The leadership of Tatarstan is considering all options to continue the modernization of the Zainskaya GRES power plant after the impossibility of supplying American turbines in connection with the sanctions imposed against Russia. This was reported by Liliya Galimova, head of the press service of the President of Tatarstan, during a briefing on Thursday.
"The republic is the initiator of this project, and you should have no doubt that this project is under the special control of the president [of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov], and work is now under his guidance, all different options for the development of this project are now being considered," Galimova said.
Earlier, Alexei Maslov, head of Inter RAO's Strategy and Investment Unit, said at a meeting of the State Duma's Energy Committee dedicated to discussing Russia's energy strategy until 2050 that the Zainskaya GRES modernization project in Tatarstan is at risk of being terminated due to the inability to resolve the issue of turbine import substitution.
"The work [on modernization] is being done, it was done before, but due to the current situation it requires adjustments. In general, the task is to carry out the modernization, and it is a vital facility," Galimova concluded.
Modernization of the GRES
Construction of the new power unit at Zainskaya GRES started in September 2020. A memorial sign commemorating the start of construction as part of the large-scale modernization of Russia's thermal power grid was opened by Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak and Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov.
In December 2019, the Russian government commission for energy included Zainskaya GRES in the program of modernization of old thermal power plants with entry into the market in 2025. In June 2020, the Turkish company Enka won the right to conclude a contract for the modernization of Zainskaya GRES based on the bidding results. The marginal cost of the contract is 37.47 billion rubles, including VAT.
Zainskaya GRES is the largest thermal condensing power plant of the Republic of Tatarstan, located in the city of Zainsk. The GRES supplies electric power to Kazan and oil fields of Tatarstan.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Tatenergo
Based on materials from TASS