Siemens' Energy Day: from small turbines to smart technologies

From small power units to turnkey solutions

The seminar Siemens' Energy Day has been recently held in Kazan Riviera, it was organized by the Russian division of the concern. Experts from Tatarstan and other nearby regions of the federal district gathered to discuss the problems of the energy industry, to discuss tasks, exchange experience and learn about effective technical solutions. Among the participants there were representatives of the key enterprises of the republic — TGC-16, Grid Company, Tatenergo, Kazanorgsintez, Nizhnekamskneftekhim, Tatneft. In total, the event was attended by more than 100 people. Among the speakers there were representatives and partners of Siemens.

''Siemens regularly holds such events,'' director of the company Siemens in the Volga Federal District Shamil Fayzrakhmanov told Realnoe Vremya. ''However, the conference on gas turbines is held in our region for the first time. Thus, we want to be closer to clients,'' he specified. According to Fayzrakhmanov, the organizers presented all the energy areas of the company, including the main one — the production and supply of electricity.

''The conference on gas turbines is held in our region for the first time,'' Shamil Fayzrakhmanov told

The seminar was divided into several blocks. In the first part ''Generation and maintenance of power equipment'', the speakers told the participants about the steam and gas turbines, which are now produced and supplied by the German concern, as well as about the gas reciprocating unitsof Siemens.

For example, today in the world there are 6,750 Siemens gas turbines of various capacities. In the arsenal of the company there are very small units, ranging from 6 MW, and also giants such as turbine of H class, the capacity of which is higher than 400 MW. The German company will provide Tatarstan petrochemical giant Nizhnekamskneftekhim with one of these power units. The power plant with a capacity of 495 MW will provide electricity to all enterprises of the city-forming company. They will install the equipment that will minimize emissions into the atmosphere, which will favourably affect the environmental situation of Nizhnekamsk.

In the first part, the speakers told about the steam and gas turbines, as well as about gas reciprocating units

Representative of the Tatarstan company KER-Generation Radik Vaziev told about the experience of implementing gas units of small capacity. The company installed a unit with a capacity of 20 MW at the site of Yelabuga PTS. The mini-thermal power plant will operate in a combined cycle, that is, to give out thermal and electrical energy. The main equipment consists of four gas turbine units with a unit capacity of 5,6 MW and four hot water waste-heat boilers. According to the speaker, this decision will save power generation, restrain the growth of tariffs for heat for the population and improve the reliability of energy supply. The company also plans to implement such project in Zelenodolsk.

''The power unit is not just a metal, but a complex system''

Siemens not only produces and supplies turbines to enterprises, but also offers turnkey solutions.

''We see an open market in Russia, where there is really a need for such solutions. Therefore, Siemens is actively localizing production. In St. Petersburg, we have opened a cluster for the production of power equipment, where we are gradually localizing the production of gas turbines of high power. In September, it was opened the service department for repair and restoration of the blades, and now with extended offer we are entering the market of energy of the Russian Federation,'' Shamil Fayzrakhmanov explained in the conversation.

Representative of the partner company Independent EnergoServis Sergey Kuzin told about gas reciprocating unit of the German company. He noted that gas reciprocating power plants are produced in Spain, the resource of one such unit is 60,000 moto hours.

''The enterprise needs to think of such power station in several cases: if the price for electric power is too high, shortage of capacities is felt, the electric power is of bad quality or there are interruptions with power supply,'' the speaker reported to the audience. He also noted that today Siemens GPU is quite common among mining farms. However, mostly Moscow ones, but representatives of mining farms from Tatarstan have not addressed them yet.

Participants of the seminar could get acquainted with the internal structure of the turbines in 3D and virtually inspect the power plant and equipment

Digitalization takes a special place in the work of Siemens. One of the presentations of the seminar was devoted to the integrated approach of the German concern to the implementation of this direction at all stages of the life cycle of the company's products and business development of the concern as a whole. Each power unit is not just a turbine made of metal, but also a very complex automation system, it should work without human intervention, experts of the company believe. Such systems are now produced in Podolsk, St. Petersburg and Moscow.

''In Europe, Siemens is one of the founders of the development of the system Industry 4.0,'' said the head of the company's branch in the Volga Federal District. In support of the concern's position in the field of digitalization, Fayzrakhmanov also demonstrated interactive stands where the participants of the seminar could get acquainted with the internal structure of turbines in 3D and virtually inspect the power plant and equipment. ''Siemens offers the customers digital twin models that help to optimize the production processes of the client's enterprise, thereby increasing its efficiency and profitability,'' Shamil Fayzrakhmanov explained.

In the end, the participants discussed the results of the sessions, asked questions and exchanged contacts

The second block of the seminar was devoted to electrical distribution equipment, which allows generating facilities to supply electricity directly to the consumer. In the end, the participants discussed the results of the sessions, asked questions and exchanged contacts.