Reftinskaya GRES power station
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Reftinskaya GRES power station (Рефтинская ГРЭС) is an operating power station of at least 3800-megawatts (MW) in Reftinsky, Sukhoy Log, Sverdlovsk, Russia with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Reftinskaya GRES power station | Reftinsky, Sukhoy Log, Sverdlovsk, Russia | 57.110841, 61.705909 (exact) |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 10, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7, Unit 8, Unit 9: 57.110841, 61.705909
- Unit 11: 57.11099, 61.70614
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP | Start year | Retired year | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Operating | coal: bituminous[1] | 300[2] | supercritical | yes | 1970 | – | False |
| Unit 10 | Operating | coal: bituminous[1] | 500 | supercritical | yes | 1980 | – | False |
| Unit 11 | Cancelled | coal: unknown[1] | 660 | unknown | yes | – | – | False |
| Unit 2 | Operating | coal: bituminous[1] | 300 | supercritical | yes | 1971 | 2031 (planned)[3] | False |
| Unit 3 | Operating | coal: bituminous[1] | 300 | supercritical | yes | 1971 | 2031 (planned)[3] | False |
| Unit 4 | Operating | coal: bituminous[1] | 300[2] | supercritical | yes | 1972 | – | False |
| Unit 5 | Operating | coal: bituminous[1] | 300 | supercritical | yes | 1974 | 2031 (planned)[3] | False |
| Unit 6 | Operating | coal: bituminous[1] | 300 | supercritical | yes | 1975 | – | False |
| Unit 7 | Operating | coal: bituminous[1] | 500 | supercritical | yes | 1977 | 2036 (planned)[3] | False |
| Unit 8 | Operating | coal: bituminous[1] | 500 | supercritical | yes | 1977 | – | False |
| Unit 9 | Operating | coal: bituminous[1] | 500 | supercritical | yes | 1978 | – | False |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Kuzbassenergo JSC [100%][4][5] | unknown [100.0%] |
| Unit 10 | Kuzbassenergo JSC [100%][4][5] | unknown [100.0%] |
| Unit 11 | Kuzbassenergo JSC [100%][4][5] | unknown [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Kuzbassenergo JSC [100%][4][5] | unknown [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | Kuzbassenergo JSC [100%][4][5] | unknown [100.0%] |
| Unit 4 | Kuzbassenergo JSC [100%][4][5] | unknown [100.0%] |
| Unit 5 | Kuzbassenergo JSC [100%][4][5] | unknown [100.0%] |
| Unit 6 | Kuzbassenergo JSC [100%][4][5] | unknown [100.0%] |
| Unit 7 | Kuzbassenergo JSC [100%][4][5] | unknown [100.0%] |
| Unit 8 | Kuzbassenergo JSC [100%][4][5] | unknown [100.0%] |
| Unit 9 | Kuzbassenergo JSC [100%][4][5] | unknown [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): domestic/imported
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
Reftinskaya GRES, the largest coal-fired power plant in Russia, is a 10-unit, 3,800-MW coal-fired power plant in Sverdlovsk province.
Construction on the plant began in 1963; the first six 300-MW units came online in 1970-75, and the remaining four 500-MW units came online in 1977-80.
The plant uses coal from Ekibastuz basin in Kazakhstan.
In 2021 Reftinskaya produced 22.7 billion kWh of electricity, covering 53% of the consumption in the Sverdlovsk province and demonstrating high utilization factor of 68%. 2020 generation was 11.5% lower.[6] In 2022, the plant produced 20.9 billion kWh of electricity.[7] The plant generated 17,827 million kWh in 2025, the highest output among all SGK power plants.[8]
Ownership Change
From 2007 to 2019, Reftinskaya GRES was owned by the Fifth Generation Company of the Wholesale Electricity Market (OGK-5), which in turn was majority-owned by Italian energy company Enel.[9][10][11]
In April 2016, Enel was evaluating the sale of the plant due to the end of the subsidies that apply in the first 10 years for a new unit as well as the weakness of the Russian economy.[12] As of January 2018, Enel had received bids from three companies.[13] In June 2019 Enel agreed to sell the plant to the Siberian Generation Company (SGK), owned by Siberian Coal Energy Company (SUEK), for 21 billion roubles.[14] In November 2019 the sale was completed with a transfer of ownership to Kuzbassenergo JSC, part of Siberian Generation Company, for 16.7 billion roubles (USD 345 million). [15] The sale marked the departure of Russia's biggest foreign-owned utility company from the Russian coal power market.[16]
During the 9-month transition period (from October 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020), Enel Russia and Kuzbassenergo JSC jointly managed the power plant under a lease agreement, and once the transition period expired, Kuzbassenergo JSC started to operate the plant independently.[17]
Modernization/Refurbishment
Reftinskaya power plant was selected for the nation-wide COMMod program for modernizing energy generation equipment, where selected plants receive capacity payments for 15 years.[18] Unit 1 and Unit 4 of Reftinskaya participate in the program, with projects starting in July 2024 and 2025.[19] SGK will be mainly replacing turbines and generators.[20] In June 2021, SGK announced that it planned to invest RUR 9 billion toward modernization at the station.[21] It was anticipated that the modernization of Unit 1 will be completed by 2026 and Unit 4 by 2027, with capacities increasing from 300MW to 315MW for each unit.[22] As of June 2022, planning was on-going with regards to Unit 1 and a technical project was being developed for the new turbine and generator.[19]
According to the interview with the plant's engineer in summer 2022, the power plant had to prepare for COMMod by implementing repairs prior to the start of program, as not all equipment was covered by the program.[19] By June 2022, an overhaul of Unit 4 was completed, which included refurbishing of the old turbine and boiler (without replacement). It was reported that several issues were encountered during modernization, such as substitution of imported components and increase in the cost of materials.[19] Starting from July 2024, the plant will participate in COMMod-2 program that will last for 2.5 years for Units 1 and 4, including full replacement of the turbines and generators. Unit 1 will be taken out of operations from July 2024 until the end of 2025.[23]
As per December 2024 reporting, modernization program was delayed due to the failures to meet the equipment delivery deadlines. Works on Unit 1 were anticipated to start in 2025, and works on Unit 4 in 2026.[24]
In September 2025, SGK confirmed plans to begin modernization of the 300 MW Unit 1 at Reftinskaya GRES in early 2026 under the federal COMMod program, conditional on timely delivery of the turbine, after two years of delays. Modernization of Unit 4 was scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2027. Due to nationwide rescheduling of thermal power plant upgrades, the commissioning date for Reftinskaya GRES power station modernization projects was moved from January 2027 to July 2028. The total cost of upgrading Units 1 and 4 was estimated at around RUB 10 billion (ca. $119.8 million). SGK also planned to submit additional modernization projects for other units at the plant by the end of 2025.[25]
In January 2026, the Russian government formally approved the list of generation modernization projects with commissioning in 2029, confirming Reftinskaya GRES's inclusion. Upon completion, the capacity of the modernized unit was expected to increase by 15 MW to 315 MW.[26]
In early April 2026, SGK confirmed that modernization of Unit 1 had commenced. Power Machines was completing manufacture of the new turbine, with delivery to the plant imminent, while ELSIB had largely completed the generator and excitation system, with part of the equipment already on site and the remainder expected by end of April 2026. The general contractor, Sibir'energomontazh, had completed the preparatory phase. Works on Unit 1 were planned to last 18 months. Modernization of Unit 4 was scheduled to begin nine months after the start of works on unit 1, followed by Unit 2. The full programme was expected to span approximately four years.[27]
Coal Source
In July 2021, Reftinskaya GRES power station completed a pilot combustion using mixed coal types. They confirmed that the power station could run on a mixture of Kuzbass coal and Ekibastuz coal.[28][29] As of April 2023, the plant was still using coal from Bogatyr coal mine (about 10 million tonnes per year). In the last 2.5 years the plant confirmed the capability of the plant to use Russian coal from Kiyzassky coal mine and Zarechny coal mine in Kuzbass basin and was reviewing the possibility to use coal from Khakassiya. The decision on the switch of coal would be taken in 2024, according to the source.[30] As per news from April 2025, the plant continued to burn coal from Ekibastuz the contract end in 2027, supplying 10.4 million tonnes of coal per year. The company was continuing to search for equivalent replacement of Russian coal.[31]
Potential Retirement
The updated 'General Scheme of Power assets allocation up to 2042' released in November 2024 stated that three units of 300MW are planned for retirement by 2031. (These were presumed to be Units 2,3 and 5). This would reduce the capacity of the plant by 900MW. Additionally, another 500MW unit would be retired by 2036.[32] (This was presumed to be Unit 7).
Environmental Impacts
In late 2024, the Sverdlovsk Oblast adopted a regional programme for ash and slag waste utilisation as part of a broader circular economy initiative covering 18 Russian regions. The region generated over 4 million tonnes of ash and slag per year, the bulk of it from Reftinskaya GRES. Current uses of the plant's ash include cement, concrete and dry construction mix production, with extraction of alumina from the ash also under consideration. The programme targeted utilisation of 50% of ash and slag waste in the region by 2030.[33]
Incidents
In August 2016, a complete failure of the coupling capacitator resulted in the plant shutting down entirely, cutting power to large parts of Siberia; there were no injuries.[34]
Description of Expansion
The RAO UES 2006-10 five-year plan (from before the restructuring of RAO UES), which RAO management approved in January 2007, lists as a long-term project the addition of a 660-MW eleventh coal-fired unit at Reftinskaya, with a completion date of 2012.[35] Enel OGK-5, in its most recent annual report and on its website, makes no mention of any other projects at Reftinskaya GRES other than the renovation of Units 1-6 and the installation of dry ash removal units.[36][37] It would appear that this project has been cancelled.
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 https://www.gem.wiki/Coal_source_methodology_for_the_Global_Coal_Plant_Tracker.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 (PDF) https://www.minenergo.gov.ru/upload/iblock/0ee/qk0fgtteujwd4pwydt7h72i53bm4ybqc/Prikaz-Minenergo-1553-SIPR-2026_2031.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 (PDF) https://www.so-ups.ru/fileadmin/files/company/future_plan/genshema/public_discussion/2024/genschem_2042_public_disc_fin_an_07.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20230313082829/https://www.so-ups.ru/fileadmin/files/company/future_plan/public_discussion/2023/final/62_Sverdlovskaja_oblast_fin.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2023-03-13.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 https://web.archive.org/web/20240125145641/https://www.so-ups.ru/odu-ural/odu-ural-zone/krupneishie-obekty-ehlektrogeneracii-oehs-urala/reftinskaja-grehs/. Archived from the original on 2024-01-25.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "Рефтинская ГРЭС показала рост эффективности в 2021 году". sibgenco.online. February 15, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Выработка СГК в 2022г достигла рекордного уровня, увеличившись почти на 14%". www.bigpowernews.ru. January 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "В 2025 году самый большой рост выработки показали Приморская ГРЭС и красноярские станции СГК". sibgenco.online. 22 January 2026. Retrieved April 2026.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ Reftinskaya GRES, Enel OGK-5 website, accessed Mar. 2014.
- ↑ Reftinskaya GRES Coal CHP Power Plant Russia, Global Energy Observatory, accessed Mar. 2014.
- ↑ Рефтинская ГРЭС, Wikipedia (Russian), accessed June 2018.
- ↑ Elena Mazneva, "Enel May Sell Its Biggest Power Plant in Russia as Profit Slips," Bloomberg, April 5, 2016.
- ↑ Источник: интерес к покупке Рефтинской ГРЭС проявили три компании, TASS, 16 Jan. 2018.
- ↑ Рефтинская ГРЭС наконец сменит владельца, Komersant, Jun. 6, 2019
- ↑ Fitch подтвердило рейтинги "Энел Россия" на уровне "ВВ+", Investing.com, Dec. 6, 2019
- ↑ Renewables Drive Accelerates as Enel Russia Sells its Largest Coal Power Station, The Moscow Times, Oct. 24, 2019
- ↑ "2020 Enel Russia Annual Report". enelrussia.ru. Retrieved November 2022.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Программы ДПМ и КОММод в электроэнергетике". conomy.ru. February 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 "Директор Рефтинской ГРЭС: «Наша станция не такая и огромная: всего в 2 раза больше следующей по мощности»". sibgenco.online. Jun 17, 2022. Retrieved Jun 29, 2022.
- ↑ К 2026 году СГК модернизирует оборудование своих станций по федеральной программе, infopro54.ru, Dec. 9, 2020
- ↑ СГК инвестирует около 12 млрд рублей в обновление новосибирской ТЭЦ-3, Kommersant.ru, June 8, 2021
- ↑ "Приказ Министерства энергетики РФ от 28 февраля 2022 г. № 146 "Об утверждении схемы и программы развития Единой энергетической системы России на 2022 - 2028 годы"". garant.ru. May 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Рефтинская ГРЭС масштабирует ремонтную программу и входит в ДПМ-2". sibgenco.online. February 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "СГК начнёт модернизацию Рефтинской ГРЭС по ДПМ-2 в 2025г, задержка вызвана срывом срока поставки турбин". www.interfax-russia.ru/. December 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "СГК начнёт модернизацию Рефтинской ГРЭС в начале 2026 года, если получит турбину от «Силмаша»". Peretok (in Russian). Sep 22, 2025. Retrieved Dec 10, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Российское правительство утвердило новые сроки модернизации Рефтинской ГРЭС". eanews.ru. February 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Рефтинская ГРЭС модернизирует энергоблок №1 по программе КОММод". energyland.info. April 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ На Рефтинской ГРЭС подтвердили возможность использования кузбасского угля марки Д, EP Russia, Sep. 7, 2021
- ↑ Ожидания VS реальность. Руководители филиалов СГК подвели итоги уходящего года, SGK Online, Dec. 28, 2021
- ↑ "Рефтинская ГРЭС готова отказаться от экибастузского угля: выверенный шаг или ценовой торг". inbusiness.kz. April 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ ""Богатырь" продолжит греть Россию". www.inbusiness.kz/. April 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "ПРИЛОЖЕНИЕ № 7 к Генеральной схеме размещения объектов электроэнергетики до 2042" (PDF). www.so-ups.ru. November 2024.
{{cite web}}: line feed character in|title=at position 55 (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "К 2030 году Свердловская область может избавиться от половины золоотвалов". Российский экологический оператор. March 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ «Раздался взрыв, потом — треск и на полнеба — искры», URA.RU, 24 Aug. 2016.
- ↑ Investment Program of RAO UES of Russia Thermal Generation Companies for 2006-2010 and Key Power-Generating Equipment Required by OGK/TGK for its Implementation, RAO UES document, Jan. 29, 2007.
- ↑ Reftinskaya GRES, Enel OGK-5 website, accessed Mar. 2014.
- ↑ Enel OGK-5 2012 Annual Report, pp. 50-51, accessed Mar. 2014.
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
