Consortium with VEB aims to produce Chinese wind power equipment in Russia, Tatneft might join
KAZAN. April 22 (Interfax) - The Ural Wind Architects consortium recently formed by Russian and Chinese companies and oil company Tatneft will study the possibility of setting up licensed production of wind power equipment in Tatarstan.
Tatneft signed an agreement with Chelyabinsk-based Rekoinvest LLC, which represents the Russian-Chinese consortium, to cooperate in the creation of production facilities for wind turbine systems and construction of wind farms using the equipment and technology of China's Harbin Electric Corporation Wind Power Co., Ltd (HEWP), a division of Harbin Electric Corporation. The agreement was signed at the Tatarstan Energy Forum this week.
The agreement authorizes the study and assessment of the financial model for Tatneft to join the project to localize HEWP equipment, a source familiar with its details told Interfax.
Rekoinvest deputy CEO for development Dmitry Ivanov told Interfax that the consortium was formed two months ago and already includes more than ten companies from China and Russia, including VEB Engineering LLC, a subsidiary of Russian state development corporation VEB.
Since it was formed only recently, the consortium does not have any projects under its belt, but both its Russian and Chinese members have experience implementing major wind energy projects, Ivanov said.
Following an analysis of the wind power potential of Tatarstan, the consortium will determine the optimal parameters of the generating units and then propose the transfer of HEWP technology for manufacturing the relevant components, he said.
"Accordingly, after the approval of the financial model, production of components will be implemented in Tatarstan with maximum utilization of Tatneft enterprises. Tatneft enterprises are already being monitored right now with the goal of using them as domestic producers based on the blueprints of the manufacturers," Ivanov said.
Production could subsequently be scaled up to neighboring regions, he said.
"We're considering the full package of services to support the implementation of this project, from investment, transfer of technology, to joint participation in the Russian company and organization of the production chain," Ivanov said.
VEB Engineering CEO Vladimir Novikov confirmed to Interfax that his company is a member of the consortium.
"VEB Engineering is continuing to implement projects in the area of renewable energy sources and ESG. Within the consortium, we will facilitate the localization of production of wind energy equipment components in Russia. The projects in Tatarstan will be some of the key ones for the development of wind energy in Russia," Novikov said.
The consortium also includes AGIS Engineering LLC, a Moscow company that builds wind measurement complexes and wind turbine towers; NEPDI Power Engineering LLC, the Russian subsidiary of the NEPDI design institute of China Power Engineering Consulting Group; Alternative Energy STC LLC, a Kazan-based producer of wind measurement complexes and builder of turn-key wind power plants; Evroservis LLC, a Chelyabins-based engineering company with ties to Rekoinvest; HEWP (wind turbine delivery, assembly and set-up); Moscow transport company Ha-Ken Group LLC; Tyumen-based AvtoTrans-Sibir LLC (wind turbine assembly); and service company Energopromengineering LLC, the Russian representative of HEWP, consortium materials showed.
Earlier in April it was reported that Italian energy company Enel had frozen the project to build a 71-MW wind farm in Tatarstan's Chistopolsky district due to sanctions, although the project was virtually ready for implementation, with sites selected and wind measurements completed. Denmark's Vestas has also abandoned wind power projects in Tatarstan, as it has suspended operations in Russia.
In order to continue work on building wind farms, the Tatar authorities intend to focus on localization and implementing their own wind power equipment projects, the region's industry and trade minister, Albert Karimov said at the energy forum.