OREANDA-NEWS.  January 18, 2012. The ceremony to celebrate the launch of hydro unit No. 1 has taken place today at Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP (the Republic of Khakassia). Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has put the hydro unit No. 1 under load using a mobile remote control board specially brought into the generator hall.

 Unit No. 1 is a brand new hydro unit. Its commissioning has marked the beginning of the second phase of Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP's recovery. During this phase, nine more new hydro units are going to be installed in the turbine room of the plant, four of such units, which were overhauled and put into operation in 2010, are going to be completely replaced. Until 2014, three hydro units are to be launched annually. As the result, by 2014 Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP will be fully modernized with brand new and state-of-the-art equipment with enhanced operating characteristics and meeting all the necessary reliability and safety requirements.

 The new hydro units' service life is extended up to 40 years, while the maximum hydroturbine efficiency amounts to 96.6%. Its output and cavitation characteristics are enhanced as well. The turbines are also equipped with an advanced process safeguard system that automatically shuts down a unit in case any unacceptable performance deviations are found in the monitored parameters.

 Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin, Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko, Prime Minister of the Republic of Khakassia Viktor Zimin, Chairman of the Board of RusHydro JSC Yevgeny Dod, Director General of Power Machines OJSC Igor Kostin, as well as representatives of regional authorities and a number of Russian agencies, design and construction organizations, research institutes and equipment manufacturers have also attended the official ceremony of launching.

 Prior to putting the hydro unit No.1 into operation, the start-up and commissioning works were carried out, during which the performance tests at all operating modes were carried out, including working under load.

 Power Machines OJSC continue to manufacture the equipment for Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP. All the operations are duly and excellently performed as confirmed by experts from supervising organizations. By now Power Machines have manufactured and shipped four hydro turbines and six hydro generators to the plant, and continue the shipment of the fifth hydro turbine and seventh generator.

 Power Machines and RusHydro entered into a contract to produce main power generation equipment, needed for the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP recovery, in November 2009. Under the terms of the Contract, Power Machines are to manufacture 10 hydro turbines and nine hydro generators with a capacity of 640 MW each, as well as six excitation systems (one new generator and four of the six excitation systems have already been manufactured and installed at the hydro units that were put into operation after being overhauled in 2010. By 2014, Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP will be fully provided with brand new and state-of-the-art equipment with enhanced operating performance characteristics and meeting all the necessary reliability and safety requirements.