Siemens has been selected to deliver the power generation equipment for two new peaking power plants for the state-owned utility company RUE Vitebskenergo in the Republic of Belarus.

The new plants will be operated in conjunction with the existing Lukomlskaya and Novopolotskaya power plants in the Vitebsk region in northern Belarus and will help ensure the reliability and flexibility of the country’s power grid.

The plants are expected to go into operation at the end of 2021.

The open cycle gas turbine plants will operate in continuous availability mode and are designed to go from cold to full load in less than 15 minutes. The plants are estimated to run approximately 700 hours per year. The new plants will be used as a backup for future wind, solar and nuclear power plants, as well as for existing power plants, thus supporting the energy transition in Belarus.

“The flexibility and high efficiency of the gas turbines from Siemens are important factors in successfully implementing this project,” says Mikhail Luzin, CEO of RUE Vitebskenergo. “As backup and peak capacities they will play a crucial role in supporting existing and future power plants and enhancing the reliability of the Belarusian power grid.”

Siemens will provide five SGT-800 gas turbines, generators, gas receiving stations, booster compressors, high-, medium-, and low-voltage equipment and the PCS7 control system for the new 150 MW peaking power station at the Lukomlskaya plant and a 100-MW peaking power station at the Novopolotskaya plant.

“Siemens has a broad range of energy solutions that supports the optimization of the energy mix for our customers”, says Olaf Kreyenberg, head of Power Generation Europe and CIS at Siemens Gas and Power. “We are committed to supporting the decarbonization strategy in Belarus by complementing the grid with our highly efficient and flexible peaker plants that will help ensure the reliability and stability of the power generation system in the country.”