Moscow. 14 June 2006. Chairman of the Management Board of RAO "UES of Russia" Anatoly Chubais chaired a meeting of the Operational Headquarters for the construction of Power Unit 2 of the Severo-Zapadnaya CHPP in St.-Petersburg.

The HQ members examined the project site and the equipment of the plant's new power unit: gas and steam turbines, waste-heat recovery boilers, unit board, gas treatment facility, and reviewed the progress made in the installation and adjustment works.

The HQ noted the high degree of preparedness of Power Unit 2 for the launch, which is scheduled for Q4 2006.

This project will improve efficiency of the Leningradskaya energy system, which encountered capacity shortfalls last winter. Besides, the project is tied to the construction of the heating main linking the Severo-Zapadnaya CHPP to the Primorsky District of the city of St.-Petersburg. These two projects will significantly raise the efficiency of the Severo-Zapadnaya CHPP and provide reliable heating to some districts of St.-Petersburg.

The Severo-Zapadnaya CHPP in St.-Petersburg is one of the most technologically advanced power plants of RAO "UES of Russia". Since September 2004, the power plant has been run by an international consortium, OOO "Enel ESN Energo", which won the tender held by RAO "UES of Russia".

The power plant uses the combined cycle technology, which has efficiency of 51.5% as compared to no more than 40% at the conventional steam power units. The second power unit will increase the plant's generating capacity twofold to 900 MW. FGUP "VO Tekhnopromexport" is the general contractor for the project.

The investments in the project to build power unit 2 total RUB9 billion. The arrangements for raising the funds needed to complete the construction of power unit 2 of the Severo-Zapadnaya CHPP was approved by the Board of Directors of RAO "UES of Russia" on 26 April 2005. It is provided that the funds are to be raised in the open market, without using the funds earmarked for investment at RAO "UES of Russia" on a centralized basis.