1.7. Operations

Interview with
the Deputy
General Director
for Production
Igor V. Popov
10,472
mln kWh
Output of electricity generated by CCGT power units
50
RUB mln per year
Power Unit No. 7 of Shaturskaya GRES remarking effect


Please characterise the overall performance of power plants in the reference period.

Due to the commissioning of the new most efficient CCGT units in Russia, the output of electric power at steam power units is declining. This is reflected in the electric power mix produced by Unipro PJSC’s branches. While the output of electricity generated by CCGT power units is growing (from 9,933 mln kWh to 10,472 mln kWh), the output of steam power units has declined (from 38,310 mln kWh to 36,177 mln kWh).

Please tell us about the project to increase the installed capacity in 2018.

In early December 2018, the Company subjected Power Unit No.  7 of Shaturskaya GRES to certification testing. Following the tests, this power unit was subjected to remarking starting from 1 January 2019 involving the assignment of the new installed active capacity of 400 MW and generator capacity factor of 0.95 in the SO UES JSC register.

This remarking will enable the Company to secure a financial effect of around RUB 50 mln per year.

Please describe Unipro PJSC’s approach to maintenance management. What are the essential results of the 2018 maintenance campaign?

The Company is implementing a 6-year maintenance cycle for all power units and introduced a maintenance planning system based on the assessment of financial risks related to the emergency shut-down of equipment. When scheduling the maintenance periods and duration, the Company factors in the technical condition of the equipment, the need to perform mandatory activities required under the law, as well as the findings of the examination of shut-downs and incidents over the past periods.

The 2018 maintenance campaign proved quite intense. 8 power units were subjected to overhauls and intermediate maintenance, 17 more underwent current repairs of the main and auxiliary equipment. In the meantime, 5 turbine rotors and 3 SPU generator rotors were replaced or overhauled just following the fault detection.

PP Surgutskaya GRES-2 underwent a capital inspection of CCGT Unit No.  7 conducted by in-house personnel (the CSR). In addition to providing the CSR personnel with unparalleled experience of CCGT equipment maintenance, these activities ensured a decrease in the power unit operating costs by $720,000 per year or $2.2 mln for the period until 2024 (net of the escalation factor). Reduction of the forced unavailability factor from emergency shut-down of power units by 6% compared to 2017 was among the most important outcomes of the 2018 maintenance campaign.

The Company is planning to enter the market of energy services in Russia and the CIS. What kind of services are we talking about?

Unipro PJSC is building and proactively offering its own competences in the market in the following areas:

In 2018, the Company had its first experience in technical consulting by conducting a full-fledged energy audit of Kazakhmys power plants (Republic of Kazakhstan).

The Company used its experience, including with due regard for the analysed deficiencies and flaws, to develop special-purpose target programmes of technical expert review of production assets from the perspective of potential short-term (consulting) and medium-term (management) cooperation.

Please say a few words about the development prospects of the Company’s production activities in the medium and long terms.

The key development prospects of the Company’s production activities and, therefore, of the Company as a whole, concern improvements in the reliability and efficiency of equipment at our power plants. Our strategic objective is to take part in the selections to optimise our generating equipment portfolio through modernisation, including in-depth modernisation. All the power units of the Company, even the ones that enjoy little demand in the market from an economic standpoint, affect the reliability of the UES. This is why we look at their future with optimism in the context of modernisation.

1.7.1. Key performance indicators for 2018

Installed capacity

As of 1 January 2018, the installed capacity of the power plants of Unipro PJSC was 11,205.1 MW. During the reporting year, the total installed capacity increased by 23.4 MW and as of 31 December 2018 it amounted to 11,228.5 MW.

11,229 MW

installed capacity of Unipro PJSC power plants in 2018

The growth of installed capacity at the Company’s facilities was due to the re-certification of Power Unit No. 5 of the combined-cycle gas turbine plant (CCGT) of Yaivinskaya GRES since March 2018. In August-September 2017, the main inspection was carried out as to the gas turbine at this Power Unit, including the SP8 modernisation package. As a result of the gas turbine modernisation, its maximum capacity was set at 308 MW, and the total capacity of Power Unit No. 5 of the CCGT was increased from 424.6 MW to 448 MW.

Installed capacity, MW

Installed capacity utilisation factor, %



The Unipro PJSC capacity utilisation factor (CUF) indicating the actual utilisation of the power plant capacity remains high, and for 2018 amounted to 47.4%

Electric power generation

In 2018, Unipro PJSC power plants generated 46,649 mln kWh of electric power, which is by 3.3% (1.6 mln kWh) below 2017 output.

The main factors that influenced the change in electric power generation are the result of shutdowns of generating equipment to cold reserve in accordance with dispatching the System Operator of power units with steam power units (SPU) of Surgutskaya GRES-2 and Berezovskaya GRES.

46,649 mln kWh

electric power generated by Unipro PJSC power plants in 2018

Electric power generation (output), mln kWh

Net electric power output, mln kWh
2018
44,768
2017
46,347
2016
52,450

Structure of net electric power output, %

Heat power generation

The total volume of heat power output from Unipro PJSC headers in the reference period was 2,219 thousand GCal, which is 4.3% (92 thousand Gcal) higher than the result of 2017.

The increase in heat supply is determined by the decrease in the outdoor temperature during the heating period. The largest increase in heat supply occurred at Berezovskaya GRES (by 63 thousand Gcal or 9.7%), since the average outdoor temperature during the heating period decreased from –3.7°C in 2017 to –7.5°C in 2018.

2,219 thousand GCal

total volume of heat power output from Unipro PJSC headers in the reference period

The largest increase in heat supply occurred at Berezovskaya GRES

Heat power generation (output), thousand Gcal

Net heat power output, mln kWh
2018
1,861
2017
1,770
2016
1,751

Structure of net heat power output, %

1.7.2. Fuel mix structure

Unipro PJSC power plants use gas and coal as the main fuel. The main share of fuel in the Company's balance sheet is gas, the consumption of which in 2018 amounted to 86.3% of the total volume.

It is important to note that the fuel mix of Unipro PJSC is shifting towards greater gas consumption (+1.5% compared to 2017) and lower coal consumption (-1.6%). The use of fuel oil increased by 0.1% in comparison with 2017.

The plants can also use peat, which was not burned in the period between 2016 and 2018.

The major gas consumer is the mono-fuel Surgutskaya GRES-2 (74.1% of the total gas use).

Berezovskaya GRES uses lignite as primary fuel. The major share of coal is supplied to the power plant by the ground conveyor from Berezovsky-1coal pit located 14 km away from the branch. Coal consumption by Berezovskaya GRES was 3,541.1 thousand tonnes in 2018 (99.7% of the total coal use).

Shaturskaya GRES, Smolenskaya GRES and Yaivinskaya GRES can use various types of fuel for technological purposes. However, taking into account the prices over the last years, gas is the primary fuel for these branches. In 2018, its share in the fuel mix of Smolenskaya GRES was 99.79%, Shaturskaya GRES – 99.97% and Yaivinskaya GRES – 99.68%.

Following the results of 2018, Unipro PJSC spent a total of 10.3 bln cub m of gas, 3.6 mln tonnes of coal and 16.9 thousand tonnes of fuel oil for process purposes. The cost of fuel consumed by the branches of Unipro PJSC for the production of electricity and heat power was RUB 34.6 bln, net of VAT.

Fuel mix structure in 2018, %

The amount of fuel used by Unipro PJSC power plants in 2018

Branch

Fuel type

Volume, mln cbm or thousand tonnes

Volume, thousand tonnes of fuel equivalent

Berezovskaya GRES

Coal

3,541.14

1,881.49

Fuel oil

16.79

23.52

Smolenskaya GRES

Gas

459.92

532.14

Coal

1.83

1.09

Fuel oil

0.02

0.02

Surgutskaya GRES-2

Gas

7,651.45

8,824.24

Shaturskaya GRES

Gas

1,204.49

1,405.28

Coal

0.44

0.23

Fuel oil

0.12

0.16

Yaivinskaya GRES

Gas

1,004.60

1,229.61

Coal

6.71

3.90

Total at Unipro PJSC

Gas

10,320.45

11,991.27

Coal

3,550.12

1,886.70

Fuel oil

16.93

23.71

Key fuel suppliers

The main fuel supplier to the power plants of the Company in 2018 was the independent gas producer NOVATEK PJSC. Its share in the total fuel cost procured for Unipro PJSC power plants reached about 77.4%.

In addition, in 2018 the Company purchased gas from Rosneft Oil Company PJSC, Surgutneftegaz PJSC and Lukoil-Rezervnefteproduct-Trading LLC.

The key coal supplier of the Company is SUEK JSC, which suppliesd lignite to Berezovskaya GRES. In 2018, its share in the total fuel cost procured for Unipro PJSC power plants reached about 6.4%.





The fuel procurement strategy of Unipro PJSC is aimed at strengthening long-term relations with major resource suppliers, while keeping an optimal degree of diversification

Volume of all energy resources used in Unipro PJSC in 2018*

Energy resource type

Consumption volume in kind

Measurement unit

Consumption amount,
RUB thousand

Nuclear power

none

Heat power

102

thousand GCal

8,554.21

Electric power

99

mln kWh

22,092.26

Electromagnetic energy

none

Oil

none

Motor gasoline

425.76

tonnes

312,787.30

Diesel fuel

804.70

tonnes

Fuel oil

19.29

thousand tonnes

Natural gas

10,328.32

mln cub m

34,353,668.90

Coal

3,550.50

thousand tonnes

Oil shale

none

Peat

none

Common

none

1.7.3. Repairs

Maintenance in conjunction with timely and quality repairs of the generating equipment at the power plant ensure its reliable and safe operations and extend its service life.

In connection therewith, Unipro PJSC on an ongoing basis improves the quality of repairs, increases the reliability of equipment and contributes to the reduction of accidents. The Company drafts, approves and implements the repair programmes for main production facilities on an annual basis.

Unipro PJSC has implemented a six-year maintenance cycle for all power units, and introduced a system of maintenance planning based on the assessment of financial risks related to the emergency shutdown of equipment. This system of repair arrangements makes it possible to adapt repairs to the conditions for the Company’s activities in the competitive electricity market, reduce time and money spent on repairs and minimise the risk of emergency shutdowns of equipment during the overhaul period. This approach to planning helps to optimise shutdowns of power units to perform repairs and carry out works to extend the life of technical devices; perform repairs of equipment affecting load bearing, and also exposed to the greatest wear during operation.

Since 2018, all plants of the Company have expanded the list of contracts to be concluded with a three-year implementation period. This allows, firstly, to reduce the time for procurement procedures, which involve specialists from both the production and procurement departments; secondly, to carry out better planning; thirdly, the contracting organisation with which the contract is concluded for 3 years will create the material and technical base at the customer’s site, which, in turn, will reduce the time for the manufacture and supply of necessary equipment and materials; fourthly, the plant will obtain a contractor that is interested in quality work.

The schedule of repairs at Unipro PJSC branches is based on preliminary surveys of the technical state of production facilities, applicable regulations, as well as long-term experience in operating the equipment. The repair programme is created in an automated mode in the equipment maintenance and repair module (SAP ТОРО) taking into account the analysis of the full range of identified defects and the need to eliminate the root causes of their occurrence.

In accordance with the annual schedule of repairs, power units with a total capacity of 11,227.3 MW were repaired in 2018 (with scheduled work on the equipment of Power Unit No. 3), including overhaul — 2,296.9 MW, intermediate maintenance — 1,170 MW, and current repairs — 6,960.4 MW. Reconstruction works are underway at Power Unit No. 3 of Berezovskaya GRES to eliminate the consequences of the accident occurred in 2016 – 800 MW.

Unipro PJSC repair schedule structure in 2018, %

The total amount of repair works costs at Unipro PJSC power plants amounted to RUB 5.640 bln in 2018, including the current production — RUB 3.075 bln, and new production – RUB 2.565 bln. All the scheduled repairs have been made in full.

31% of repairs was done using the Company’s own resources, and 69% through contractors. The contractors were selected through tenders in order to ensure that contracted terms and conditions were most favourable for the Company.

5.640 RUB bln

total amount of repair works costs at Unipro PJSC power plants in 2018

Significant events related to repair works in 2018

During the repair campaign of the reference period, in addition to the typical scope of equipment repair, a number of significant works were performed.

31%

of repair works performed by own forces of the Company

At CCGT plants:





A planned examination of industrial safety of boiler inspection facilities and equipment life extension was carried out at all branches

At STU units:

Plans for 2019

For the next reference period, the overhaul, intermediate maintenance or current repairs of all the power units of the branches are scheduled according to the repairs schedule. Four chimneys will be repaired at Surgutskaya GRES-2, Yaivinskaya GRES, Shaturskaya GRES and Smolenskaya GRES.

At CCGT plants during the 2019 repair campaign, it is scheduled as follows:

At STU units:

1.7.4. Investment programme

Unipro PJSC investment activities are implemented based on economic feasibility of the projects, maintaining the Company’s competitiveness and equipment operational reliability.

Main areas of the investment activity:

Implementation of the investment programme in 2018

Construction of the Fuel Receiving Station at Berezovskaya GRES

The station is designed to receive coal from Berezovsky Open-Pit via the main conveyors and distribute it to the coal depot or to the power units of the power plant.

The currently functioning temporary fuel supply scheme has open areas, and the most critical elements operate without a backup and are technically obsolete. In this regard, there is a threat of disrupting the shipment of coal and, as a result, stopping the operation of the entire plant.

Fuel Receiving Station

The FRS building, elev. –1,000, conveyor equipment (1/2E)

Commissioning of the Fuel Receiving Station (FRS) will allow:

The Fuel Receiving Station has been under construction since 16 July 2012. At the end of 2018, 70% of the total scope of work was completed. The construction of the facility is expected to be completed 16 months after approval of the type of fire-retardant coating for the steel structures of the building and approval of key project parameters.

The following milestones of construction of the station were completed in 2018:

In the current implementation, work was carried out on the installation of air ducts and pipelines of the aspiration systems of the FRS building, steel structures of additional protection of bunkers, as well as the construction of safe passageways at elevation –1,000 of the FRS building. In addition, the comments on steel structures of the frame of the FRS building and the structures for protection against the deposits of coal dust are eliminated.

For 2019, it is planned to complete the installation of the aspiration system for the FRS building, as well as to inspect the technical condition of the FRS building structures and to determine the type of fire-retardant coating for steel structures. In addition, it is planned to approve further key project parameters and continue working on them.

Construction of the Dry Ash Removal System at Berezovskaya GRES

The hydraulic ash removal system operating at Berezovskaya GRES requires the construction of new sections for storing ash and slag waste every 3–4 years. This entails substantial capital costs for the purchase of land for the construction of sections, as well as increases the load on groundwater and the atmosphere of the region as a whole.

The project for the construction of a Dry Ash Removal System, developed and adopted in 2008, implies a transition to modern, environmentally friendly, technologically reliable and cost-efficient methods for collecting, transporting and storing ash and slag waste*.

In 2018, the Company signed an agreement with KOTES JSC on the development of a feasibility study of options for transporting ash to the ash dump, options for distributing ash on the ash dump areas, as well as on the analysis of the current project documentation for the construction of a Dry Ash Removal System.

The Board of Unipro PJSC approved the option of transporting ash to the ash dump, as well as the distribution of ash on the ash dump areas by motor transport.

In addition, the Board of Unipro PJSC made a decision to suspend the implementation of the project and to transfer funding for the following periods due to changes to key parameters of the project.

Refurbishment of Berezovskaya GRES
Power Unit No. 3

Due to the fire on 1 February 2016, an emergency stop of the plant boiler unit No.  3 occurred.

This caused serious damage to the supporting iron of the main building frame and to the boiler. Power Unit No.  3 was shut down for unscheduled repairs.

Immediately after the accident, a preliminary survey was carried out, which led to the conclusion that it was necessary to carry out major repairs.

As part of the overhaul of Power Unit No.  3 in 2018 the following measures were implemented:

  • dismantling of boiler components and auxiliary equipment was completed;
  • the main building frame was restored in full with the start-up of KM-100 bridge cranes with a lifting capacity of 100 tonnes according to the design scheme;
  • the thermal contour of the boiler room of Power Unit No.  3 was closed;
  • all damaged ridge beams of the boiler were replaced;
  • installation in the pre-design position of the shields and heating surfaces of the right convective shaft of the boiler was completed, their installation in the design position has been started;
  • installation of the boiler furnace shields in the pre-design position has been started;
  • elements of the left convective shaft of the boiler were repaired and installed in the design position;
  • installation of boiler auxiliary equipment, pipelines and PC-gas-air-ducts was performed;
  • work was carried out on the installation of cable steel structures and laying of cable products;
  • work was organised on the application of thermal insulation on the elements of the boiler, boiler auxiliary equipment and PC-gas-air-ducts;
  • work on the restoration of the fire-retardant coating of steel structures of the frame in the boiler cell of Power Unit No.  3 has been started;
  • upon completion of the restoration of the frame and closing the thermal contour of the main building, KROLL K800 tower crane and Liebherr LR-11350 crane were dismantled.

Under the contract with ZiO JSC more than 95% of boiler elements was supplied (completion of the remaining scope of supply is expected during the 1st quarter of 2019).

The contractor, KOTES JSC, developed a project for commissioning with relevant documentation, as well as carried out control and acceptance of the completed installation prior to individual equipment testing.

The general designer Zarubezhenergoproekt JSC also corrected the design overhaul documentation in accordance with the Accident Cause Investigation Report signed on 25 April 2018 by the commission chaired by Yenisei Rostechnadzor Department.

The completion of repairs and commercial commissioning of Power Unit No. 3 is scheduled in the 4th quarter of 2019.

Retooling and modernisation of the existing operating facilities

The results of the retooling and modernisation programme (R&M) in 2018 are due to the forwarding of investment projects on the fire-retardant treatment of steel structures of the main building facilities to the next year (in connection with conducting flame retardant testing procedures in 2018 in order to select the best option), as well as the actual work progress under the Safe. ON programme for 2019–2021.



Implementation of the R&M programme in 2018

Branch

R&M progress, %

Smolenskaya GRES

151

Berezovskaya GRES

94

Yaivinskaya GRES

102

Shaturskaya GRES

94

Surgutskaya GRES-2

53

Total at Unipro PJSC

76

R&M milestones

Branch

Measures

Berezovskaya GRES

Modernisation of the excitation system of the turbogenerator of Power Unit No. 2

Modernisation of heat networks, including the replacement of pipelines and fittings

Modernisation of the control system of the hardware and software complex of the DCS at Power Unit No. 2

Surgutskaya GRES‑2

Technical refurbishment of the plant-wide compressor station

Reconstruction of a 6 kV switchgear with the replacement of circuit breakers of Power Unit No. 3

Modernisation of DCS software and hardware systems of the heat network and general plant equipment

Yaivinskaya GRES

Modernisation of AIS-110kV, including the replacement of an air switch with a gas-insulated switch

Modernisation of gas ducts of TP-94 boiler at Power Unit No. 4

Modernisation of boiler units, including the installation of a plant-wide steam collector from PRDS

Shaturskaya GRES

Technical refurbishment of 4T and 26T power transformers of Power Unit No. 4

Technical refurbishment of heating networks

Technical refurbishment of 220 kV switches, including the replacement of arc-suppressing chambers

Modernisation of monitoring and control systems of Power Units No. 4, 5

Smolenskaya GRES

Modernisation of TGB-200MUZ turbogenerator of Power Unit No. 1

Restoration of the operational life of high-pressure rotor of the turbine unit

Technical refurbishment of the heating network, including the replacement of pipelines

Installation of local stability control schemes

Anton Semenov

Lead Engineer for Production Management, Surgutskaya GRES-2

In April, our branch launched a project with the aim of developing, implementing, and supporting initiatives to achieve operational excellence.

A dedicated team was set up to implement the project which is comprised of both line employees and management personnel, including the plant Director and the Chief Engineer. Representatives of the youth association are heavily involved in the project.

We are already seeing results. Over the course of 11 months, we managed to pool over 200 ideas, which ranged from very simple and clear-cut proposals to improve individual business processes to sophisticated engineering solutions, for instance the revision of the maintenance and repair strategy.

I proposed to change the sealing technology for DRKO/DRTO pumps in order to extent their repair intervals. The idea is to rule out the possibility of leaks through the seals of SD 32/40 pump shafts, which will in turn solve the problem with the essential defect these pumps have — disintegration of rolling bearings in the bearing assembly. After we solved this problem, we extended the service life of bearings and improved the operational stability of pumps (no flow breakdowns).

Capital investments

In 2018, the Company’s capital investments in the implementation of the investment and repair programme amounted to more than RUB 20.6 bln, including in the following areas:

  • retooling and modernisation — 10%;
  • new construction — 9%;
  • repair and refurbishment of Power Unit No. 3 at Berezovskaya GRES — 58%;
  • capitalised repairs  — 23%.
20.6 RUB bln

made capital investments of the Company in the framework of the investment programme and repair work in 2018