Commissioning of the GPA-25R-PS Ural gas compressor at Igrinskaya compressor station
After the interdepartmental testing of the GPA-25R-PS Ural gas compressor prototype, the Committee under the chairmanship of Alexander Shaykhutdinov, Deputy Head of the Department of Gas Transportation, Underground Storage and Utilization (Gazprom), rendered a decision to submit the unit’s commissioning for approval of Gazprom top management...

The most labour intensive component of the compressor is the drive of centrifugal superchargers - the GTU-25P gas turbine. It was designed and manufactured by Perm Motors Group around the PS-90GP-25 engine. It’s a twin-shaft unit with a free power turbine which differs from single-shaft units in a quicker start-up and higher operational reliability. A new two-stage high pressure turbine, one-stage low pressure turbine and a three-stage power turbine were developed. The most up-to-date computer programmes were used during the design stage. As a result, the thermal efficiency reached 39.5% (at ISO conditions) at the nominal output of 25.5 MW. The entire engine assemblage was completed in June, 2002. A year and a half later, the first GTU-25P gas turbine was installed by Permtransgaz personnel at Igrinskaya station within the GPA-25R-PS gas compressor. The first start-up was carried out in December, 2003. Its accumulated operating time is over 9000 hours now and the unit hasn’t been repaired during the last 5000 operating hours. The gas compressor unit’s designed parameters were confirmed including the peak output mode of 30MW. 
Igrinskaya compressor station (Permtransgaz) is located to the north of Izhevsk on the Yamburg-Tula I and Yamburg-Tula II twin-run gas pipeline which has a diameter of 1420 mm. The station transmits approximately 150 million nm³ of natural gas daily. The throughput of a GPA-25R-PS gas compressor is from 1,8 to 2,45 million nm³/h and thus three similar units are necessary for the station’s operation. 
Gazprom officials recommended the further production of GPA-25R-PS Ural gas compressor units, rated at 25MW which are to substitute the outdated models. In the long term, when the 9 gas turbines pass the life cycle tests, they are to be used on the Yamal-Europe and Altai gas pipeline, designed for gas transportation to the People's Republic of China. “Thanks to the close cooperation of the developers, manufactures and operators we have a unit with parameters equal to those of the world’s top solutions. Though, the unit’s maintainability and life cycle parameters are still to be further developed.” - said Alexander Shaykhutdinov.