OREANDA-NEWS. On 10 September 2009 was announced, that JSC RusHydro’s Board of Directors held a regular meeting (conducted in person) to discuss measures to eliminate consequences of the accident that occurred on August 17th, 2009 in the turbine room at the Company’s Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP.

RusHydro’s Board of Directors has approved a preliminary action plan to ensure the safe operation of the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP during the 2009 - 2010 autumn winter period, as well as during 2010 high-water periods.

Under the preliminary plan, the main measures are designed to ensure the safe operation of hydro-engineering structures and the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP’s reservoir, as well as the safe operation of the HPP building, the turbine room and equipment, and to ensure the operability of auxiliary systems, as well as labor protection, industrial and fire safety.

To date, all necessary steps have been carried out as required for current operations and involving provisions for the power station’s own needs, the operation of structures and equipment, the establishment of a water regime, as well as provisions for industrial safety and labor protection.

RusHydro’s Board of Directors has approved the preliminary consolidated time schedule for the performance of the main types of work necessary to restore the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP.

The preliminary consolidated time schedule for the performance of the principal types of work to restore the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP envisages:

partial reconstruction of the 4 hydro-units –  Nos. 4, 5, 6 and 3 – that suffered the least damage from the accident, with temporary start-up;

complete replacement of six hydro-units – Nos.  1, 2, and 7-10 –  with a possible increase in the unit capacity of each of these units;

extended reconstruction of four hydro-units for temporary operation  –  Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6.

RusHydro’s Board of Directors has taken notice of preliminary organizational and technical measure plans to ensure the accelerated start-up of the shore spillway.

In connection with the accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP, in order to ensure the safe release of high water in  2010, by a resolution of the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and on the basis of results on considering measures to eliminate the consequences of the accident and to organize work to ensure stable power supply to consumers in the Siberian grid, it was decided on August 21st, 2009 that completion of the shore spillway will be financed from the federal budget.

By a resolution issued from the headquarters of the Russian Ministry of Power for the restoration of the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP issued on August 29th, 2009, it was decided to accelerate the construction and commissioning of the shore spillway and its start-up complex by more than one year.  

The start-up complex consists of: an intake portal, a right spillway tunnel and a full volume junction sector.  The scheduled start-up date is June 1st, 2010. Commissioning of the completed complex is scheduled for September 2011.

RusHydro’s Board of Directors has approved a plan of measures to upgrade the environmental situation at the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP.

From August 18th, 2009, round-the-clock work has been carried out to gather up water and oil emulsion from the HPP’s turbine room and from the sector of the upper pool of the Company’s Mainskaya HPP.  Work to collect water and oil emulsion and to clean the banks in the area of the Mainskaya HPP’s upper pool has been completed; work in the turbine room is still in progress and another approximately 20 cubic meters of oil need to be gathered up.  As of September 3rd, 2009, 933 cubic meters of water and oil emulsion have been collected, including 773 cubic meters from the turbine room and 160 cubic meters from the upper pool; and 546 cubic meters have been handed over for disposal.

As a result of the accident, the HPP’s oil-filled equipment was destroyed and oil spilled into the turbine room, as well as into the Yenisei River.  Measures to improve the environmental situation at the HPP envisage:

·   Compiling an oil balance;

·   Assessing possible environmental damage;

·   Monitoring water quality in the lower pool of the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP.

RusHydro’s Board of Directors has taken notice of the principal plans of action to restore infrastructure at the Company’s Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP.

To provide for the effective operation of the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP (including during the 2009 – 2010 autumn-winter period and under 2010 high water conditions), the performance of restoration work at the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP and renewing power generation at the station, rapid and efficient restoration and creation work is required   on the necessary infrastructure at the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP.