Gazprom commissions PGU-450 combined cycle gas turbine unit at Yuzhnaya CHPP in Saint Petersburg

“Today's event once again proves the status of Gazprom as the largest investor in the Russian power generation sector. State-of-the-art technologies were used to construct the power unit of the Yuzhnaya CHPP. The technologies will provide for considerable resource saving in the course of operation and ensure a minimum environmental impact. I will particularly note that the main equipment of the new power unit was manufactured by the Russian machine building companies. Commissioning of the new power unit solves such a pressing problem for Saint Petersburg and the Leningrad Oblast as energy shortage, increases reliability, offers wider opportunities for heat supply to the city's southern districts and allows meeting energy demands for the industrial and business complex development of the ring motorway. Eleven is a special number for TGC-1. The company comprises 11 combined heat and power stations with PGU-450 of the Yuzhnaya CHPP being the eleventh startup facility in the history of TGC-1. This is the number of players in a football team. Therefore, we decided to delegate Alexander Kerzhakov, a forward of the Zenit football club whose number is eleven, with the right of driving up the power unit to its rated capacity,” Alexey Miller said.
Alexander Kerzhakov took his place at the main control unit and having been instructed by a power unit operator set the power plant load at the level of 450 MW and launched the program to reach the rated capacity.
After the power unit successfully reached the capacity of 450 MW, Alexey Miller and Alexander Kerzhakov put their signatures in an operating log of the Yuzhnaya CHPP.

Alexey Miller (standing in center) and Alexander Kerzhakov (sitting in front) at celebrations

The Yuzhnaya CHPP was put into operation on February 8, 1978. Three power units (of the four envisaged by the project) rated at 250 MW each were commissioned between 1978 and 1986. In 1987 the funding shortfall suspended the construction operations. The Yuzhnaya CHPP had the largest capacity in Saint Petersburg until 2008 when the second power unit of the Severo-Zapadnaya CHPP was put into operation. With the new power unit commissioning the plant will become a leader in the city's power generating sector again and the most powerful CHPP of TGC-1. The installed heat and power capacity of the plant will grow from 2,190 to 2,531 Gcal/h and from 750 to 1,200 MW respectively.
The main equipment of the Yuzhnaya CHPP PGU-450 is comprised of two gas turbines (GTE-160) and a steam turbine T-125/150 manufactured by the Power Machine Company, two waste heat boilers (PR-228/47) manufactured by the Podolsk Machine Building Plant.
The new combined cycle gas turbine unit is mainly powered by natural gas as the most eco-friendly energy source allowing to save a favorable environment. The modern combined cycle gas turbine technology ensures high efficiency, low fuel consumption and fewer (by around 30 per cent) pollutant emissions versus conventional steam power plants.