The plant is owned by OAO Fourth Generation Company of the Wholesale Electricity Market (OAO WGC-4) and construction of the new unit will cost the power generation firm RUB10 billion.
The plant’s new unit will use advanced combined-cycle technology, which helps raise a unit’s efficiency to 57%. Combined-cycle units are also more economical, as they use 20% to 25% less fuel to generate 1kWh of electricity. Another advantage of the combined-cycle technology is a threefold reduction of hazardous emissions into the atmosphere.
The new combined-cycle unit will also have a unique single-shaft turbine. The single-shaft unit is significantly smaller, which makes it possible to quickly build new generation facilities at the territory of the existing power plants. The new unit at Shaturskaya is scheduled to come online in early 2009.
RAO UES said that the rapid development of the Moscow Region’s economy has led energy consumption in Moscow and the surrounding region to grow at a rate higher than Russia’s average. In 2006 this growth exceeded 6%.
General Electric and Gama will act as general contractors in the project to carry out the engineering, procurement of equipment and materials, construction, and commissioning of the single-shaft combined-cycle unit.
