Manufacturing Journal Corporate Profiles
Turboatom was founded in 1934, today it is one of the largest producers of turbines for power industry. The company specializes in the production of steam turbines for Thermal Power Plants, Nuclear Power Plants, as well as hydro turbines...
for Hydro Power Plants and Hydroelectric Pumped Storage Power Plants. The company also manufactures gas turbines and other power equipment. This report is based on the Exclusive Interview for Manufacturing Journal with Turboatom’s General Director, Victor Subbotin.
History
Kharkov Turbine-Generator Plant (KTGZ) was put into operation on 21 January 1934, its construction lasted for about three and a half years. It is an important date in the chronicles of the company, from this point of time a countdown of the glorious victories of the Kharkov turbine constructors began. Already in 1935 the first steam turbine with the capacity of 50 MW along with generator was built, and very soon – on 26 July 1938 a steam turbine with the generator and the capacity of 100 MW. It was the most powerful turbine at that time. During the World War II, on the territory liberated from Nazis, power facilities were completely destroyed. New turbines, generators and spare parts were urgently needed in order to restore power plants. Therefore, restoration of the Kharkov Turbine-Generator Plant (KTGZ) gained primary economic importance. The plant-giant had to be literally lifted out from the ruins. In 1946 Zuevska Thermal Power Station (Zuevska TES) a turbine with the capacity of 100 thousand kW, length of 12m, height of 8.5m, total weight of 485 tons and demand for pair of 450 tons per hour, was put into operation. To operate, it needed 70 cars of coal to be burnt a day. At that time, there were only a few such giant turbines in the world. This turbine was made faster than others, less powerful turbines, manufactured earlier. In a relatively short period (1955-1958) steam turbines of 100 and 150 MW were manufactured. Subsequently, between 1960 and 1965, steam turbines with increased steam parameters and the capacity of 300 MW were manufactured for Pridnieprovskaya, Kryvorozhskaya, Zaporozhskaya, Ladyzhinskaya, and Tripolskaya TES (Ukraine), as well as for Troitskaya, Reftinskaya, Nazarovskaya (Russia) and other State District Power Plants (GRES). In 70’s new horizons opened before Turboatom – nuclear engineering and manufacture of turbines for nuclear power plants began. From 1980 up until 1989, 23 turbines with the capacity of 1 and 1.1 million kW wee built. By the end of the 20th century Turboatom created 17 standard sizes and modifications of turbines for nuclear power plants with unit capacity of 30-1100 thousand kW, designed for work with reactors of different construction. In 1991 the company signed an agreement to supply three turbines of 325 MW for Hydro Power Plants Aguamilpa (Mexico) and three years later the first turbine was put into operation. Between 1990 and 2010 Turboatom supplied its equipment to Romania, Lithuania, Azerbaijan, China, Mexico, Argentina, Germany, Switzerland, United States, Finland, Tajikistan and other countries. On 21 December 2011 the company concluded the largest contract over last 25 years. The company will develop and supply a steam turbine with the capacity of 1,100 MW with a capacitor for the block No. 4 of the Rostov Nuclear Power Plant (Russia).
Strategic potential and principles
Production potential and scientific-experimental base of Turboatom in terms of the level of equipment is among the best in Europe- it enables to manufacture turbines that comply with the world level. Turboatom became one of the world’s largest turbine-building enterprises engaged in a full production cycle: design, manufacture, supply, commissioning and maintenance of corporate turbine equipment for all types of power plants.
The management of the company pays much attention to the plant’s re-equipment. For example, Turboatom is the first company in Ukraine among engineering and metallurgical plants which revolutionized foundry by completely replacing old molding equipment with a new one from Italy. For example, Turboatom is the first company in Ukraine among engineering and metallurgical plants which revolutionized foundry by completely replacing old molding equipment with a new one from Italy. New Czech furnaces for heat treatment were also acquired and by the end of the year, a new shotblasting chamber and steelmaking furnace will be launched.
Turboatom spent about two million euro on the foundry restoration. The company is regularly updating its machine tools. More than 25 years ago Turboatom purchased machining center |(turn-milling center) from a German company Waldrich Coburg. Last year Turboatom signed a contract for the repair and modernization of this center in Germany. At present the company installs equipment, and commissioning of the machine is planned for the nearest future. The total worth of the contract is 2.5 million euro. The strategic potential of the company lays in a three-pronged component. First of all, it is a technology of design, manufacture and installation of equipment. The company’s construction projects meet advanced needs and requirements of the ordering parties. The next component are human resources and the school of turbine manufacturing formed many decades ago. Turboatom has saved it and endured the continuity of generations. Thus, out of 5,200 people – 500 work as construction engineers and 250 - as production workers. Today the company is working on a succession of personnel, by employing young people, the best graduates of institutes and colleges that can master the profession of a turbine-manufacturer, gaining experience from the professionals. To enable this, Turboatom set up training programs and equipped classrooms for the purpose of trainings. It also assures continuous development of qualifications for its employees. The company has developed and implemented motivational remuneration system. There is a yearly bonus. The third component is based on social programs enabling to develop a team working for a common cause, a group of associates. Turboatom has its own health-care part, 8 dining rooms and 6 canteens, a fitness base “Blue Bay”, sports complex “Turbinist”, dormitories, corporate newspaper and radio, veteran’s organization, and the club of self-activity. This year, clubs of cheerful and resourceful were also opened. Following these principles, the company managed to achieve the most important thing – the trust of customers in 46 countries where its equipment is operating.
Production
Turbines manufactured by Turboatom successfully operate on four continents. More than 400 steam turbines with total capacity of over 60 million kW were produced for Thermal Power Plants (TES). For 24 Nuclear Power Plants (AES) the company manufactured 169 turbines with total capacity of 60 million kW. 100 Hydroelectric Power Plants (GES) on four continents were supplied with over 400 turbines with total capacity of approximately 32 million kW, and 450 trap primers for GES and pumping stations. High quality of products released by the company in the long-term period has been proved by the international certification of conformity with the quality management system ISO-9001. Turboatom manufactures condensing and cogeneration steam turbines for TES with the capacity up to 660 MW, steam turbines for AES with the capacity of 200-1200 MW, gas turbines with the capacity of 45 and 115 MW and combined-cycle plants on their base, various types of hydraulic turbines up to 615 MW for GES and reversible hydraulic machines with the capacity of 40-400 MW for pumped storage power stations, hydraulic disc and ball valves, hydraulic turbines for micro, mini and small GES with the capacity of 5-25 kW as well as heat exchangers. Turboatom is actively upgrading and introducing advanced technological processes. Together with the E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute, the company is working on the introduction of laser welding in the manufacture of large parts of rotors for steam turbines.
Competitors
There are only about 10 large companies in the world, analogical to Turboatom. These are – Russian “Power Machines”, French Alstom, German Siemens as well as Japanese, Indian and Chinese companies. The company exports up to 85 percent of its production, a half of it to Russia. According to the company’s General Director, Victor Subbotin, it is too early to talk about the decline of the nuclear turbine manufacture. “Of course, a serious decline occurred after the accident at Chernobyl in 1986, a moratorium on construction of AES was introduced. But in the mid 90s of XX century it was withdrawn and we have seen a renaissance of nuclear power industry. Of course, the events at Fukushima (Japan) resulted in the desire of some countries to moove away from nuclear generation, but we believe that there is no alternative. Objectively speaking, nuclear power is the most promising and in-demand. I think that more strict requirements will be implemented for security measures” – said Victor Subbotin.
Plans for the nearest future
Among the company’s new projects, there is modernization of turbine K-225 replacing K-200. Earlier this equipment was manufactured by Leningrad Metal Plant, Russia. Reconstructing these turbines, Turboatom offered increase of power, efficiency, reliability, durability and installation of equipment on the existing foundation block without changing the design. This project had already been successfully implemented at five stations in Ukraine. The next step will be the turbine K-600 replacing K-500-240. Its capacity was increased from 500 to 600 MW. The company also resumed production of turbines with the capacity of 1 million kW and increased capacity of 1,100, 1,200 and even 1,500 MW, thus opening up new possibilities in the field of modernization of power generating equipment that is exhausting its resources. Turboatom also plans to continue developing and designing hydro power equipment. Today, the company’s portfolio of orders is formed for several years in advance. Turboatom is working on the contracts of the Novosybirskaya GES (Russia), Ekibastuzskaya GRES (Kazakhstan), Dniepro-GES2 (Ukraine), the largest pumped storage in Ukraine and Europe – Dniester GAES, as well as the modernization of Ukraine’s TESs and AESs in Russia. Currently, the company has talks to supply equipment to Turkmenistan, Ethiopia, Peru and India. The company will, of course, not rest on laurels, it will continue to develop new markets, to maintain the positive dynamics of production and financial performance and to represent Ukraine in the international power engineering.
