serial technologists, he says. In addition, the key equipment for chips – epitaxial installations - is in the process of pilot development. And the buildings require the purchase of equipment and reagents, Dolin emphasizes.

"Optogan used to try to do this in St. Petersburg," Boyko continued. "It was a company created with the support of Rusnano, but now there is not even a trace of its activities in this direction on its official website." Once there were plans to create a full-cycle plant in this area in the Tomsk region, on the basis of the Research Institute of Semiconductor Devices, Boyko noted. "But it seems that these plans have not been implemented either," he said.

"The prices of foreign products leave little chance for competition for anyone who would like to engage in similar production in Russia," says Boyko. "Therefore, the usual practice is to purchase both the crystal and the case abroad, and then assemble them in Russia, which is what GS Group does, for example." According to the expert, it is unlikely that domestic companies will be able to purchase the necessary equipment for the production of cases and crystals, deploy it and launch mass production before January 1, 2025. "Therefore, we will have to extend the deadline for the introduction of a more stringent point system," he believes.

Lighting engineering as a sub-branch of radio electronics does not begin with crystals, but with the assembly of LEDs, Dolin continued. "Having an annual turnover in the region of 200-250 billion rubles in the market of all lighting equipment, taking into account the prevailing share of imports, lighting companies objectively cannot invest 10% of this turnover to create what is included in the perimeter of microelectronics and high chemistry. The state will have to create a springboard with direct investments to protect the country's lighting market from the risks of blocking the supply of LEDs and crystals to Russia," he concluded.

Source: https://www.vedomosti.ru/technology/articles/2024/07/15/1049922-s-2025-goda-rossiya-mozhet-ostatsya-bez-otechestvennogo-sveta?from=read_also=3-