Print page

Emerson Upgrades Automation at Russian Power Plant

ControlGlobal.com
02/25/2013

Emerson Process Management has completed an automation upgrade for an 800-MW unit at Russia's Surgut-2 Power Plant in Chelyabinsk, Russia, one of the largest thermal power stations in Europe. Emerson, the main automation contractor for the project, completed the upgrade during a four-month shutdown.

Unit 3 of the Surgut-2 power plant, owned and operated by E.ON Russia, will now take advantage of Emerson's PlantWeb digital automation architecture with the Ovation expert control system, which was designed specifically for power applications. In addition to upgrading the Unit 3 control system, instrumentation, control valves and other related equipment, Emerson also modernized controls for the fluid end of the turbine set; reconstructed and equipped the Unit 3 control room; provided engineering and installation services; certified compliance with requirements of Russia's System Operator of Central Dispatch Administration of the Unified Energy System; and assisted with unit start-up. As part of the project, Emerson also installed AMS Suite predictive maintenance software.

The new integrated system enables automated operation of the entire power unit, including electrical controls for turbine generators and pumps, boiler and burner controls, and unit power and frequency control and coordination. It also provides real-time monitoring of equipment and timely notification of abnormal situations, and helps determine equipment health, so technicians can schedule maintenance and repairs more efficiently. 

"Implementing a full-scale, high-performance control system and ensuring its full availability for launch during a four-month shutdown was a real technical challenge," said Stepan Okunkov, manager of CIS Power & Water Solutions Engineering Center of Emerson Process Management. "But we were able to achieve this goal through the excellent teamwork between Emerson and Surgut-2 power plant specialists from E.ON Russia."

The Surgut-2 station uses natural gas coming from the Tyumen Region's oil fields. Based on annual output, the plant is one of the biggest thermal power stations in the world, producing more than 35 billion kWh per year.