Iran has begun supplying gas turbines to Russia to replace German Siemens equipment.
Iran’s MAPNA company has just delivered its first upgraded MGT-70 gas turbine to Russia under a 2022 agreement to export 40 such units.
The Iranian equipment is meant to replace Siemens turbines, which the German company stopped supplying and servicing after the war began.
From now on, Russian power plants will generate electricity using Iranian turbines.
Iran has reached a significant milestone in its technological advancement by exporting an advanced MGT-70 gas turbine to Russia, marking the first time the country has supplied such sophisticated power generation equipment to Moscow.
The deal represents a strategic breakthrough for Iran’s MAPNA Group, which developed the turbine through years of domestic engineering despite Western sanctions. It also underscores the growing economic cooperation between two allies facing illegal Western sanctions.
It also highlights Iran’s emergence as one of the leading manufacturers of heavy industrial equipment capable of competing internationally, particularly among countries seeking alternatives to Western technology suppliers.
For Russia, the acquisition helps address pressing energy infrastructure needs after sanctions disrupted access to maintenance services and spare parts for its Western-made turbines.
The MGT-70 provides a sanctions-proof alternative to aging Siemens units, offering higher efficiency and output, an asset for modernizing Russia’s power generation fleet.
Beyond immediate utility, the transaction establishes a new technological partnership that could shift global energy equipment trade patterns and challenge Western dominance in this strategic sector.
Why is Russia importing Iranian gas turbines?
Russia’s decision to import Iranian gas turbines stems from a critical vulnerability exposed by Western sanctions following its war with Ukraine, which cut off access to essential maintenance services, spare parts, and new equipment from traditional suppliers such as Siemens, GE, and Alstom.
The Russian power sector, which generates approximately 50 percent of its electricity from natural gas and operates about 200 high-capacity gas turbines, historically relied on Western imports for roughly 70% of its new power plant equipment. This created a substantial dependency that has become unsustainable under current geopolitical conditions.
This dependency was dramatically illustrated in 2022 when Canada blocked the return of a repaired Siemens turbine destined for the Nord Stream pipeline.
President Vladimir Putin cited this action as directly hindering Russian gas exports to Europe, underscoring how energy infrastructure has become weaponized in economic conflicts.
Without access to original equipment manufacturers for maintenance and upgrades, Russia faces a gradual degradation of its power generation capacity, particularly for the approximately 100 Siemens V94.2 turbines and 50 GE 9F-series turbines that form the backbone of its efficient power generation fleet.
This has made the search for alternative sources of reliable replacement equipment urgent.
The Iranian MGT-70 presents an ideal solution for Russia’s immediate needs. It is an upgraded, reverse-engineered version of the Siemens V94.2 turbine, offering compatibility with existing infrastructure while delivering enhanced performance characteristics suitable for both replacement and modernization projects
Iran’s MGT-70 gas turbine
With a simple-cycle output of 185 megawatts, compared to the original V94.2’s 157 megawatts, and improved efficiency from 32% to 36.4 percent, the MGT-70 enables Russia to increase power generation capacity from existing facilities without the need for entirely new infrastructure investments. This is particularly valuable for strategic projects in remote regions such as the Far East
Russian energy companies like RusHydro are already deploying these turbines for critical upgrades at facilities such as Khabarovskaya CHPP-4 and Yakutskaya GRES-2, with plans to add approximately 1.3 gigawatts of capacity. This will improve grid reliability and support energy exports through projects like the Power of Siberia-2 pipeline.
Beyond immediate technical needs, the turbine imports deepen strategic ties between two major gas-producing nations facing similar geopolitical pressures. They create a partnership that challenges Western technological monopolies while fostering alternative supply chains within the BRICS economic framework.
From a broader strategic perspective, the turbine imports form one component of expanding energy cooperation between Russia and Iran. This includes a $40 billion memorandum of understanding between Gazprom and the National Iranian Oil Company for joint field development, as well as a recently completed Caspian pipeline project for Russian gas exports to Iran.
This cooperation leverages complementary strengths, Russia’s technical expertise in energy transportation and Iran’s growing capabilities in equipment manufacturing, while reducing both countries’ vulnerability to Western pressure through diversified partnerships.
The transaction also provides Iran with valuable foreign currency earnings and technological validation for its domestic industries, which have developed advanced manufacturing capabilities despite decades of sanctions. It demonstrates how secondary sanctions can stimulate innovation and self-reliance in targeted economies.
Which gas turbines Russia has used?
Russia’s power generation sector has historically relied on a diverse mix of gas turbine technologies, with a substantial portion sourced from Western manufacturers before the imposition of sanctions following the 2022 Ukraine invasion.
The backbone of Russia’s efficient power generation fleet has consisted primarily of Siemens SGT5-2000E turbines (marketed as V94.2 in Russia), with approximately 100 units installed across major combined-cycle power plants such as Surgutskaya GRES-2, providing between 150-160 megawatts of capacity each at efficiency rates of 32-34%.
Complementing these were General Electric’s 9F-series turbines, including the 9F.03 and 9F.05 models, with approximately 50 units delivering 200-300 megawatts each at 35-38 percent efficiency rates, which were critical for peaking capacity at facilities like Shaturskaya GRES and represented some of the most efficient power generation assets in the Russian grid.
Additionally, Russia operated numerous smaller units from various manufacturers, including approximately 20 GE-licensed 6F.03 turbines producing around 80 megawatts each through joint ventures with Inter RAO, though these older units are gradually being phased out due to efficiency concerns and sanctions-related maintenance challenges.
Alongside these imported turbines, Russia has developed domestic manufacturing capabilities through companies like Power Machines and Rostec, though these efforts have historically focused on smaller capacity units or depended on technology transfer partnerships with Western firms.
Power Machines has produced the GTE-65 and GTE-170 turbines, with approximately 20-30 units deployed across various thermal power plants, offering 65 and 170 megawatts of capacity respectively at efficiency rates around 30-34 percent, with some prototypes developed for hydrogen compatibility to address future decarbonization requirements.
More significantly, Rostec’s United Engine Corporation has developed the GTD-110M turbine, which represents Russia’s first fully domestic high-power gas turbine with capacity of 110-120 megawatts and efficiency exceeding 35 percent, with 5-10 units operational by 2024-2025 at facilities like the Udarnaya HPP in Krasnodar, with plans for expansion into gas transport infrastructure and broader power generation applications.
Iran’s MGT-70 gas turbine
Despite these domestic efforts, Russia’s pre-sanctions turbine fleet remained predominantly foreign-origin, with approximately 70 percent of high-capacity units sourced from Western manufacturers, creating significant vulnerability when maintenance and parts supply chains were disrupted.
The post-sanctions landscape has accelerated Russia’s import substitution programs while forcing creative solutions for maintaining existing infrastructure, including increased reliance on Chinese and now Iranian equipment suppliers.
Russia’s domestic production targets aim for 80 percent localization by 2030, with Power Machines ramping production from 8 to 12 turbines annually by 2025, though this still falls short of meeting replacement needs for the extensive fleet of aging Western turbines.
This capacity gap has driven Russia toward partnerships with alternative suppliers, including Harbin Electric of China for certain projects and now MAPNA Group of Iran for the MGT-70 turbines, which offer the particular advantage of being designed as direct replacements for the Siemens V94.2 units that form such a substantial portion of Russia’s existing infrastructure.
The strategic shift toward Iranian turbines reflects both immediate practical needs and broader geopolitical alignment, as Russia seeks to build energy partnerships that are insulated from Western pressure while still providing the technical capabilities required for modern power generation.
What’s the Iranian MGT-70 gas turbine?
The MGT-70 is a heavy-duty, E-class gas turbine developed by Iran’s MAPNA Group through its Turbine Engineering and Manufacturing Company (TUGA), representing a significant achievement in Iran’s sanctions-driven program of technological self-reliance in the energy sector.
This advanced power generation equipment is an upgraded and indigenously produced version of the Siemens V94.2 turbine, reverse-engineered and substantially enhanced through years of research and development to improve its performance characteristics beyond the original design specifications.
The turbine delivers 185 megawatts of gross power output in simple cycle configuration, a substantial increase from the original V94.2’s 157 megawatts, and can achieve up to approximately 330 megawatts when deployed in combined-cycle arrangements with steam turbines, making it suitable for both base load and peak load applications across diverse power generation scenarios.
With gross efficiency of 36.4 percent in simple cycle operation and up to 59 percent in combined-cycle configuration, the MGT-70 exceeds the performance of many global E-class peers from manufacturers like GE and Ansaldo, while maintaining flexibility to operate on natural gas, diesel, or hydrogen blends through Dry Low NOx combustors that minimize emissions output.
The technical improvements incorporated into the MGT-70 include a 16-stage axial flow compressor with variable inlet guide vanes that optimizes performance across different operating conditions, and an advanced turbine section featuring sophisticated cooling systems, single-crystal blades, and thermal coatings that enhance durability and operational life.
The turbine measures approximately 12 meters in length and 4 meters in diameter, with a core engine weight of 186 tons, and is designed for relatively easy maintenance with modular hot gas path components that can be serviced or replaced without complete disassembly of the unit.
Key operational features include fast start-up capability, reaching full load from cold conditions in 17.5 minutes with normal loading or 9 minutes with fast loading protocols, hot-start capability for rapid response to grid demands, and excellent performance in part-load conditions while maintaining low emissions through DLN technology.
The design incorporates two large silo-type combustion chambers with ceramic heat shields and eight hybrid burners per chamber, which allow operation on both gas and oil in premix and diffusion modes while maintaining NOx emissions below 25 ppmvd and CO emissions below 10 ppmvd at 15 percent oxygen concentration.
Beyond its technical specifications, the MGT-70 has been engineered for practical operational requirements in challenging environments, with proven performance in harsh climates similar to Iran’s arid conditions and design features that facilitate maintenance and extend service life.
The turbine offers an operational life exceeding 170,000 equivalent operating hours between major overhauls, with hot gas path inspections typically scheduled at 33,000 EOH and major inspections at 66,000 EOH, though these intervals can be extended based on specific operating conditions and maintenance regimens.
Particularly valuable for operators are design features that enable direct inspection of burners and turbine blades through manholes on the combustion chambers without requiring complete disassembly, significantly reducing maintenance downtime and costs compared to many Western-designed turbines.
With over 180 units operational in Iran’s power grid and successful exports to countries including Iraq and Syria, where a contract for the 3,000-megawatt Rumaila Power Plant in Basra represented the largest technological export in Iran’s history, the MGT-70 has established a track record of reliability that made it suitable for Russia’s demanding energy infrastructure requirements.
In August, MAPNA Group also unveiled its first indigenously developed MGT-75 class-F gas turbine, a step ahead of the existing MGT-70 gas turbines.
The MGT-75 represents a significant technological advancement over the MGT-70, offering increased output of 222 megawatts in simple-cycle operation compared to the MGT-70’s 185 megawatts, while maintaining compatibility with hydrogen-blended fuels for reduced emissions.
This F-class turbine incorporates more sophisticated engineering including a 3D axial compressor and single-crystal turbine blades, allowing it to achieve thermal efficiency exceeding 59% in combined-cycle configuration.
MAPNA Group has positioned the MGT-75 as its new flagship export product, capable of competing with established Western manufacturers while building on the operational experience gained from the MGT-70 platform.
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