OREANDA-NEWS. On December 01, 2008 The final tests of Unit 4 of Kaunas Hydro Power Plant undergoing the rehabilitation have been completed, reported the press-centre of Lietuvos energija.

Today Alstom Power Sweden AB, the Contractor in the rehabilitation project, presented its conclusions stating that the final tests were carried out in line with all applicable requirements and Unit 4 is fit for use. The tests were started on October 31, at 3.00 p.m. and were finalized on November 29, at 4.00 p.m. 

“The accomplished efficiency increase in the turbine‘s operation – 5.5 percent, although according to the findings of the Kaunas Hydro Power Plant‘s rehabilitation study it had been planned to boost the efficiency of the power plant by 4 percent”, says Juozas Bartlingas, Director of Kaunas Hydro Power Plant. According to him, the tests were carried out abiding by the norms and regulations valid in Lithuania as well as the relevant European standards.

For approval of the power plant’s fitness for use, its is allowed to have no more than five operational or other disturbances during the 336-hour test run, and these disturbances during the entire period can not go beyond 5 hours.  In the course of the final testing the equipment has to be operated at 25 MW capacity, without interruption for 72 hours, with a difference in water levels between Kaunas Lagoon and Nemunas from 18.5 up to 20.5 meters.

The rehabilitation works of Kaunas Hydro Power Plant were started in summer 2005. The value of the project  - LTL 125m. From this amount LTL 30m were assigned from the EU funds according to the Single Programming Document, Measure 1.2 Ensuring of Energy Supply Stability, Accessibility and Improvement of Efficiency. The main goals of the rehabilitation project of Kaunas Hydro Power Plant are the increase of operation efficiency, upgrading of regulation and control processes, sustaining the protection of the environment.

Completion of the tests of Unit 3, scheduled in December, will finalize the first stage of the rehabilitation project of Kaunas Hydro Power Plant. During the first stage, approx. LTL 80m were invested in the project, including the mentioned financial support from the European Union; the remaining part of the investments has been allocated for the second stage - the rehabilitation of Units 1 and 2, to be commenced in 2009.

Kaunas Hydro Power Plant is the branch of Lietuvos energija AB. Its main function in to ensure capacity balances and to regulate regimes. Lietuvos energija AB is a subsidiary of the national investor company LEO LT, AB performing the functions of the owner of the transmission system (110 – 330kV), the system operator and market operator.