Scientific and Technical Development of UESR
A strategic priority of UESR’s scientific and
technical development is overseeing the development of new types of equipment and
technology with which the electric power industry will start the 21st century. Specific
attention is being paid to ensuring high economic and environmental efficiency of
production and to creating conditions for stable development of the industry and
maintaining safe power supplies in the country.
In spite of the dire shortage of funds in 1997, assembly of the first 110 MWt gas
turbine engine with specifications up to international standards was completed. 325 MWt
steam and gas plants will be developed from this base allowing the start of large-scale
refurbishment of the industry and ensuring its higher economic and environmental
efficiency.
In 1998 a research programme under “Fuel and Energy”, a dedicated federal
programme, will be continued; one of the objective of this programme is to develop a
number of environmentally “clean” technologies of burning low grade types of solid
fuel at heat power stations, as well as new technologies for the boiler flue gas treatment
to remove pollutants and recover ash and slag production waste.
Particular attention is being paid to the intensification of research aimed at the
development of 300-500 MWt coal power units intended for operation with supercritical
steam parameters; the development of such units will lead to efficiency comparable to the
efficiency of steam and gas units which consume natural gas.
Provisions have been made for activities to develop measures for extending the park
life of operating high pressure energy equipment which is particularly important under the
conditions of the protracted financial crisis and investment decline which slowed down the
required renewal of fixed production assets.
One of the most important tasks is to preserve the industry’s scientific research and
design infrastructure, and to improve it by implementing measures to restructure the
scientific and design system, to create conditions necessary for strengthening scientific
staff units and for increasing the technical level of scientific research units.
UESR has looked at various options aimed at iincreasing the efficiency of the system:
an increase in the share of fuel-free power stations in the overall capacity structure;
technical re-equipment and construction of new heat power stations with the use of
advanced technology; and equipment utilisation optimisation.
The strategy adopted by the company provides for an increase in the share of gas in the
fuel structure to 68%, preserving the share of coal at 27% and reducing the share of fuel
oil to 5%.
In order to optimise the operating modes of the UES of Russia, to engage cheap
“locked-in” capacity and to reduce losses, provisions are made for commissioning 16
thousand km of power lines with the voltage of 330 kV and above until 2005. The
construction of the inter-system power links Siberia-Urals-Centre with the voltage of
500-1150 kV will result in cheaper power of Siberian power stations in the balance of
Russia. The construction of a 500 kV power line from the Pechora State District Power
Station to the Vologda Power System, a 500 kV Ilkovo-BAZ-Severnaya Vyatka power line, a
330 kV Kolskaya Nuclear Power Station - Petrozavodsk - Kirishi State District Power
Station power line will permit the use of the “locked-in” capacity of the Pechora
State District Power Station, the power stations of Tyumenenergo Joint Stock Company and
Kolskaya Nuclear Power Station.
