Central power plant of city tramlines was established in 1906–1907 to supply electricity to the city tramway network – as a part of construction of first tramway line.

In 1913 – 1916 the plant underwent the first significant modernization related to extension of tramway network in Saint Petersbug.

On July 28, 1918, the plant along with others was nationalized and started getting managed by Petrograd commune.

On May 17, 1919,the central city tramway power plant became a part of newly organized Association of State Power Plants (OGES) as GES No. 4 (State Power Plant). In 1922, OGES was converted into the Petrograd Electric Power Plant Trust “Petrotok”, and in April 1924, it became the Leningrad Association of State Power Plants “Elektrotok”, in July 1932, it became Lenenergo.

In 1920s,GES No. 4 participated in resolution of issues related to implementation of GOELRO plan: it partakes in local fuels adoption experiments. In March 1921, for the first time in the Soviet Union, professor T. F. Makaryev tested his own invention – shaft-chain furnace.

In 1929, GES No. 4 was among the first power plants of the city to start supplying heat to buildings of Leningrad. In the same year, GES No. 4 started supplying steam to an external facility – a steam pipeline connected the plant with the Botkin Hospital.

In 1936–1939, CKTI employees experimented at GES No. 4 on burning milled peat and fluidized slate in new cyclone furnaces created by professor T. F. Makaryev.

В 1936-1939, GES No. 4 served as a base to CKTI employees for design and construction of the first semi-industrial plant in the world that works by the binary principle and utilizes liquid metal coolant.

In 1938, GES No. 4 was excluded from Lenenergo and handed over to the Central Boiler and Turbine Scientific Research and Design Institute (CKTI). The plant got the new name – State Experimental Power Plant CKTI (GEES CKTI).

In 1938—1941, specially equipped GEES CKTI test beds were used for experimental research of turbine aerodynamics, circulation and processes inside boiler, heat exchange and aerodynamics of boiler units, binary cycles, steam separation, furnaces.

In August 1941, in the beginning of the Great Patriotic War GEES CKTI was included into Lenenergo again due to the evacuation of the institute.

In 1942, the plant adapted production of 50 Hz electricity and started working in parallel with Lenenergo system.

During the blockade, the plant kept supplying heat and electricity to the Botkin Hospital, Haass Hospital, the adjacent residential buildings.

In 1944, the plant was returned to CKTI. After the war, the power plant undergoes restoration and serves as an experimental base for CKTI.

Since 1950s up to this day, CKTI Cogeneration Plant has been supporting the experimental research conducted by CKTI (since 1976 – NPO CKTI), as well as supplying heat and electricity to several industrial and municipal facilities of Cmolninsky and Nevsky districts of Leningrad (today, Central and Nevsky districts of Saint Petersburg).

The main fuel used at the Cogeneration Plant is natural gas (supplied by Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Saint-Petersburg LLC); the reserve fuel is heating oil (the required winter for CKTI Cogeneration Plant is 3.676 thousand tons).

Equipment: 3 turbine generators (6 MW each), 8 boiler units (including: 7 steam 1 one hot water boiler).

According to boiler certificate data, summary heating power of boilers is 425 t/h or 386 Gcal/h. According to parameter tables, the actual summary power of boilers is 375 t/h or 338 Gcal/h.