Major foreign manufacturers of modern gas turbine engines. Why Russia has not learned how to build its turbines JSC "Leningradsky metal plant"

Russia has found a way to bypass Western sanctions for the sake of the most important state task - the construction of Crimean power plants. The turbines necessary for the operation of the stations, produced by the German company Siemens, were delivered to the peninsula. However, how did it happen that our country was unable to develop such equipment itself?

Russia has supplied two of the four gas turbines to Crimea for use at the Sevastopol power plant, Reuters reported yesterday, citing sources. According to them, SGT5-2000E turbines of the German concern Siemens were delivered to the port of Sevastopol.

Russia is building two 940 megawatt power plants in Crimea, and earlier supplies of Siemens turbines to them were frozen due to Western sanctions. However, apparently, a solution was found: these turbines were supplied by some third-party companies, not Siemens itself.

Russian companies only mass-produce turbines for small power plants. For example, the capacity of the GTE-25P gas turbine is 25 MW. But modern power plants reach a capacity of 400-450 MW (as in the Crimea), and they need more powerful turbines - 160-290 MW. The turbine delivered to Sevastopol has just the required capacity of 168 MW. Russia is forced to find ways to bypass Western sanctions in order to fulfill the program to ensure the energy security of the Crimean Peninsula.

How did it happen that there are no technologies and sites for the production of high-power gas turbines in Russia?

After the collapse of the USSR in the 90s and early 2000s, the Russian power engineering industry found itself on the brink of survival. But then a massive program for the construction of power plants began, that is, there was a demand for the products of Russian machine-building plants. But instead of creating our own product in Russia, a different path was chosen - and, at first glance, very logical. Why reinvent the wheel, spend a lot of time and money on development, research and production, if you can buy something that is already modern and ready-made abroad.

“In the 2000s, we built gas turbine power plants with GE and Siemens turbines. Thus, they put our already poor energy sector on the needle of Western companies. Now huge amounts of money are being paid for the maintenance of foreign turbines. An hour of work for a Siemens service engineer costs the same as the monthly salary of a locksmith in this power plant. In the 2000s, it was not necessary to build gas turbine power plants, but to modernize our main generating capacities, ”says Maxim Muratshin, General Director of the Powerz engineering company.

“I am engaged in production, and I was always offended when the top management used to say that we would buy everything abroad, because ours did not know how to do anything. Now everyone is awake, but the time is lost. There is already no such demand to create a new turbine to replace the Siemens one. But at that time it was possible to create your own high-power turbine and sell it to 30 gas turbine power plants. This is what the Germans would have done. And the Russians just bought these 30 turbines from foreigners, ”the source adds.

Now the main problem in power engineering is the wear and tear of machinery and equipment in the absence of high demand. More precisely, there is demand from power plants, which urgently need to replace outdated equipment. However, they have no money for this.

“The power plants do not have enough money to carry out large-scale modernization in the context of a tight tariff policy regulated by the state. Power plants cannot sell electricity at a price that would allow them to cash in on quick upgrades. We have very cheap electricity compared to Western countries, ”says Muratshin.

Therefore, the situation in the energy industry cannot be called rosy. For example, at one time the largest boiler plant in the Soviet Union, Krasny Kotelshchik (part of Power Machines), at its peak produced 40 high-capacity boilers per year, and now - only one or two per year. “There is no demand, and the capacities that were in the Soviet Union have been lost. But we still have the basic technologies, so within two to three years our factories can again produce 40-50 boilers a year. It's a matter of time and money. But here they drag it to the last, and then they want to do everything quickly in two days, ”Muratshin worries.

The demand for gas turbines is even more difficult because generating electricity from gas boilers is expensive. No one in the world builds its energy industry only on this type of generation, as a rule, there is the main generating capacity, and gas turbine power plants supplement it. The advantage of gas turbine stations is that they quickly connect and provide energy to the grid, which is important during peak periods of consumption (morning and evening). Whereas, for example, steam or coal boilers require several hours to cook. “In addition, there is no coal in Crimea, but it has its own gas, plus they are pulling a gas pipeline from the Russian mainland,” Muratshin explains the logic according to which a gas-fueled power plant was chosen for Crimea.

But there is another reason why Russia bought specifically German, and not domestic, turbines for the power plants under construction in Crimea. The development of domestic analogues is already underway. We are talking about the GTD-110M gas turbine, which is being modernized and refined at the United Engine Corporation together with Inter RAO and Rusnano. This turbine was developed in the 90s and 2000s, it was even used at the Ivanovskaya TPP and Ryazanskaya TPP in the late 2000s. However, the product ended up with many "childhood illnesses". Actually, now NPO Saturn is engaged in their treatment.

And since the project of the Crimean power plants is extremely important from many points of view, apparently, for the sake of reliability, it was decided not to use a crude domestic turbine for it. The UEC explained that they would not have time to finalize their turbine before the start of the construction of stations in Crimea. By the end of this year, only a prototype of the modernized GTD-110M will be created. While the launch of the first blocks of two thermal power plants in Simferopol and Sevastopol is promised by the beginning of 2018.

However, if it were not for the sanctions, then there would be no serious problems with turbines for Crimea. Moreover, even Siemens turbines are not purely imported products. Alexey Kalachev from Finam Investment Company notes that turbines for Crimean CHPPs could be produced in Russia, at the St. Petersburg plant Siemens Gas Turbine Technologies.

“Of course, this is a subsidiary of Siemens, and certainly some part of the components is supplied for assembly from European factories. Still, this is a joint venture, and production is localized on Russian territory and for Russian needs, ”says Kalachev. That is, Russia not only buys foreign turbines, but also forced foreigners to invest in production on Russian territory. According to Kalachev, it is precisely the creation of a joint venture in Russia with foreign partners that makes it possible to overcome the technological gap most quickly and efficiently.

“Without the participation of foreign partners, the creation of independent and completely independent technologies and technological platforms is theoretically possible, but it will take considerable time and money,” the expert explains. Moreover, money is needed not only for the modernization of production, but also for personnel training, R&D, engineering schools, etc. By the way, it took Siemens as much as 10 years to create the SGT5-8000H turbine.

The real origin of the turbines supplied to Crimea turned out to be quite understandable. As stated by the Technopromexport company, four sets of turbines for power facilities in Crimea were purchased on the secondary market. And he, as you know, is not subject to sanctions.

We have been working in the field of power engineering since 1995. We manufacture and supply steam turbines and turbine generators of the TURBOPAR brand up to 20 MW to generate our own cheap electricity.

Production area

The production of steam turbines is carried out at a production site in Smolensk, Russia with an area of ​​800 m2. Production address: 214000, Russia, Smolensk, st. 430 km settlement Pronino, on the territory of the SK Mashtekhstroyopttorg base. The production base includes sections for roughing and finishing, a mechanical repair section, a tool section, a thermal and welding section, a section for assembling steam turbines, turbine generators, and setting up an automated control system. We have warehouses for spare parts and equipment components.

Development of the design bureau

The special pride of the company is its own design bureau. The design bureau employs qualified designers and technologists with extensive experience in the field of energy. Specialists of Yutron - Steam Turbines LLC (Russia), in cooperation with European manufacturers, are working on the design of elements of steam backpressure and condensing turbines.

Our company has received a patent for its own development - an energy-saving steam microturbine from 500 kW to 1,000 kW, there is a license for steam turbines up to 6 MW and up to 20 MW.

LLC Yutron - Steam Turbines is a manufacturer of steam turbines in Russia. The main production program: production of pipelines and turbines of low power from 500 kW to 20 MW.

In Russia, on behalf of the President, the government is preparing a large-scale program for the modernization of thermal power plants (TPPs), which is estimated at 1.5 trillion rubles and may start in 2019. One of its main conditions will be the use of Russian equipment. Is it possible to renew the electric power industry at the expense of domestic developments, the development of new turbines, export potential and the necessary support from the state in an interview with the Prime agency, said the general director of Power Machines Timur Lipatov, who headed the company three months ago.

- What is Power Machines focused on now? Will you work mainly for the thermal power industry because of the upcoming program for its modernization?

For anyone. We cannot neglect any niche, the situation in the industry is not the best: markets are shrinking, competition is growing. Therefore, we make almost the entire range of equipment for nuclear, thermal and hydropower.

- What demand from Russian power companies is Power Machines ready for under the program of modernization of thermal power plants?

In the first competitive selection for modernization, projects with a total capacity of 11 GW will be selected, first of all, it will be the reconstruction of our traditional steam power equipment. Our production capacity allows us to produce up to 8.5 GW of turbine equipment per year, the same volume of generators, about 50 thousand tons of boiler equipment.

We have well-developed projects for the modernization of the K-200 and K-300 turbines, and there is a project for the modernization of the K-800. These projects allow you to increase power, efficiency, extend the resource, flexibly respond to what the client needs. But the program is not limited only to condensing units (that is, generating electricity - ed.) With a capacity of 200 and 300 MW, therefore we are concentrating on the PT-60 and PT-80 cogeneration turbines. Their design has been revised, including, we are improving the design of the body part and steam distribution. In parallel, solutions have been developed for the replacement and modernization of third-party turbines. First of all, we are talking about the machines of the Kharkov Turbine Plant.

- It is planned to include in the program of modernization of TPPs the norm of 100% localization of the production of the necessary equipment in Russia. Apart from gas turbines, what equipment is still to be localized?

In my opinion, the only problem in the production of generating equipment in Russia is large-scale casting and the production of large forgings (a metal blank obtained as a result of forging or hot stamping - ed.).

Historically, there were three manufacturers of cast billets in the USSR, two of which - in the Urals and St. Petersburg - closed the foundry. As a result, the only supplier left in Russia that does not always provide the required quality, and we are forced to purchase large-sized cast billets abroad, where their quality is more stable. We believe in the potential of Russian metallurgical enterprises, we believe that with appropriate government support and the emergence of guaranteed demand they will be able to restore competencies and provide the power engineering industry with high-quality cast billets and forgings. This is a parallel process, it is part of the TPP modernization program, although it may not be on the surface right now.

- Power Machines announced plans to develop a domestic high-power gas turbine. Are you discussing partnership with Russian or foreign companies?

The basic option is the independent development of gas turbines, since the localization, which any foreign company talks about, is, as a rule, localization "for hardware". We see our task not in repeating the production of an outdated foreign model of a gas turbine in Russia, but in restoring the domestic school of gas turbine construction.

Our ultimate goal is to restart the gas turbine production cycle by organizing a design bureau, creating calculation methods, a bench base, and thereby protecting the Russian energy industry from various negative external manifestations.

- What is the share of gas turbines of foreign manufacturers in Russia?

According to our estimates, if we take the operating combined-cycle (CCGT) and gas turbine units (GTU), more than 70% are supplies from foreign manufacturers, another 24% are gas turbines manufactured by Interturbo (a joint venture of the Leningrad Metal Plant created in the 90s and Siemens).

At the same time, despite the presence of joint ventures, the production of the most significant elements of gas turbines is not localized in Russia - components of the hot path (fuel combustion chambers, turbine blades - ed.) And control systems. Production is limited only to the assembly and manufacture of individual units, which are not critical for the operability of the gas turbine plant and the energy security of Russia as a whole.

- What line of gas turbines "Power Machines" would like to produce?

We start with 65 MW F-class and 170 MW E-class machines. In the future, it is planned to create a 100 MW high-speed turbine with a free power turbine. Subsequently, it is possible to develop a 300-400 MW F or H-class GTU with 3000 rpm using the principles of scaling for some of the components.

- If Power Machines will independently develop the turbine, at what production site?

Here, at our production facilities in St. Petersburg.

- How much do you estimate R&D expenditures in general? What are the costs of starting up industrial production? And how long can it take?

We estimate the entire project for 65 and 170 MW machines at 15 billion rubles. This amount includes the costs of R&D and technology development, development and re-equipment of design and technological services, modernization of the experimental research and production base. Production will be ready for the production of prototype turbines in two years.

- Why do you think that you will be able to develop a turbine? In Russia, other companies have many years of experience with unsuccessful attempts.

At one time, we were in the trend for gas turbines. The first such machine with a capacity of 100 MW was made at LMZ (Leningrad Metal Plant, part of Power Machines - ed.) In the 60s. And it fully corresponded to the technologies of that time. This groundwork, unfortunately, was lost during the perestroika period. This area of ​​power engineering in the world has become so technologically advanced, it has gone so far that in the 90s an easier way to restore it was to acquire the right to use intellectual property and localize production in Russia. As a result, in the 1990s, in partnership with Siemens, LMZ created a joint venture "Interturbo", from which a modern STGT grew (a joint venture between Siemens and Power Machines - ed.). Equipment production was located at LMZ facilities and reached an honest 50% localization. As part of Interturbo, we have gained experience in the production of gas turbine components, which is highly correlated with our current work.

In the recent past, Power Machines independently, no longer within the framework of a joint venture, implemented a project for the development and production of a gas turbine GTE-65 with a capacity of 65 MW. The machine went through a full cycle of cold tests, reached the so-called "full speed, no load" tests, but due to the lack of an experimental TPP for testing and running the technology, it was not put into commercial operation.

- What, in your opinion, will facilitate the rapid development of gas turbine production technology in Russia?

I will name three fundamental factors. The first one is preferences in the development of the production of Russian gas turbines within the framework of the TPP modernization program. We believe that this goal has been achieved thanks to a reasonable dialogue between the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Energy. We hope that as part of the subsequent selection of projects for participation in the modernization program, the restrictions on the maximum capital costs for projects using domestic gas turbines will be removed. This will make facilities with domestic gas turbines more attractive for investments.

The second factor is the possibility of construction by Power Machines, independently or with a partner, of experimental TPPs with a total capacity of 1.4 GW within the framework of the KOM NGO mechanism (guarantees investors the return on investment of new power plant construction projects due to increased consumer payments for capacity - ed.). This is necessary in order to bring the prototypes of gas turbines to readiness for industrial operation and to obtain the necessary experience and competence for all possible implementations - single-shaft, twin-shaft and three-shaft CCGT units for gas turbines of all types.
And thirdly, the prompt release of government decree No. 719 (amendments to the decree governing the localization of production in the Russian Federation - ed.), Which will put all manufacturers, both domestic and foreign, on equal terms.

- As part of the TPP modernization program, do you expect to conclude contracts not only for specific power plants, but also for companies, perhaps for the entire duration of the program?

Of course, we are interested in long-term cooperation, but within the framework of the modernization program, the generating companies themselves will only have to participate in competitive selections.

At the same time, from my point of view, the conclusion of such long-term contracts is a normal practice, which will allow us to plan a production program and not let our counterparties meet the deadlines if their projects are selected.
The main discussions now concern framework agreements for repair and service maintenance and the supply of spare parts. When evaluating annual and three-year plans for repair campaigns, we, as a rule, see the potential to reduce the cost of spare parts and services rendered by up to 15% due to the alignment of production schedules.

- What kind of discussions are underway, are there any obstacles to the development of the service direction?

The main obstacle to development is "garage production". In the Soviet Union, drawings were often in free circulation; in the 90s, insufficient attention was paid to the protection of intellectual property. It is not surprising that as a result, a huge number of one-day firms have arisen, where people in artisanal conditions, literally in the garage, produce outdated spare parts, with deviations from the formular sizes, inconsistency of materials in terms of physical and mechanical characteristics.

We receive a large number of requests from consumers with a request to agree on certain deviations in the working documentation from the original design during repairs. I see serious risks in this, since the reason for the failure of our equipment may be the use of a non-original spare part made with deviations. There are few serious players who can ensure the proper timing and quality of work.

- How big is the problem of counterfeit products?

The market is filled with non-original spare parts, including counterfeit ones. We are working to protect our technology, return intellectual property and prohibit its use by other players using the opportunities that the civil and criminal codes give us. They did not bear the costs of R&D (research and development work - ed.), Do not guarantee quality, damage our reputation. We count on support in this matter from Rostekhnadzor, as well as other manufacturers.

- In the medium term, will the company focus on the domestic market or foreign projects? Which countries are you primarily considering for work? What technologies are in demand abroad?

- Power Machines has great export and technological potential. The main share of our projects abroad now is either nuclear and hydraulic, where we compete on equal terms with global manufacturers, or steam power units (reconstruction of previously supplied machines, production of equipment for burning such types of fuel, for example, as fuel oil and crude oil). The share of exports varies, but averages around 50%.

To increase exports, we must master two fundamentally important technologies that are not currently available in Russia. First, to restore the production of domestic gas turbines of medium and large capacity. Secondly, to make a pulverized coal boiler and a steam turbine for super-supercritical steam parameters (SSCP). The existing technologies make it possible to achieve sufficiently high efficiency of 45-47% on steam turbines operating at the SSCP. This is a reasonable alternative to the combined cycle, given the relatively low cost of coal, and often due to the lack of gas in the region. We have already developed design documentation for an SSCP turbine with a capacity of 660 MW and are ready to launch it into production as soon as an order appears.

In order for new products to be in demand abroad, they must first be manufactured and introduced on the home market, in Russia. The presence of references will allow us to enter our traditional markets - in Asia and Latin America, in the Middle East. One of the ways to obtain the necessary competencies is the construction of experimental stations within the framework of the KOM NGO mechanism. In addition, government support is needed - through intergovernmental agreements, with the involvement of export financing, and concessional lending. This was done in the Soviet Union, and this is what our competitors abroad are doing now.

- What other directions of the company's development do you see?

One of the areas will be to support small technology companies. There are a huge number of startups on the market that are complementary to our technology chain and sales channels. We intend to actively support the development of such companies by entering into their equity capital, financing R&D and technologies, and guarantees. The transfer of control will allow shareholders to generate significantly more revenue through increased sales and expansion of their channels. I ask everyone to consider this an official invitation, we will be happy to consider the proposals. There are already examples of such successful interaction.

Sergey Kremensky © IA Krasnaya Vesna

According to Russian and foreign media reports, in December 2017, a 110 MW gas turbine was not tested at the Saturn plant in Rybinsk.

Foreign media, in particular Reuters, citing their sources, said that the turbine had collapsed and could not be restored.

The head of Gazprom Energoholding, Denis Fedorov, at the Russian International Energy Forum, which took place at the end of April 2018, said even more radically that the development of a domestic high-power gas turbine should be abandoned: "It is pointless to practice with this further."... At the same time, he proposes to completely localize foreign turbine production, that is, to buy the plant and licenses from Siemens.

I remember the cartoon "The Flying Ship". The Tsar asks the boyar Polkan if he can build the Flying Ship, in response he hears: "Buy!".

Who's going to sell? In the current political environment of the "war of sanctions", no Western company will dare to sell the plant and technology to Russia. Yes, even if he sells, it is high time to learn how to make gas turbines at domestic enterprises. At the same time, the media publish a completely adequate position of an unnamed representative of the United Engine Corporation (UEC), which includes the Rybinsk plant "Saturn". He thinks that "Difficulties during the tests were expected, this will affect the timing of completion of the work, but is not fatal for the project".

For the reader, we will explain the advantages of modern combined-cycle plants (CCGT), which are replacing traditional large thermal power plants. In Russia, about 75% of electricity is generated by thermal power plants (TPP). To date, more than half of thermal power plants use natural gas as fuel. Natural gas can be immediately burned in steam boilers and, using traditional steam turbines, generate electricity, while the fuel energy utilization rate for electricity generation does not exceed 40%. If the same gas is burned in a gas turbine, then the incandescent exhaust gas is sent to the same steam boiler, then steam to a steam turbine, then the coefficient of fuel energy use for electricity production reaches 60%. Typically, one combined cycle plant (CCGT) uses two gas turbines with generators, one steam boiler and one steam turbine with a generator. With the combined production of electricity and heat at one power plant, both CCGT and conventional CHP, the fuel energy utilization factor can reach 90%.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, work on the serial production of high-power gas turbines was discontinued in Russia due to fierce competition from Western companies and the lack of government support for promising developments.

A situation arose similar to the civil aviation industry and other branches of mechanical engineering.

However, not everything is so bad, in 2004-2006 a single order of two GTD-110 gas turbines for the Ivanovskiye CCGT units was completed, but this order turned out to be unprofitable for the Rybinsk plant, it was not profitable. The fact is that during the manufacture of the first turbines GTD-110 according to the project of the Mashproekt Institute (Nikolaev, Ukraine), it was not possible to place an order in Russia for the forging of the central part of the turbine, since a special melting metal was required, and this steel grade was several years old. no one ordered, and Russian metallurgists broke the price many times higher than in Germany or Austria. Nobody promised the plant orders for a series of turbines. The production planning horizon for 2-3 years did not allow the Rybinsk plant to master the technology of serial production of GTD-110 back in 2004-2006.

Since 1991, Russia has adopted a strategy of entering the common European home, the market, and in the logic of this market there was no point in developing its technologies from a lower position. And the mechanism of competitive bidding, applied by directives at the main customer - RAO UES of Russia, led to the victory of Western competitors. The essence of the mechanism is a formal one-stage open tender, without any preferences for Russian manufacturers. No self-respecting country in the world affords such a bidding option.

A similar situation has developed at factories in St. Petersburg, which are part of the Power Machines association, which, back in Soviet times, planned to manufacture gas turbines with a capacity of over 160 MW.

The position of the representative of the United Engine Building Corporation (UEC) is absolutely correct: it is necessary to continue fine-tuning the manufacturing technology in Rybinsk and St. Petersburg. Involvement of Inter RAO is necessary, since its branch, Ivanovskie PGU, has a test bench and the first Russian-made gas turbines are in operation.

Thus, we see that Reuters is wishful thinking, reporting the failure of import substitution and modernization. Apparently they are afraid that Russian machine builders will succeed in everything. Reuters insinuations are a pitch for our domestic liberals in the economic bloc. In an ordinary war, this is identical to scattering leaflets "Give up. Moscow has already fallen ".

When creating new types of technical equipment, so-called "childhood diseases" usually appear in the structure, which are successfully eliminated by engineers.

Lifetime testing is a necessary stage in the creation of new equipment, which is carried out to determine the operating time of the structure before the appearance of defects that impede further operation. Identifying problematic points during endurance tests is a normal working situation when mastering new technology.

The Rybinsk Motors plant in Soviet times specialized in the production of aircraft engines and gas turbines for compressor units with a capacity of up to 25 MW.

At present, the plant is part of the NPO Saturn association, which has successfully mastered the production of powerful marine gas turbines and is working on the creation and serial production of high-power energy turbines.

Before the imposition of sanctions against Russia, the production of its own gas turbines for power plants was hampered by the fact that the Russian economy was embedded in the global market, in which Western engineering companies held a monopoly position.

The current situation in the world requires persistence in continuing work on the project. The creation of a line of powerful energy gas turbines will require 2-3 years of hard work, but this is justified in any case, regardless of whether Russia is under sanctions or not - this is real import substitution. The gigantic energy market in Russia will provide a load for the machine-building industry, metallurgy of special steels and will have a multiplier effect in related industries.

The huge volume of the energy market is due to the fact that the country's thermal power plants are to be modernized in the next twenty years. It will take hundreds, thousands of gas turbines. It is necessary to stop burning such a valuable fuel as natural gas with a utilization rate of its energy of 35-40%.

A gloating article appeared in the Western press that the construction of new power plants in Crimea actually stopped due to Western sanctions - after all, we seem to have forgotten how to make turbines for power plants ourselves and bowed to Western companies, which are now forced to wind down their deliveries and thus leave Russia without turbines for energy.

"The project envisaged that Siemens turbines would be installed at the power plants. However, in this case, this German engineering company risks violating the sanctions regime. Sources say that in the absence of turbines, the project faces serious delays. Officials Siemens have always said that they do not intend to implement supply of equipment.
Russia studied the possibility of acquiring turbines from Iran, making changes to the design for the installation of Russian-made turbines, as well as using Western turbines previously acquired by Russia and already located on its territory. Each of these alternatives poses specific challenges, which, according to sources, prevents officials and project leaders from agreeing on how to move forward.
This story demonstrates that, despite official denials, Western sanctions still have a real negative impact on the Russian economy. It also sheds light on the decision-making mechanism under Vladimir Putin. It is about the propensity of high-ranking officials, according to sources close to the Kremlin, to make grandiose political promises that are almost impossible to implement. "

"Back in October 2016, at a briefing in Munich, the company representatives said that Siemens excludes the use of its gas turbines at TPPs in Crimea. We are talking about gas turbines produced in Russia at the Siemens gas turbine technology plant in St. Petersburg, which was put into operation in 2015. The shares in this company are distributed as follows: Siemens - 65%, Power Machines - beneficiary A. Mordashov - 35%. 160 MW, and the contract signed in the spring of 2016 specifies a TPP in Taman. "

In fact, it so happened that since the times of the USSR, the production of gas turbine plants for power plants was concentrated at 3 enterprises - in the then Leningrad, as well as in Nikolaev and Kharkov. Accordingly, during the collapse of the USSR, Russia was left with only one such plant - LMZ. Since 2001, this plant has been producing Siemens turbines under license.

“It all started in 1991, when a joint venture was created - then LMZ and Siemens - to assemble gas turbines. An agreement was signed on the transfer of technologies to the then Leningrad Metal Plant, which is now part of OJSC Power Machines. The joint venture has assembled 19 turbines in 10 years.Over these years, LMZ has accumulated production experience in order to learn not only to assemble these turbines, but also to make some components on their own. Based on this experience, in 2001 a license agreement was concluded with Siemens for the right to manufacture, sell and after-sales service of turbines of the same type. They received the Russian marking GTE-160 ".

It is not clear where their developments, which were successfully produced there during the previous 40 years, have gone. As a result, the domestic power engineering industry (gas turbine engineering) was left with nothing. Now I have to begging overseas in search of turbines. Even in Iran.

"Rostec Corporation has reached an agreement with the Iranian company Mapna, which produces German gas turbines under Siemens license. Thus, gas turbines manufactured in Iran according to drawings by German Siemens can be installed on new power plants in Crimea."