PRESS: Foreign firms may get access to thermal plants upgrade

MOSCOW, Mar 21 (PRIME) -- The Economic Development Ministry has proposed not to require the use of fully Russian equipment for the modernization program of thermal power plants, Kommersant business daily reported Thursday citing a letter from Deputy Minister Mikhail Rasstrigin to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak.

These exemptions can affect only 15% of projects that will be selected by the government commission on the power industry, the daily said.

A source familiar with the proposal said it covers the entire equipment, including gas turbines of a large capacity, for which the Industry and Trade Ministry plans to set requirements on 100% localization. In fact, this could give foreign producers – Siemens and GE – access to the modernization program.

In January, the government approved a 1.9 trillion ruble program for modernization of 39 gigawatts of thermal power capacities.

(64.2803 rubles – U.S. $1)

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