”The inauguration of the new unit is a significant event for us and another step forward in Russia’s power market. Implementation of our investment programme plays a key role as we create solid earnings growth and improve energy efficiency in Russia,” President and CEO Tapio Kuula said today in Chelyabinsk. ”Sustainable solutions are at the heart of Fortum's strategy. The energy-efficiency of our new unit at Chelyabinsk CHP-3 is top-notch and its commissioning reduces carbon-dioxide emissions in the region by approximately 800 000 tonnes until 2012,” Mr. Kuula continued.
Chelyabinsk CHP-3’s new unit is the region’s first modern natural gas-fired combined-cycle gas plant producing electricity with gas and steam turbines. Its combined-cycle gas turbine technology represents the best available technology in gas-fired power production. The unit’s fuel consumption is 20 per cent lower than that of existing gas-fired units in Russia, and its efficiency in CHP production increases to 77 per cent. The new unit's electricity production capacity is 226 megawatts (MW) and heat production capacity 142 MW. The commissioning increases the entire power plant’s electricity production capacity to 586 MW and heat production capacity to 1,411 MW.
Fortum’s subsidiary in Russia, OAO Fortum, has committed to implementing an investment programme that will increase its electricity production capacity from the current approximately 2,800 MW to about 5,100 MW. The investment programme consists of eight units, which Fortum plans to commission by the end of 2014. In addition to the two units already commissioned this year in Tyumen and Chelyabinsk, the Tobolsk power plant’s new 200-MW unit will be completed this autumn. Fortum is also constructing a completely new power plant in Nyagan in the North Urals region. The plant will have three natural gas-fired 418-MW electricity production units. The first of them will be commissioned in 2012.
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Additional information:
Sophie Jolly, Vice President, Investor Relations, Fortum, tel. +358 (0)40 8287317
About the Chelyabinsk region
The Chelyabinsk region is located on the east side of the Ural Mountains in West Siberia. The region is known for its metallurgy industry, and it has a population of more than 3.6 million people. Fortum has five combined heat and power plants in the Chelyabinsk region, four of them are in the city of Chelyabinsk and one in the nearby city of Argayash.
About the Chelyabinsk CHP-3 power plant
Chelyabinsk CHP-3 is the newest power plant in the Chelyabinsk region. Its first production unit (180 MW) was commissioned in 1996 and the second (180 MW) in late 2006. The production capacity of the natural gas-fired power plant is 586 MW electricity and 1,411 MW heat.
Fortum in brief
Fortum’s purpose is to create energy that improves life for present and future generations. We provide sustainable solutions that fulfil the needs for low emissions, resource efficiency and energy security, and deliver excellent value to our shareholders. Our activities cover the generation, distribution and sale of electricity and heat as well as expert services for the energy industry.
Fortum’s operations focus on the Nordic countries, Russia and the Baltic Rim area. Europe’s integrating energy markets and the rapidly growing Asian energy markets also offer growth opportunities in the future. In 2010 Fortum’s sales totalled EUR 6.3 billion and comparable operating profit was EUR 1.8 billion. The Group employs approximately 10,500 people. Fortum's shares are quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki.