29 Sep 2009 18:10

Gazprom hires contractor to look into converting power plants to coal

MOSCOW. Sept 29 (Interfax) - Gazprom has selected the Scientific Center for Pre-investment Research (NCPI) to analyze the possibilities for converting its power plants to coal as the result of a tender, Gazprom said.

The Russian gas giant's Gazenergo Holding controls the Mosenergo , TGK-1 , OGK-2 and OGK-6 generating companies.

Revenue from the sale of electricity and heat last year topped 200 billion rubles and the plants generated more than 180 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. Revenue is forecast to rise more than 2.5-fold by 2015.

Generating capacity should increase by more than 5,640 megawatts as the result of the holding's investment program for 2009-2015.