OREANDA-NEWS.  Hydropower unit No. 4, the eighth of the renewed units, has been launched during the final stage of the restoration and overhaul programme at Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP. The equipment was manufactured and installed by Power Machines OJSC engineers. The command to launch the hydropower unit was given by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin.

Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP is being restored in strict compliance with the schedule set by the Government Comission. Hydropower unit No. 4, the least damaged during the accident, was put into service in August 2010 after it had been overhauled. Two and a half years after, the hydropower unit was taken out of service for renovation in order to replace its main and auxiliary equipment with new equipment. Running at base conditions, the unit had generated more than 11.5 bln kWh of electricity over that period.

During the renovation, all of the unit’s main and auxiliary equipment – hydro turbine, generator, automated control, protection, excitation, vibration and thermal control systems – was replaced with new equipment. A range of commissioning services was provided such as individual comprehensive testing of hydropower unit equipment and systems including a 72-hour comprehensive load trial. All tests were run in accordance with the documentation supplied by the manufacturer – Power Machines OJSC – with process parameters continuously monitored. As a result, the working committee signed a certificate permitting the unit to be put into operation.

The contract to manufacture and installation power equipment required to restore and renovate Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP was executed between Power Machines and RusHydro JSC in November 2009. In compliance with the contract terms, the group was to manufacture 10 hydro turbines and 9 hydro generators with a capacity of 640 MW each. New equipment was manufactured and supplied to the plant ahead of schedule, between November 2010 and January 2013.

Today the operating capacity of Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP is 5120 MW with hydropower units No. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 being in service. Power Machines continue working as the General Contractor, installing main equipment for hydropower units No. 3 and 2 as well as related automated control systems. These are scheduled to be put into operation in June and October 2014, after which Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP will achieve its design capacity of 6400 MW.