Last week the Finnish delegation headed by the president of the company "Teollisuuden Voima Oy" Mauno Paavola and the representative of the industrial group "Fortum" (Fortum, Power and Heat) Yussi Helske paid a visit to the power machine building enterprises of St. Petersburg, that comprise the Power Machines Group.

The Finnish representatives in St. Petersburg were welcomed by the Russian delegation. The Russian side was represented by: General Director of the JSC "Atomstroiexport" Viktor Kozlov, General Director of the "Power Machines Group" Evgeny Yakovlev, General Director of the FGUP "Atomenergoproject" Viktor Shevtchenko, General Director of the JSC "Electrosila" Ravil Urusov, General Director of the JSC "Turbine Blades Plant" Aleksandr Balashov and others.

The Finnish representatives appreciated the high technical level of production facilities and high tempo of innovation development of the plants, comprising the Power Machines Group.

It is worth noting that on 24 May 2002, the Finnish parliament voted for construction of the fifth power unit of the atomic power plant. The project will be taken up by the Finnish company "Teollisuuden Voima Oy", the key owners of which are the industrial groups "Fortum" and "Voima Oy" – the biggest power producing companies. The tender for construction of the plant is supposed to take place in autumn this year. The estimated cost of the project is 1,7 milliard EURO, 50% of the total cost falls on the equipment.

General Director of the "Power Machines Group" Evgeny Yakovlev confirmed that the enterprises comprising the Power Machines Group are willing to take part in the tender for supply of the equipment for the Finnish APP. According to Mr. Yakovlev the enterprises have a good chance to receive this order, because right at the moment 3 large project for construction of atomic power plant are underway (the "Busher" APP in Iran, the "Tian-Van" APP in China and "Kudankulam" in India). Production of equipment for the "Tian-Van" APP in particular has been completed and won high approval of the customer.

General Director of the JSC "Atomstroiexport" Viktor Kozlov, stressed many times that Russia "has a fairy good chance to win in this competition". Mr. Kozlov’s opinion is based on the fact that Russia offers to construct the power unit with a reactor VVER, similar to those installed at "Tian-Van" APP in China, construction of which are about to be completed.
Another important fact in favour of the Russian manufactures is the APP "Loviza" constructed in Finland according to the Russian project by the Russian subcontractors. There are two atomic power plants currently in operation in Finland; the APP "Loviza" is considered to be one of the most environmentally safe and clean plants in the whole Europe.

Besides Russia, Germany, France, Sweden and the USA are planning to participate in the tender for construction of the new APP in Finland.

The Power Machines Group comprises the following joint-stock companies: Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod, Electrosila, Turbine Blades Plant, Kaluga Turbine Works and Energomachexport – Power Machines.