OREANDA-NEWS. October 22, 2010. TGC-1 completed pre-commissioning performance tests of the pilot 180MW CCGT-unit (combined-cycle gas turbine) at Pervomayskaya CHPP (combined heat and power plant) in St. Petersburg, announced the general director of TGC-1 Boris Vainzikher during the regular session of the City of St. Petersburg government.

Pre-commissioning tests are the final stage of the commissioning process of the main equipment of the CCGT-unit. The specialists performed the checkout of the quality of installation, tested and analyzed the operating characteristics and performance of the industrial control systems.

The test results should pave the way for the final approval to start the commercial production from regulators.

The new production facilities of Pervomayskaya CHPP will include two CCGT-units of 360MW (227 GCal-h of heating capacity) with efficiency rate of 52%. The construction of the 2nd CCGT-unit is now in the final stage.

After the construction of the new facilities the old capacity will be shut down. Thus, the St. Petersburg and consumers in the south-west of the city will have a brand new combined heat and power plant.

Pervomayskaya CHPP was put in operation in 1957 and supplies energy to industrial consumers and households of the south-west area of St. Petersburg. The area supplied by the power plant has a total population of around 500,000 people. Among the biggest industrial consumers in this area are machinery-construction complex of JSC “Kirovsky Zavod” and shipbuilding plant "Severnaya verf".

Each CCGT-unit comprises two 65.8MW gas turbines by Ansaldo Energia, one steam turbine by Kaluga turbine plant (KTZ, part of JSC “Power Machines” group) and two heat recovery steam generators from Podolsk machinery plant.

The reconstruction of Pervomayskaya CHPP is a unique project for Russia. For the first time CCGT-unit of 180MW will be used in cogeneration. Previously, units of such capacity were only used for power production.

Besides, the chosen steam turbines are the pilot models in a whole new series of KTZ products. Apart from steam turbines, a number of other devices are the first of such kind.

The significant amount of whole new equipment, its arrangement and layout required the implementation of a number of non-standard technical solutions during the design stage as well as during the construction phase.

CCGT technology ensures high efficiency, low fuel rates and emissions lower on average by 30% as compared to steam power plant. All the technology and materials used for construction conform to the most rigid Russian and international ecological standards.