On the 16th of May, 2017 the Nevskii Factory of “REP Holding” was visited by the Head of Government, Dmitriy Medvedev. He was accompanied by deputy Chair of Government, Arkadii Dvorkovich, the Minister of Energy, Alexander Novak, heads of other Ministries and relevant agencies. The aim was to see the manufacturing facilities of the company, and to hold a retreat session of the Government panel for Import Substitution . Top-level officials were met by the president of “REP Holding”, Tagir Nigmatulin, by the top managers of the company, and by the Director General of Nevskii Factory, Aleksei Popkov, and, on behalf of the share-holder, by the Gazprombank Board member, Aleksander Stepanov.

Visit program started from seeing the production shops of the company. Modern high-tech processing machines, test benches, and samples of products released within the import substitution program were demonstrated to the Government delegation. Products of “REP Holding” are widely used in the projects of new construction and complex modernization in the oil and gas, metallurgical and chemical industries.

In particular, Dmitriy Medvedev visited the sites of batch production of the licensed gas turbine MS5002E, which is a basis for the gas-pumping units GPA-32 “Ladoga”. These units are widely used in the sites of Gazprom and its subsidiaries: since 2009 “REP Holding” has manufactured and supplied 53 units, and three more GPAs will be supplied for “Sila Sibiri” (Power of Siberia) Project in this year.

The delegation could also estimate the stationary 16 MW turbine which is unique in the Russian market, and was designed and created by the engineers of “REP Holding” in cooperation with GE Oil&Gas. New installation is featured by high efficiency, reliability and utter environmental values.

The Head of the Government was much interested in designing of LNG Plant construction project in Vysotsk Port. Designers of “REP Holding” were first in Russia to develop the mixed refrigerant compressor which took the key position in the middle-size liquefied gas generation process sequence. Involvement in Vysotsk LNG plant project enables the company to commercialize one more turbine. i.e. 25 MW turbine. GTU production is localized by “REP Holding” in accordance with the agreement for cooperation with the Solar Turbines company.

In the beginning of the session of the Government Panel for import substitution Dmitriy Medvedev highly appraised the strategic policy of “REP Holding” and its company.

‘History of Nevskii factory started 160 years ago. It is one of the oldest companies in Saint-Petersburg. This is important to remember that the company’s facilities were modernized. Modernization has been performed here since 2007. The results are obvious: new shops are constructed, modern processing equipment have been purchased and, above all that, production of modern products (modern turbines) has been implemented including all competences. The colleagues have told what is being done for current substitution of imported products and brought in suggestions. I would ask the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Energy and other agencies to pay their attention to them. I will request our colleagues from Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Energy and other agencies to check also the suggestions which were implemented in the production facilities for import substitution”, the Head of Government said.

Also Dmitriy Medvedev expressed his opinion briefly about Nevskii factory when talking to the employees of the company.

“You deal with top level technologies. Just have a look on the processing machines only… I was on the factories of Nevskii district for the on-job training in 1980s. I remember how and what it was here. Everything was different. This is what impresses. Your products are localized on a high level”, the Prime Minister noticed.

The head of the Government was asked not only about the social aspects, but also about the professional training. Employees of Nevskii Factory requested the Head to elaborate on what measures are taken by the Government to improve the reputation of the blue-collar jobs.

“The blue-collar jobs are again appreciated. We search to significantly promote such qualifications. But the engineer cannot work without the physical labor force, therefore the task is to intensify vocational college education. Our production facilities need vocational college graduates. And hereby they shall be well trained competent employees with a good salary. And such programs exist, and we are going to proceed with them together with the employers. I talked with your managers about that. This programs work only when the employer and the government cooperate to fulfill them”, Dmitriy Medvedev emphasized.

In the end of the conversation the Head of the Government congratulated the employees on the factory turning 160 years very soon. Dmitriy Medvedev wished the team to have valuable future-oriented orders and expressed his confidence that Nevskii factory would be able to cope with any technical tasks.