Restoring normal operations at the Sayano-Shushenskaya power station
After the accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya Hydroelectric Power Station on August 17, 2009, the government made it a priority to bring generating unit No. 3 back into operation in December 2010. It is one of the station's four generating units slated for repairs after the station was thoroughly examined for damage after the accident. The work included the replacement of the unit's generator and the repairs of its hydro-turbine equipment. It is the fourth generating unit made fully operational at the station. Earlier this year, in February, March and August, generating units Nos. 6, 5 and 4, respectively, were repaired and restarted. The commissioning of the fourth generating unit has increased the station's capacity by another 640 megawatts, bringing it up to 2,560 megawatts.
Generating unit No. 3 differs significantly from the other three units repaired earlier this year. It has a new, modern automated control system developed by Russia's leading manufacturer of power equipment, Power Machines (Siloviye Mashini).
Electricity generated by the Sayano-Shushenskaya Power Station enhances the reliability of energy supplies in Siberia and will help meet the peak demand for electricity throughout the autumn and winter of 2010 and 2011. Additionally, now water can flow through the dam in the normal mode without the discharge of wastewater, thereby contributing to the safety of the station's hydraulic facilities.
On June 1, 2010, hydraulic engineers accomplished another important task by completing the construction of the first phase of the bank spillway on schedule. When commissioned in 2011, this facility will ensure the safe operation of the station even during the periods of major flooding on the Yenisei.
The renovation of Russia's major power station will continue in 2011: six new generating units, which are being manufactured by Power Machine, will be installed in the station's turbine room. The four generating units that were repaired and put into operation in 2010 will be subsequently dismantled and replaced with new ones. The life of the new generating units will be extended to 40 years, and the maximum efficiency of the hydraulic turbines will reach 96.6%. The turbines will have better power and cavitational capabilities, and a more effective technological protection system that will automatically bring them to a halt in the event of any unacceptable deviation of the normal parameters of their operation. The first new hydraulic generating unit will be installed in the station's turbine room in December 2011.
The renovation of the Sayano-Shushenskaya Power Station is expected to be completed before the end of 2014. The station will have only brand new waterpower equipment with improved performance capabilities that will meet all the reliability and safety requirements.
