As a result of the upgrade at Mosteplosetenergoremont (MTSER), AO MOSENERGO has constructed a plant capable of producing pipes insulated with polyurethane foam or galvanized steel. It is the biggest plant in Europe by technological standards. There are four production lines at the plant. Its design capacity amounts to 150-200 km of pipe p.a. or 12,000 items. The availability of such a plant will help AO MOSENERGO to increase rates of laying such pipes, cut costs of laying heating lines and decrease operational costs due to decreasing repairs at heating lines.

"The MTSER upgrade is of tremendous importance for AO MOSNENERGO," Arkady Yevstafyev, general director of AO MOSENERGO, said on April 18, meeting journalists. According to Yevstafyev, the in-house production of pipes and equipment will help to speed up the replacement of obsolete and worn equipment, cut costs and save resources while laying pipes and carrying out maintenance. The use of polyurethane pipes will make it possible to avoid summertime disconnection of hot water in the future.

In April, MTSER will launch large-scale production. This year AO MOSENERGO plans to produce up to 30 km of pipe and 2,500 equipment units for Heating Grids of AO MOSENERGO and third parties. Next year, AO MOSENERGO plans to lay only polyurethane-insulated pipes.

Polyurethane foam insulation makes it possible to reduce heat losses in pipelines and increase the life of pipes by preventing the corrosion of external surfaces. The life of polyurethane-insulated pipes is to 25-30 years. The laying of polyurethane-insulated pipes does not require concrete conduits. Pipes are laid directly in the soil.

The MTSER upgrade began in 2001 and has been completed in the shortest terms possible. The plant has implemented the most advanced technologies and installed the latest Russian and foreign equipment. In total, MTSER spent 316 million rubles to upgrade the plant. The company has used only its own funds for the upgrade.