OREANDA-NEWS. May 2, 2012.  New hydropower unit # 7 at Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP was put into operation according to the plant's overhaul schedule approved by the Ministry of Energy. The official launching ceremony was attended by Igor Sechin (Deputy Prime Minister), Viktor Zimin (Head of the Government of the Republic of Khakassia) and Yevgeny Dod (Chairman of the Board of RusHydro JSC). 

Igor Sechin put the new hydropower unit into operation using a mobile remote control in the turbine hall of Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP. Before the launch the Deputy Prime Minister also visited the crest of the dam and the. sluiceway entrance  of the plant's bank spillway, which was put into operation last year.

After the launching ceremony at the plant, Igor Sechin held the Government Commission session on elimination of the consequences of the Sayno-Shushenskaya HPP accident. When opening the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out that the works on the overhaul of Sayno-Shushenskaya HPP were carried out in compliance with the established deadlines, and the plant's generation capacity had almost reached its pre-accident level. “Since the beginning of the year the plant has generated 4.1 billion kW-hours of electric power, and since the day of startup of the renewed units ‑ more than 32.9 billion kW-hours,” said Igor Sechin. Participants of the meeting discussed preliminary results of the past autumn and winter period and preparation for passing the flood, as well as the issue of seismic impact upon the structures and equipment of Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP. 

A full cycle of comprehensive commissioning tests preceded the  start of the unit’s under-load operation. Run-up tests of the main and auxiliary equipment were carried out at rated load and operating pressure head (640 MW) during 72 hours under the direct supervision of the equipment manufacturer (Power Machines OJSC) specialist. According to the results of those tests, it was decided that the hydropower unit #7 is ready for commissioning. 

Hydropower unit #7 is already the second new unit put into operation at Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP. Hydropower unit #1 was commissioned earlier in December 2011. Another eight new hydropower units (including complete replacement of the four units, which were renovated and put into operation in 2010), will be installed in the plant's turbine hall within the framework of the second phase of reconstruction of Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP. Three hydropower units are to be put into operation every year till 2014 in accordance with the overhaul schedule for Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP. As a result, Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP will be completely refitted with brand new and state-of-the-art equipment, that has enhanced operational characteristics and meets all reliability and safety requirements.

Power Machines and RusHydro OJSC entered into a contract to produce main power generation equipment, required for the Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP overhaul, in November 2009. Under the terms of the Contract, Power Machines are to manufacture 10 hydroturbines and nine hydrogenerators 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 hydropower units that were put into operation after their overhaul in 2010).

The new equipment has enhanced operational characteristics and meets all reliability and safety requirements. The new hydropower units' service life is extended up to 40 years, while the maximum hydroturbine's efficiency amounts to 96.6%. Its output and cavitation characteristics have been enhanced. The turbines are also going to be equipped with an advanced process safeguard system which automatically shuts down the unit in the event of unacceptable performance deviations of monitored parameters.