The plant is intended to produce heat and electricity with capacity over 40 Gcalh and 60 MW respectively. The commissioning of the unit will comprise two stages. The first stage stipulates commissioning of a unit with 40 MW capacity. This will increase electric power efficiency factor from 31 to 43 percent. Commissioning of the first PGU stage is scheduled for 2002 in the first quarter. AO MOSENERGO plans to commission the second stage in the first quarter of 2003, which will increase capacity to 60 MW and electric power production efficiency factor to 52 percent. Cost value of the electricity will be 30 percent lower than that of electric power produced by a steam-turbine unit. Moreover, PGU MES-60 combined with a heat pump will allow for the increase of fuel energy usage ratio to 95 percent. As for ecological parameters, due to steam injection, pollutant emissions will be half as much as those allowed by ecological standards.

AO MOSENERGO and Russian enterprise MMPP Salut, which operates as a prime contractor to install steam-gas turbine equipment, are financing the project. The project is now in the contract-signing stage. As stipulated by the agreement, each of the participants-AO MOSENERGO and enterprise Salut-will pay half of all project costs.

"We are proud to be introducing this up-to-date plant in Russia, since the US have only recently begun to use such equipment. SPP-28 has the necessary infrastructure and conditions to accommodate and operate the unit. Furthermore, the team of employees will undergo training to successfully work at PGU MES-60," deputy director of SPP-28, Y.N. Sokolov said today.