Russia’s United Engine Corporation (UEC) is developing a potential 45 MW industrial gas turbine based on its AL-41ST-25 engine, targeting power generation applications and the replacement of ageing capacity at thermal power plants.
The proposal was presented during Russian Energy Week in Moscow as part of Russia’s national project for new nuclear and energy technologies. UEC sees the proposed power-generation variant as an extension of its industrial gas turbine portfolio, with applications in thermal power plants and distributed energy generation.
The AL-41ST-25 was developed by the A. Lyulka Design Bureau, a branch of UEC-UMPO, for industrial applications including gas transportation. The 25 MW engine is designed for operation in challenging climatic conditions and features a modular configuration intended to simplify transportation, installation, commissioning and maintenance.
According to UEC, the engine delivers an efficiency of 39.3% under ISO conditions. Two prototypes have been manufactured, with pilot operation underway in a gas compressor unit at the Arskaya compressor station in Tatarstan.
Testing of the second prototype led to design changes intended to improve reliability and performance. These included refinements to the engine’s flow dynamics and air and oil supply systems.
Andrey Vorobyov, CEO of UEC Engineering, said, “The AL-41ST-25 engine boasts an unrivaled efficiency of over 39% in its power class and is based on a unique gas generator, which allows it to be used as a basis for the development of a power line of advanced AL-41ST industrial engines. ‘We propose, as part of the national project, to provide the industry with entirely domestically produced, next-generation gas turbine equipment with a capacity of 45 MW to replace foreign gas turbine equipment at power generation facilities’.”
Also Read – ST Engineering to establish autonomous systems assurance centre
UEC Engineering is responsible for developing and supplying gas turbine equipment based on engines manufactured within the UEC group. The proposed 45 MW variant remains a development objective; the announcement does not confirm a completed engine or an operational deployment.
From an MRO perspective, the programme highlights the importance of maintainability and reliability in industrial gas turbine development. The modular design and improvements introduced through prototype testing may influence future maintenance access, component servicing and lifecycle support requirements as the platform progresses.
