15 Nov 2022 12:55

Russian oil cos interested in replacing imported turbines at fields, but UEC wants to deliver whole new power plants

RYBINSK. Nov 15 (Interfax) - Russian oil and gas companies are showing interest in replacing imported turbines at power facilities at oil and gas fields, but experts from the United Engine Corporation (UEC), a division of state corporation Rostec, said it is difficult to replace only turbines, since almost the whole power system needs to be replaced along with them.

"We are getting requests to replace the engine. So far everyone primarily wants to replace only the engine. But when replacing the engine half the assembly will be changed in any case, because the life support system of all engines is different. There are such requests, there will be more, because assemblies all reach the end of their service life," the chief designer at UEC Gas Turbines, Dmitry Morozov told reporters.

Previously, fully imported equipment from Solar and Siemens was installed on production platforms.

"Now, due to the departure of foreign players, very many assets such as power plants for in-house use at fields have been left, and we also plan to fill this niche as a domestic producer of gas turbine power plants. Some modernization of imported power plants will cost more than manufacturing a domestic new one. We do not have either the design documentation of the western manufacturers, nor the characteristics of their materials, certain components. In addition, in light of recent events I think it's preferable for the country to use domestic equipment," the CEO of UEC Engineering, Andrei Vorobyov said

"Colleagues are now coming to us, negotiations are being held. An oil company approached us that already has two operating platforms in the Caspian with imported equipment. It is becoming worn out, reaching the end of its service life, so it needs to be replaced. They are also building a platform on which there are plans to install assemblies made by us. We will soon go to inspect the existing platforms," Morozov said.

He said it is impossible to just replace one part in an assembly, because this does not guarantee its smooth operation in future.

"We believe it is currently cheaper to install a domestic power system than to adapt what's left from the West. Most often on platforms that have already been built, the equipment is installed on the outside, on the open deck. These assemblies are dismantled completely and they are supposed to be replaced by other assemblies. An assembly is a whole. You can't just replace one part in it; this will immediately affect the operation of another part. If we're replacing one part, the whole setup put in place changes, so there are no guarantees that all this will be preserved," Morozov said.

"We are, in principle, not interested in these modernizations. Every company needs to generate a profit, and a profit arises only through serial production," he added.