Steam turbine for nuclear plant in Iran

Leningradski metal works (LMZ, in St. Petersburg; part of Silovye Mashiny trust) has finished shipment works for a 1,000 MW steam turbine, to be installed at the Bushehr power plant which is being built in Iran.

The trust's press service informed that the turbine, the whole load of 2,500 tonnes would be shipped to Iran before August.

The newly built turbine consists of three low-pressure rotors and one high-pressure rotor. With its weight of 1,700 tonnes and length of 39.5 metres, the device is 1.3 times lighter than low-speed turbines with same power.

Designing engineers did not overlook weather conditions in Bushehr, namely extreme heat and highly humid and salinated air because of the proximity to the ocean, press service pointed out.

Vendor contract for the turbine had been concluded by Atomstroyeksport company and Leningradski metal works in September 1999. Design engineering took a year and a half; two more years lapsed before building was completed.

1,000 MW turbines are among the most robust engines used at nuclear plants. There are only some twenty such machines operating throughout the world. Four of them come from Leningradski metal works and operate at nuclear power plants in Russia and Ukraine.