The turbine with a capacity of one million kV was tested at the Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod (Leningrad Engineering Plant).

On 31 May the JSC "Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod", being part of the Power Machines Group, ran successful steam tests of the turbine with the capacity of 1000 Mw for the atomic power plant "Busher" in Iran, the equipment to which had been supplied according to the contract signed by the Organisation for Atomic Energy of Iran and the CJSC "Atomstroiexport" of Russia.

Construction of the atomic power plant "Busher" has been underway since 1974. Initially its construction was carried out by the German industrial group "Kraftwerg Union (Siemens/KVU), which in 1980 cancelled its contract with the Iranian customer who complied with the German government decision to join the USA embargo for supply of the equipment to Iran.

The Russian companies headed by CJSC "Atomstroiexport" received the right to carry on construction of the atomic power plant "Busher". In September 1999 Atomstroiexport sighed the contract for delivery of turbo-installation with the JSC "Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod".

According to the terms of the contract, the customer stipulated the necessity of fitting the main equipment into the building erected by the German consortium. During 6 years the German side brought 85% of construction works to completion at the first unit and 70% at the second, as well as installed 70% of auxiliary equipment of the first unit. They had no time to install the principal equipment (reactors, turbines, generators).

Practical experience of power machine building proves that equipment of this sort is always unique and it is not easy to install power equipment manufactured by another producer. Nevertheless, the specialists of the LMZ managed to develop a 1000 Mw high-speed turbine, which while complying with the customer’s specifications (weight – 1700 tons, length – 39,5 meters) was 1,3 times lighter than similar slow-speed turbines.

The experts of the plant took into account the specific conditions at Busher – extremely hot climate in combination with high humidity of the air as well as high concentration of salt in it caused by proximity of the ocean.

It took one and a half year to design the piece of machinery and about two year to manufacture it. The new turbine consists of three low pressure rotors and one high pressure rotor.

Two more enterprises participate in production of the equipment for the atomic power plant "Busher", which belongs to the Power Machines Group. One of them is the Turbine Blades Plant, which manufactured all runner blades and guide blades, inclusive of unique titanium 1200 mm blades for the last stage of low pressure cylinders, and the other the JSC "Electrosila", which manufactured the 1000 Mw turbo-generator.

The LMZ started to manufacture equipment for Iran in the beginning of the 1980th. Since that time 16 steam turbines with total capacity of 3545 Mw have been supplied to various steam power plants (The SPP "Isfagan", SPP "Ramin", SPP "Ariamehr).

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

The atomic power plant "Busher" is not the only project of this kind for the enterprises which make up the Power Machines Group. At present they are engaged in delivery of equipment of the atomic power plant "Tian-Van" in China and "Kudankulam" in India.

The 1000 Mw turbine for the APP "Tian-Van", which was completed in August 2001, became the first turbine of such a capacity, manufactured by the Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod for export. Currently a similar turbine is being manufactured; negotiations for supply of equipment for the third and the fourth blocks of the APP "Tian-Van" are under way.
 
The other Power Machines Group enterprises take part in construction of equipment for the "Tian-Van" and the "Busher" and the "Kudankulam" atomic power plants, namely: Electrosila and Turbine Blades Plant. To be more exact the JSC Electrosila has already manufacture the 1000 Mw turbo-generators for the APP "Tian-Van" and "Busher" (and is about to start similar work for the ASP "Kudankulam"); the Turbine Blades Plant manufactures all runner and guide blades.

A 1000 Mw turbine is one of the most powerful steam turbines utilised at present at atomic power plants. All together 20 turbines of such class are used to generate energy in the world, three of them were made by the JSC "Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod" and installed at the Rovenskaya, the Khmelnitskaya and the Southern-Ukrainian atomic power plants. Three more, manufactured by the LMZ, are being currently installed at the Kalininskaya as well as the Rovenskaya and Khmelnitskaya atomic power plants.