Solar power plant is expanding in Russia’s Orenburg region

By Swann Bigot, legal expert and consultant in international affairs, for Eurasia Network – January 15, 2017

Orsk solar power plant (Orenburg oblast, Russia) – July 2015, Photo credits : T Plus Group.

Russia’s largest solar power plant in Orsk (Orenburg oblast) will increase its capacity from 25 to 40 MW by February 2017, has informed in a press release the operating company “T Plus Group”.

Two new lines with a capacity of 5 and 10 MW will be completed. These new lines will increase the number of Russian-made solar cells from 100 000 to 160 000.[1]

This solar power plant opened in Orsk in December 2015. Total investment for the construction of the 100 hectares plant amounts to $50 million (3 billion of rubles).

The capacity of the solar power plant in Orsk is expected to be increased to 130 MW by 2019.

“T Plus Group” is the biggest Russian private company operating in the field of electricity and heat supply. The company was established in 2002. Heat and electric power generation, energy sales business and energy service are the main activities of T Plus Group.[2] The private company won the project in September 2013. The construction phase began one year later.[3]

The Russian Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev supports the initiative, saying during the opening ceremony of the solar power plant in December 2015 that despite the fact that there are huge reserves of oil and gas in Russia, the country must efficiently use its natural resources, build environmentally safe power plants and prompting research and introduction of new technologies in the economy.[4]

Orsk is the second largest city of the Orenburg oblast with 231 000 inhabitants in 2016.[5]

Work in winter conditions

An amount of 20,075 new photovoltaic modules has already been installed as well as 7 296 steel piles weighing 545 tons.[6]

After the delivery of the total volume of steel structures, the construction of the 10 megawatts line will start. Engineers and workers will install 40,130 photovoltaic modules and 14,592 steel piles and lay 15,460 meters of power cable.

Orsk solar power plant – December 2015, Photo credits : T Plus Group.

Winter has influenced the schedule of the project, explains Sergey Ushakov, Director of the Orsk branch of T Plus group for implementation of priority investment projects. Snow covers the construction site from 0.4 to 1 meter, making it difficult to work. In addition, some of the suppliers have changed the timing of delivery of materials. However, despite these factors, the contractors managed to maintain the pace of construction at a high level, said Sergey Ushakov.[7]

The private company T Plus Group plans to complete the work by the end of February.

A regional strategy

The regional target program “Energy saving and energy efficiency in the Orenburg region for 2010-2015 and target setting for the period up to 2020“[8] plans the construction of a series of such solar power plants.

In the Perevolotsky District, a 5 MW solar power plant opened in May 2015. The plant is operated by the company “Hevel” (a joint venture of the corporations Renova and Rusnano).[9]

In December 2015, the 25 MW solar power plant opened in Orsk. This plant is named after Alexander A. Vlaznev, the first director of the subsidiary of “T Plus Group” in Orenburg, who tragically died in a road accident on August 12, 2013.

There are the first solar power plants opened in the European part of Russia.[10]

The authorities of Orenburg oblast see wind and solar power as additional sources of energy as the region enjoys 2200 hours of sunshine per year.

The launches of the 5 MW and the 25 MW plants in May and December 2015 were the first steps of a program planning to create a network of ten solar power plants in the region with investments worth $167 million (10 billion rubles).[11]

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Sources : 

[1] Наталия Вълкова « Орская солнечная электростанция в феврале увеличит мощность до 40 МВт », 11/01/2017 : http://tass.ru/tek/3932692 ;

[2] « T Plus Group » : http://www.renova.ru/en/structure/company/detail/199/ ;

[3] В Орске введена в эксплуатацию солнечная фотоэлектростанция – самый мощный источник альтернативной энергии в стране – 21/12/2015 : http://www.orenburg-gov.ru/news/main/v-orske-vvedena-v-ekspluatatsiyu-solnechnaya-fotoelektrostantsiya-samyy-moshchnyy-istochnik-alternat/ ;

[4] В Орске введена в эксплуатацию солнечная фотоэлектростанция – самый мощный источник альтернативной энергии в стране – 21/12/2015 : http://www.orenburg-gov.ru/news/main/v-orske-vvedena-v-ekspluatatsiyu-solnechnaya-fotoelektrostantsiya-samyy-moshchnyy-istochnik-alternat/ ;

[5] http://xn—-7sbiew6aadnema7p.xn--p1ai/sity_id.php?id=86 ;

[6] « Мощность Орской солнечной станции им. А. Влазнева будет увеличена путем строительства двух новых очередей », 10/01/2017 : http://www.tplusgroup.ru/org/orenburg/news/novost/item/moshchnost-orskoi-solnechnoi-stancii-im-a-vlazneva-bude/ ;

[7] « Мощность Орской солнечной станции им. А. Влазнева будет увеличена путем строительства двух новых очередей », 10/01/2017 : http://www.tplusgroup.ru/org/orenburg/news/novost/item/moshchnost-orskoi-solnechnoi-stancii-im-a-vlazneva-bude/ ;

[8] Правительство Оренбургской Области – Постановление от 27 мая 2010 года N 368-пп, Об утверждении областной целевой программы “Энергосбережение и повышение энергоэффективности в Оренбургской области на 2010-2015 годы и целевые установки на период до 2020 года” : http://docs.cntd.ru/document/952013032 ;

[9] Роснано новости, « В Оренбургской области построена первая в европейской части России солнечная электростанция мощностью 5 МВт », 20/05/2015 : http://www.rusnano.com/about/press-centre/news/20150520-hevel-v-orenburgskoy-oblasti-postroena-pervaya-solnechnaya-elektrostantsiya-moschnostiyu-5-mvt ;

[10] Валентина Зотикова, « В Оренбуржье заработала первая солнечная электростанция », Российская Газета, 20/05/2015 : https://rg.ru/2015/05/20/reg-pfo/elektro.html ;

[11] В Орске введена в эксплуатацию солнечная фотоэлектростанция – самый мощный источник альтернативной энергии в стране – 21/12/2015 : http://www.orenburg-gov.ru/news/main/v-orske-vvedena-v-ekspluatatsiyu-solnechnaya-fotoelektrostantsiya-samyy-moshchnyy-istochnik-alternat/ ;