New generation for BAM and Transsib to be built by Inter RAO by 2028

The Government Energy Commission decided to appoint “Inter RAO» an organization that will implement a project for the construction of a thermal power plant to supply power to the Bodaibo district of the Irkutsk region. This power plant is needed, among other things, to expand the Eastern test site Russian Railways (BAM and Transsib). This was reported to Vedomosti by a representative of Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who oversees the fuel and energy complex. The power of the thermal power plant will be from 445 to 550 MW, the interlocutor specified.

On August 2, the government press service reported that following a meeting of the government commission, technical requirements for the construction of a new power plant were determined. The release noted that it will be built “mainly using domestic equipment”, it should be put into operation in 2028.

The tender for the construction of the power plant was planned to be held last year, but it was postponed and took place from February 28 to March 1, 2022. Then the tender did not take place due to the lack of applications, the UES System Operator (the Russian energy system dispatcher) reported. Its terms provided for the construction of a thermal power plant for 450–500 MW or a hydroelectric power plant for 450 MW. The commissioning of capacities was planned for July 2027.

The power plant is needed to “cover the projected power shortage” in the Bodaibo district, Novak’s spokesman says. As Vedomosti wrote, in addition to expanding BAM, gold mining Polyus with the Sukhoi Log project in the Bodaibo region and the Irkutsk Oil Company (INC), which is implementing a gas project worth 450 billion rubles in the region, may also need new energy capacities. on the basis of the Yarakta and Markovskoye fields.

Initially, it was about holding a technologically neutral tender for the construction of 456 MW for the Bodaibo region. That is, an investor could enter it with any technology, including renewable energy sources, hydroelectric power plants, or laying new energy networks from existing generation. In addition to “Inter RAO» with a gas-fired power plant, En+ showed interest in participating in the tender with the project to build the Telmamskaya HPP on the Mamakan River with a capacity of 450 MW (the cost was estimated at $1.1-1.2 billion) and SUEK from a coal-fired power plant.

Also, the project could take part “Rosatom” with a small nuclear power plant with a total capacity of 495 MW and “T plus” with thermal power plants on gas turbines GTE-170 of Power Machines with a capacity of 480 MW or on steam turbines of the Ural Turbine Plant (UTZ) with a capacity of 450 MW, follows from the presentation for the meeting of the government commission, with which Vedomosti got acquainted with.

But the Ministry of Energy proposed to set the condition for the construction of Bodaibo specifically for thermal generation, refusing to build a hydroelectric power station as a more technically complex project with a long implementation time (Vedomosti wrote about this on October 22, 2021). A source familiar with the course of the discussions then told Vedomosti that the conditions were actually developed for the SUEK project.

But during the discussion, the situation changed, says another source. “Inter RAO”, According to him, she asked substantive questions regarding the timing and technical parameters of the TPP, which the Ministry of Energy could not answer. “Inter RAO” was chosen “taking into account the high degree of readiness of the company to implement the project for the construction of a general facility,” Novak’s office says. Under the Inter RAO project, a preliminary feasibility study was carried out, budgetary TCHs were received for the supply of equipment, gas and logistics, follows from the documents to the government commission.

The company is ready to implement one of three options: to build a TPP with a capacity of 480 MW on turbines 6F.03 “Russian gas turbines” (RGT, a joint venture “Inter RAOand GE), a 460 MW power plant powered by GTE-170 turbines of Power Machines and a 550 MW TPP powered by MGT-70 turbines from the Iranian company Mapna. The Inter RAO facility is ready to be put into operation on July 1, 2028. The site for construction has not yet been selected: the facility may be located in the Irkutsk region, in Yakutia or Buryatia. The construction of the TPP will be paid off through the mechanism of obligatory payments by consumers of the wholesale energy market.

Previously, expertsVTB capital” estimated the capital costs for the construction of a 450 MW thermal power plant at 60–65 billion rubles. But now, according to the estimates of the managing director of the NRA rating service, Sergey Grishunin, they will grow by 20-30% and amount to about 72-85 billion rubles. “Many foreign components of turbines and equipment will now have to be purchased through intermediaries (due to sanctions. – Vedomosti) with margins or made independently,” he explains. According to his estimates, annual payments from the energy market in favor of the new TPP will amount to 17–21 billion rubles.

“Destination”Inter RAO» [инвестором] in a situation of a near-mobilization economy, it is logical, since the state-owned company is instructed to quickly implement an important infrastructure project,” says Grishunin. He adds that turbines for thermal power plants will probably be domestic: either from the United Engine Corporation Rostec (GTE-110 model), or GTE-170 or GTE-65 from Power Machines.

Independent energy expert Yuri Melnikov notes that appointing a construction contractor in Bodaibo “Inter RAO” without a tender made sense only if the company has a “firm agreement on the supply of 6F.03 turbines and their subsequent service with RGT”. Then the company, in his opinion, could repeat the project of the Pregolskaya TPP (Kaliningrad region) “adjusted for the region and the change of suppliers of the equipment falling out due to restrictions.” “If there are no such guarantees on the part of the RTG, then the advantages”Inter RAO“to competitors are not entirely obvious,” he adds.

Valery Dzyubenko, deputy director of the Community of Energy Consumers (lobby of large industrial enterprises), adds that since the contractor was chosen without a competition, “the profitability of the project can be significantly reduced or canceled,” since the company will actually receive a new asset with an accelerated payback for free. “Since no price limits have been set, it is necessary to exclude the overestimation of the project cost through a public independent technological and price audit,” he adds.

Vedomosti sent a request to Inter RAO.