Power Machines manufactured the first russian low-speed turbine for nuclear power plants

Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod (LMZ) has successfully completed testing for the prototype of a domestic low-speed turbine with a capacity of 1255 MW. Assimilating this technology has caused LMZ to become the only enterprise in the world that today manufactures powerful steam turbines in both high-speed and low-speed versions.

The correct assembly and accuracy of the alignments for all turbine wheel space components have been verified during tests for the steam turbine at the LMZ test bench by rotating the barring gear. The tests were overseen by customer representatives. 

Based on the experience of creating powerful high-speed steam turbines and advanced scientific achievements, Power machines has been managing a project for the development and manufacture of a low-speed turbine plant with a capacity of 1255 MW for several years. The company has consistently implemented a set of research and development efforts, experimental testing for new units on bench-scale and full-scale test units, and pre-production engineering. 

To produce innovative equipment, Power machines has built and commissioned a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to produce power equipment with a capacity of 500 MW, including low-speed turbine units for nuclear power plants with a capacity of more than 1200 MW with the possibility of expanding the product line to a capacity of 1800 MW. Investments in the construction and equipment of the complex amounted to about 7 billion rubles. 

The new generation low-speed turbine with a capacity of 1255 MW was designed and developed by employees of the special design bureau Turbina at LMZ that considered the requirements of the innovative VVER-TOI* project. Today, it is considered one of the most promising in the world – the characteristics of the main assemblies will allow future machine creation based on this, the use of which will be possible in a turbine plant with a unit capacity within a range of 1600-1800 MW. 

Previously, the LMZ product line for nuclear power plants was represented exclusively by high-speed turbines with a maximum capacity of 1200 MW. 

- Manufacturing the prototype of a low-speed high-power turbine is the most important innovative project for the Russian power industry as a whole, which allows JSC “Power machines” to enter the market for low-speed high-power turbines and compete in this segment with international power engineering companies. The current national policy for development in the nuclear industry has created comprehensive conditions for the development of a new technology for the Russian market for producing low-speed turbine plants and the import substitution of high-tech equipment,” said Anton Viktorov, Head of the Nuclear Power Division of “Power machines”. 

*VVER-TOI is a generation III+ universal project of a two-unit NPP optimized in terms of technical and economic indicators with reactor plants built according to VVER technology (Water-Water Energetic Reactor), developed in an advanced information technology design environment.