OREANDA-NEWS. September 17, 2012.  The last, and the tenth in succession hydroturbine impeller for Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP (SShHPP) has been manufactured, tested and handed over to the Customer's representatives by Power Machines OJSC ahead of schedule.

The impeller having a diameter of 6.84 meters and a weight of 145 tons has arrived to the Power Machines’ finished products warehouse after acceptance of the equipment by the Customer's representatives – the anonymous non-profit organization (ANO) Soyuzexpertiza, which is a branch of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, endowed with all the powers to carry out outside control as per resolution of RusHydro JSC. By finishing the manufacture of the last impeller Power Machines have fulfilled ahead of schedule the production program for manufacturing of large-sized hydraulic equipment with a view of its further sending by water routes during the navigation period of summer 2012.

The shipment of the last consignment of large-sized equipment, which will include apart from the impeller, a generator bearing oil baths (weight – 21 tons, diameter – 6.1 m) and a 13 ton frame of auxiliary generator rotor (6.09 m in diameter) is scheduled for the second half of August this year.

The hydropower units under plant's numbers 6, 5, 4 and 3, least damaged during the accident, were overhauled at Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP in 2010. In 2011 RusHydro JSC launched the second phase of the SShHPP overhaul. During this stage ten brand new hydropower units are to be installed in the plant’s turbine hall.  At the same time the four machines that were brought back to operation in 2010 after their renovation, are to be replaced with new ones as well. In accordance with the SShHPP overhaul works schedule, the first hydropower unit (under plant’s No. 1) was put into operation in December 2011 and the second unit (under plant's No. 7) – in March 2012. The third new hydropower unit (under plant’s No. 8) was successfully put into operation in mid-June this year as well.  

At present the operating capacity of Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP amounts to 3200 MW (a half of the design capacity – 6400 MW). Hydropower units No. 1, 3, 4, 7 and 8 are in operation now. The hydropower units No. 5 and 6 that were reconstructed first have been put out of operation in order to replace their equipment. Hydropower unit No. 9 is currently being installed. It is to be put into operation by the end of this year. 

Three brand new hydropower units are to be put into operation annually till 2014 in accordance with the SShHPP overhaul works schedule. As a result, by 2014 Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP will have been completely fitted out with brand new and state-of-the-art equipment with enhanced performance characteristics and meeting all reliability and safety requirements. The new units’ service life is extended up to 40 years, while the maximum hydroturbine’s efficiency amounts to 96.6%. Its output and cavitation characteristics are enhanced as well. The turbines are also equipped with an advanced process protection system, which automatically shuts down a unit in case of unacceptable function mode deviations of monitored parameters.

Power Machines OJSC carries out the production and mounting of the new hydropower units, including installation supervision and commissioning works. Under the terms of the contract Power Machines are to manufacture 10 hydroturbines and nine hydrogenerators each having a capacity of 640 MW, as well as six excitation systems (one new generator and four of the six excitation systems have already been manufactured and installed at the hydropower units that were put into operation after their overhaul in 2010).