Russian bid to modernize PPC lignite units
Moscow has proposed bringing Russian equipment for the modernization of the lignite units of Public Power Corporation, just as PPC is planning a strategic cooperation with China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) for the same project.
The interest of Russian companies in the PPC overhaul was expressed in the context of a Greek-Russian energy conference that took place in Athens last week. Meeting on the sidelines of the event, Andrey Proklonsky, a senior official of Group Energocenter – whose members include major Russian state firms such as the Tyazhmash Group of Companies, Zarubezhvodstroy Joint Stock Company, Minskstroy State Industrial Association, Gidromontazh Trust etc – presented PPC chief Manolis Panayiotakis with a detailed proposal for the financing and installation of new equipment at the old lignite units of Greece’s main power company.
The proposal, as described by Proklonsky himself to Kathimerini, concerns the replacement of aged equipment at eight PPC units – with a total capacity of 2 gigawatts – with state-of-the-art machinery. Asked about PPC’s agreement with CMEC, Proklonsky appeared unconcerned by competition from China.
