OREANDA-NEWS. June 20, 2011. IES-Holding's Businesses have successfully completed the 2010-2011 autumn-winter period and started preparations for the next heating season. The company plans to invest RUB 17.9 billion in its repair, technical upgrade and re-equipment program.

"The companies of IES-Holding have in general completed the autumn-winter period without major accidents or faults. By results of 2010 investments in current repairs and overhauls, upgrade and re-equipment in IES totaled RUB15.2 billion. In 2011 focus will again be on heat network upgrade", Andrey Vagner, First Deputy General Director, CJSC IES, told reporters.

The repair effort will include planned relaying of heat pipelines with a total length of 289 kilometers. Heat network investments will also increase. As compared to 2010, they will grow by almost a quarter and reach RUB 5.4 billion. Plans for 2011 also provide for major and medium overhauls of 54 turbines with an aggregate capacity of some 3,400 MW and 100 energy boilers with a steam capacity of 25,500 tons per hour.

The company will continue introducing modern innovative technologies in generating companies and heat networks. For example, it plans to upgrade feeder pumps of two power plants using advanced energy saving technologies imported to Russia by the Swiss-based Sulzer. This upgrade program will enable the company to optimize the pumps' hydraulic performance, to improve their reliability and to raise their efficiency factor from 74% to 82%. Other major projects include upgrades of T-100-130 turbine No.4 at VAZ CHPP with replacement of a high-pressure cylinder that has completed its economic life. This project will not only improve the reliability of equipment operation, but also add 8 MW to electric capacity.

Heat network overhauls and upgrades works are being done with the use of modern insulation materials such as Isoproflex, K-FLEX, flexible foam and some others, ensuring optimal thermal insulation performance and longer pipe endurance. The upgraded pipelines are equipped with remote monitoring systems.