19 March 2009 - GE Energy is to open a new facility in the Kaluga Region - about 180km southwest of Moscow - that will provide services for GE power generation equipment installed in Russia and the Central Asian States.

The Kaluga facility will include an office building and industrial shop, and in its first phase will handle the repair and service of GE heavy-duty gas turbine components.

GE Energy anticipates that the facility, once fully operational, will employ between 50 to 100 highly skilled Russian engineers and service staff. Commissioning and startup of the center is scheduled for the first quarter of 2011.

"The establishment of the Kaluga service center is part of our multi-step localization plan for Russia," said Rod Christie, CEO, GE Energy Central & Eastern Europe, Russia and CIS. "All of our work in Russia supports the country's broader goals to promote energy security, efficiency and reduce environmental impact by utilizing world-class technologies."

Christie added that GE's commitment to the region includes "collaborating with Russian companies to supply products, services and technologies as well as ensuring that our Russian customers have full access to all of our technical, operational and engineering resources."

The Kaluga service centre will include an office building and an industrial shop dedicated to the latest technologies for the repair of heavy-duty gas turbine nozzles, transition pieces, combustion liners, power nozzles and rotors; and the repair and overhaul of Jenbacher gas engines.