Gazprom completes ambitious upgrade of generating facilities at one of St. Petersburg’s key thermal power plants

Today, Gazprom put into operation modernized turbo generator No. 6 at the Avtovskaya CHPP in St. Petersburg.

Taking part in the event was Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee.

Alexey Miller

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With the launch of turbo generator No. 6, the Company completed the large-scale renovation of generating capacities at one of the city's key thermal power plants. Earlier, turbo generator No. 7 had been modernized and brought into operation as part of the renovation activities.

As a result, reliability of heat supplies has been considerably enhanced for about 1.5 million consumers, namely, the residents of the Admiralteysky, Moskovsky, Kirovsky, and Krasnoselsky Districts, as well as more than 200 socially significant facilities, including children's, healthcare and educational entities.

Modernized turbo generator No. 6

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Gazprom completely replaced the utility systems and the main and auxiliary equipment at turbo generator No. 6, just as the Company had done before at turbo generator No. 7. A new generator with an air cooling system was installed along with a new turbine featuring a state-of-the-art automated control system that ensures highly reliable and flexible performance of the equipment.

Denis Fyodorov, Director General of Gazprom Energoholding

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The installed power capacity of turbo generator No. 6 was increased from 100 MW to 123 MW, and its thermal capacity went up from 168 Gcal/h to 197 Gcal/h.

For Russia's power generation sector, the upgrade of equipment at the Avtovskaya CHPP became the first experience in large-scale adoption of information modeling technologies. Laser scanning was employed to create maximally accurate 3D models of the equipment to be upgraded. The models were then used in developing all technical solutions for the project and its elements.

This made it possible to implement the technically complex project within tight timeframes and without suspending the plant's operations. During the entire period of its upgrade, the plant kept supplying the consumers with power and heat.

At present, preparations are underway at the Avtovskaya CHPP for the construction of a new equipment cooling system featuring closed-loop recirculation of water. The system will provide for reuse of process water in the plant's operations and, therefore, for more rational use of natural resources.

“All the equipment we have installed during the upgrade of the Avtovskaya CHPP is of Russian make, has been successfully tested and is ready to be put under load.

I am very pleased to note that we have completed the works three months earlier than it was provided for by the state program. It means that St. Petersburg is entering the new heating season with a new and even more reliable energy supply facility.

We still have a great deal of work ahead of us, such as, for instance, the upgrade of the Severnaya CHPP and the Vasileostrovskaya CHPP. I am confident that the works will be performed with high quality and in due time, as this is the approach we always follow,” said Alexey Miller.