United Engine Corporation (ODK) has begun supplying AL-31ST industrial gas turbine engines for the compressor stations of the Yuzhno-Kirinskoye field on Sakhalin. The first engine has already been manufactured, tested, and shipped to the customer; a total of three units are planned for delivery by the end of the year.
The engine was developed by Lyulka Design Bureau – a branch of ODK-UMPO, part of Rostec. The AL-31ST is designed to operate as part of gas pumping units and is rated for the most in-demand power class for modern compressor stations – 16 MW.
During modernization, the engine's design was significantly updated. Its operating life was increased from 75,000 to 125,000 hours, and its warranty period from 6,000 to 8,000 hours. New solutions include a working blade made of heat-resistant alloy, an improved high-pressure turbine support, and a digital remote monitoring system for operating parameters.
The AL-31ST is already in operation at fuel and energy complex facilities in Bashkortostan, at the Bovanenkovo oil and gas condensate field in Yamal, and at compressor stations of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline in the Amur region and Yakutia.
Today, more than 120 such drives operate at fuel and energy complex facilities, with their total operating time exceeding 3 million hours. The modernized AL-31ST is becoming one of the key Russian solutions for gas infrastructure, where high power, long service life, and stable operation in harsh conditions are required.
Earlier, it became known that ODK released the fourth production GTD-110M turbine. The machine confirmed stable operation at a nominal power of 115 MW. Concurrently, the state company's specialists continue to modernize these turbine units and plan to increase its service life to 125,000 hours.