Kirovsky Kompressor adds welding shop for Russian parts

Kirovsky Kompressor has started building an additional production building for welding, shot blasting, and painting as it moves oil-free compressor production onto its own floor. The company says the project is driven both by a lack of space and by a push to rely less on outside suppliers.

The plan is to complete construction in August, with the site expected to begin operating in September. The new building will house the plant’s “dirty” and fire-hazard operations, keeping welding separate from mechanical processing so scale and sparks do not reach machine tools and finished assemblies.

Alongside the welding equipment, the facility will include a shot-blasting section and a paint-coating chamber. In parallel, the main production building is being upgraded with new electrical discharge, surface grinding, and vertical milling machining centers.

The company expects its own welding section to let it manufacture components that were previously outsourced. It aims to fully equip its machine fleet by the end of 2026 and reach planned output of oil-free compressors made from Russian components by mid-2027.

Recommended reading

Vietnam taps RusHydro to upgrade Soviet-era dams

Those compressors are used to compress natural gas at automotive gas filling compressor stations. The segment is relatively small, but it is directly tied to the development of gas-powered transport and the buildout of fueling infrastructure in Russia.