In mid-July, a delegation of member companies of the Russian Association of Wind Power Industry paid an official visit to Ulyanovsk.
At the beginning of the visit, the heads and managers of the RAWI members visited the wind turbine blade manufacturing plant of Vestas Manufacturing Rus LLC (a member of the RAWI). Vestas Rus CEO Kimal Yusupov warmly welcomed the delegation and told about the enterprise. The production of composite wind turbine blades, launched in December 2018, is currently unparalleled in Russia. The product produced by the plant is impressive with each blade being 62 metre long and weighing 12.5 tonne.
During the tour, where Sergey Fedchenko, the plant manager, acted as a guide, and the guests were able to see the step-by-step process of blade manufacture, cutting out the material, cutting the pultrusion profile, laying out the material in a special mould for subsequent heating. While the mould closing is done just once a day, the personnel has ‘picked out the right time’ of this important technological stage exclusively for the RAWI delegation, so that the guests could watch the process of mould closing.
To date, 152 wind turbines with a capacity from 3.6 to 4.2 MW each have been built and are operating in Russia using the Vestas-made equipment. In total, there are seven wind farms with a cumulative installed capacity of 600 MW.
The members of the RAWI delegation were also able to observe the work of two wind farms, Ulyanovskaya VES-1 and Ulyanovskaya VES-2, located near the village of Krasny Yar on the left bank of the Volga, during their visit to the region. Dmitry Stepanov, Deputy General Director of Altren LLC (a member of RAWI) spoke about the experience of wind power development in the region, using the example of two existing wind farms operated by the Wind Energy Development Fund (established on a parity basis by RUSNANO JSC and Fortum PJSC).
The Ulyanovskaya VES-1 is Russia’s first commercial wind power station, launched in early 2018. The 14 wind turbines by Dongfang Electric featuring a 35 MW installed capacity.
The Ulyanovskaya VES-2 was commissioned in 2019, with 14 more powerful Vestas wind turbines with an installed capacity 50 MW.
The RAWI delegation concluded its visit to Ulyanovsk with a closed meeting with the management of the Ulyanovsk Oblast Development Corporation, where prospects for cooperation were discussed. Igor Ryabikov, Executive Director of the Corporation, presented the investment and economic potential of the Ulyanovsk Oblast and the region’s achievements and opportunities in the renewable energy sector.
Speaking about active development of innovative industries, which help the region to ensure economic growth and comply with the principles of sustainable development, Igor Ryabikov particularly mentioned the regional cluster of renewable energy and the complex of composite enterprises.
“These industries are represented not just by individual enterprises and productions. These are two powerful economic powerhouses of the region, between the anchor enterprises of which the production cooperation is established, contributing to the emergence of revolutionary innovations and allowing the region to enter the most advanced projects in Russia and abroad,” he said.
RAWI, on behalf of Chairman Igor Bryzgunov, would like to thank the management of Vestas Rus LLC and Vestas Manufacturing Rus LLC, Altren LLC and the Ulyanovsk Oblast Development Corporation for their hospitality and for organising the most interesting excursion.