Moscow. 15 July 2005. Today, a ceremony was held at the Tolyattinskaya CHPP of OAO "Samaraenergo" to present a technology to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. The presentation was attended by Sergey Kapitsa, Professor, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences and member of the European Academy, and Vladimir Avetisyan, member of the Management Board and Managing Director of RAO "UES of Russia".

The Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction (SNCR) technology used at the Tolyattinskaya CHPP helps remove NOx from the plant's flue gases. The technology is based on injection of ammonia into the boiler furnace in which pulverized coal is burned. This helps reduce NOx emissions in the flue gases by 70%. Unlike its foreign counterparts, the technology implemented at the Tolyattinskaya CHPP is both an effective and economical way of addressing the issue of hazardous emissions reduction.

The SNCR technology was developed by a research team of OAO "Samaraenergo" headed by the power plant's Chief Engineer Albert Alfeev in cooperation with the researchers of the All-Russian Heating Systems Institute of RAO "UES of Russia". In March 2005, the researchers were awarded a Science and Technology Prize of the Russian Government for the development of the new technology.

Professor Sergey Kapitsa said at the ceremony: "Usually, high technologies are taken to mean new inventions in computer and microprocessor design. However, what we see at the Tolyattinskaya CHPP is, undoubtedly, a real high technology based on the fundamental research of Russian academics. The combination of advanced management methods and high technologies is a qualitatively new level of social responsibility of a large corporation."

Vladimir Avetisyan, member of the Management Board of RAO "UES of Russia", said that the Holding Company's management highly appreciated the positive experience in implementing the SNCR technology at the Tolyattinskaya CHPP: "Deployment of this technology at other energy enterprises is one of the top priorities for RAO "UES of Russia". The Holding Company's Technical Policy Concept provides for the implementation of the SNCR technology at all thermal power plants of the Company by 2009".