Scientific research in the area of hydro-power engineering on the Kola Peninsula began in the post-war years (S.V. Grigoriev). During the reorganization of Kola Scientific Base into Kola Branch of the USSR AS in the 1950s the newly created scientific body included the Energy Department. Its goal was the study of water power resources of the Kola Peninsula so as to set up a base for construction of hydroelectric power stations. The Department was transformed into the Laboratory of hydro-power engineering and water management problems attached to the Mining Institute, KBr of the USSR AS in 1961. The studies of water power resources of the Kola Peninsula were used for water power survey and construction of Serebryanskiy and Teriberskiy hydraulic power systems.

   During the late 1950's and early 1960's the intensive development of national economy and energy systems in the Murmansk region initiated the introduction of heating systems at industrial plants and in the towns and also provoked the construction and operation of hydroelectric power stations. The Energy Department undertakes the research work for optimization of fuel and energy balance of the Murmansk region and attached areas.

   In 1973 the Energy Department was separated as an independent division attached to the Presidium of the KBr, the USSR AS and in 1990 the Institute for Physical and Technological Problems of the North, Kola Science Center RAS was established on its basis.

   In various years the Institute was headed by Grigoriev S.V., PhD (Eng.); Markov P.I., PhD (Eng.); Panin A.P., PhD (Eng.); Stepanov I.R., Dr.Sc. (Eng.); Papin A.P., Dr Sc. (Eng.), Elokhin V.R., Dr.Sc. (Eng.).

   At present the Institute includes 4 laboratories, the personnel amounts to 41 workers, including 9 Candidates of Sciences and Doctors of Sciences. Since 2000 the Institute is headed by Efimov B.V., Dr.Sc. (Eng.), corr.-member of AES RF.

   The focus areas of the Institute relate to the study and substantiation of environmentally sound and socially effective ways for power engineering with regard for the specific character of the region; study of power supply issues under conditions of the North and application of energy to mining technology.

   As regards the scientific basis for energy policy the methods and instruments for fulfillment of energy programs in the European North are being developed in terms of the new energy policy, energy-saving and energy safety requirements. The basic regulations for monitoring system and indicative analysis of energy safety of the Russian Federation and its subjects has been formulated, the indicators structure, their content and value range has been found out. The studies of solvent energy resources demand, validation of hydrocarbon fields' development and working out of investment policy principles for the northern energy has been carried out. The suggested approaches have been used for support of energy policy of the northern economy region (Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and Vologodskaya regions, Kareliya and Komi Republics), for support of regional plans of expansion of fuel and energy complexes in the Arkhangelsk and Murmansk regions and Kareliya Republic for the period till 2010, and also for financial efficiency of some separate energy projects (Energy-saving Program for the Arkhangelsk region, Construction of the Kola NPP-2, reconstruction of heat supply system of Apatity). In 1999 the "Energy development concept for the Murmansk region till 2015" was developed.

The Institute conducts the research of wind power application potential in the North. The possible ways of its application have been tested at a wind power plant (the coast pf the Barents Sea). The energy resources of wind and small rivers of coastal areas in the European North were evaluated, conditions of their application were found out and also top-priority sites for construction of wind power plants (WPP) and small HPS were suggested.

   The efficiency and competitive capacity of WPP and HPS in the areas of decentralized power supply in the North was shown. The favorable conditions for large-scale wind power use at the northern coast of the Kola Peninsula were found out. An energy project for wind power utilization outlooks is being carried out for several years on the Kola Peninsula (international scientific-technological project "KolaWind"); the work is conducted within the European program on non-nuclear energy JOULE-THERMIE, finance by the EU and the program INCO-COPERNICUS.

As regards electrophysical problems of energy, new methods of physico-mathematical modeling of experimental researches for the analysis of current state and reliability control of transmission systems are being worked out. A high-voltage laboratory provides a full-scale study of high-voltage networks' elements after long-term operation under severe conditions of the North. New data on the physics of electromagnetic transients in high-voltage networks have been obtained; the influence geomagnetic and low-frequency disturbances on energy objects, communications and people are being studied; the work is in progress to investigate physico-chemical processes in high-voltage networks' elements under extreme conditions for the purpose of forecasting breakups and accidents, protection of further operation of outmoded equipment.

   The actions are being taken on operation reliability control of the networks' elements, digital communication systems and their electromagnetic compatibility under conditions of abnormally low ground conductivity and other peculiarities of the North.

   The Institute has accomplished the series of research works which were related the development of technique and technology for destruction of rock, ore and man-made materials based on electropulse materials failure (before 1985 the work had been conducted at the Mining Institute). It resulted in a series of pioneer monographs which summarize the obtained data on basic physics of the technique, technique and technology of drilling and materials decomposition, the conditions and outlooks for the research work were determined for mining, mineral processing, technology of mineral raw materials and other areas suitable for application of the technique.