Zorya-Mashproekt, a company in Ukraine that specializes in gas turbine production, has a particular connection to natural gas – particularly Russian natural gas. Zorya manufactures gas turbines for industrial and marine applications. Forecast International has previously reported on Zorya-Mashproekt with regard to its dealings with the Russian Navy in supplying marine turbines. But what of industrial gas turbines, particularly for use in compressing natural gas?
Natural gas is a major component of the Russian economy, as demonstrated by the importance of Nord Stream 2, but getting the gas to market requires compressor stations – and not just a few, but many. Compressor stations for natural gas are needed to compress the gas for continuous movement down a pipeline. Compressor stations need to be placed every 40 to 70 miles (roughly 65 to 110 km) on a particular pipeline to move the gas. Compression is usually provided by gas turbines, and this is where Zorya-Mashproekt comes in.
Company literature from 2016 states that 1,150 Zorya compression turbines had been installed to that point, with a vast majority located in Russia. As relations between Russia and the United States have soured, with U.S. President Joe Biden now saying that invasion of Ukraine by Russia is imminent, what would happen if all that machinery would no longer be available for overhaul by Zorya-Mashproekt? Do the Russians now have the capability to repair these machines? Are they going to replace these machines with products from the homegrown UEC Saturn or Perm?
These questions remain unanswered, but besides fighting over land with little industry, only to result in needless casualties, why not let the gas flow as it has since the fall of the USSR?
Carter Palmer has long held a keen interest in military matters and aviation. As an analyst for Industrial & Marine Turbine Forecast, Carter specializes in examining key gas turbine programs for electrical power generation, mechanical drive, and marine propulsion applications. He is also responsible for updating the reports and analyses within the Space Systems Forecast – Launch Vehicles & Manned Platforms and Space Systems Forecast – Satellites & Spacecraft products.
