The Zainskaya combined cycle power plant (CCPP) is an 858MW power plant currently being built in Tatarstan, Russia. The project is part of a modernisation and expansion programme for the existing 2.2GW Zainskaya State District Power Plant (SDPP).
Estimated to cost RUB37.48bn ($511m), the project is being developed by Russian electric utility company JSC Tatenergo. The decision to build the Zainskaya CCPP was made by the Russian government in February 2020.
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Construction officially began in September 2020 and the plant is expected to be commissioned by November 2023.
Location and background of the Zainskaya power plant
The Zainskaya CCPP is located near the existing Zainskaya State District Power Plant in Zainsk, Tatarstan. Built in the 1960s, the plant was Russia’s largest power plant at the time of its construction and is still considered to be one of the largest combined heat and power plants in the country.
The plant’s 12 units, with a combined capacity of 2.4GW, were commissioned between 1963 and 1972. Unit One was decommissioned in 2009. In 2017, Unit 12 was relabelled with a reworked net generation capacity of 204.9MW, reducing the total capacity to 2.2GW.
The plant connects the energy systems of the Urals and Siberian regions to the European part of Russia, and meets around 25% of the power requirements of Tatarstan and its capital city, Kazan.
In 2019, the plant generated around 6.76 billion kWh of electricity, with a specific equivalent fuel consumption of 359.7g/kWh. The plant also supplied 203,200 Gcal of heat energy, with a specific equivalent fuel consumption of 171.4kg/Gcal.
In December 2019, Russia’s Government Commission on Energy included the plant in a programme to modernise old thermal power plants, in order to improve its efficiency.
Details of the Zainskaya power plant
The Zainskaya CCPP project will replace the ageing steam generating units of the Zainskaya State District Power Plant, reducing harmful emissions and other environmental impacts. The plant will also reduce the price of energy for consumers in Tatarstan.
The Zainskaya power plant will comprise a General Electric (GE) 9HA.02 gas turbine, with an installed capacity of 577MW, and a GE STF-D650 steam turbine, with an installed capacity of 281MW.
The setup will also include a triple pressure booster compressor station with a gas purification unit, a reheat heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), as well as H78 and A78 generators for co-generation. The new equipment will have a net combined cycle efficiency of 64.7%, making the Zainskaya CCPP one of the most efficient power plants in Russia.
Contractors involved in the Zainskaya project
In July 2020, JSC Tatenergo awarded the design, construction and commissioning contract to Turkey-based engineering company ENKA. The contract also includes installation works, comprehensive tests, performance tests and the testing of power generation equipment.
In September 2020, US-based energy company GE was awarded the key equipment supply contract, which includes gas and steam turbines, a compressor station, the heat recovery steam generator and generator stations. Italian energy company Flenco was chosen by GE as the preferred partner to supply auxiliary systems for the project.
