Gorkovskaya HPP in Russia

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Gorkovskaya HPP is a low-pressure run-of-river hydroelectric power plant on the Volga. It is located in the Nizhny Novgorod region and connects the cities of Zavolzhye and Gorodets. HPP capacity is 1513 million kW/h, the station is the fourth stage of the Volga-Kama cascade of hydroelectric power plants. Today it is part of the energy corporation RusHydro.

Start of construction

The construction of the Gorkovskaya hydroelectric power station began in 1948, the country, barely recovering from the devastating war, was in dire need of energy resources to restore the industry. The station has become a testing ground for technical innovations and discoveries. More than 15 thousand people took part in its construction. The urban environment, factories and industrial enterprises were built simultaneously with the dam. After the launch of the station, the cities of Gorodets and Zavolzhye received an impetus to the development of not only industrial production, but also the social sphere.

During the construction of the Gorky hydroelectric power station in Zavolzhye and Gorodets, about 8.5 thousand private houses andmore than 700 government buildings from the surrounding villages that fell under the flood plan. By 1951, 2 micro-districts were put into operation with a complete social infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, houses of culture and other facilities.

In April 1951, the preparatory work was completed, the laying of concrete began. In memory of this event, a memorial plaque was laid at the bottom of the first power unit. In October of the same year, the technical design of the Gorkovskaya HPP was finally adopted. During 1953, the building of the hydroelectric station and locks were under construction.

Main stages of work

On August 12, 1953, the pit of the Gorkovskaya hydroelectric power station was completely filled, two days later the first ships were let through by the locks. On August 24 of the same year, a unique event took place - in just 10 hours, the Volga channel was blocked. Builders and engineers used an innovative method of backfilling the channel - trucks dumped large stones and specially cast concrete blocks into the Volga from a built pontoon bridge.

The reservoir of the Gorkovskaya HPP on October 25, 1955 was filled to the mark of 75 meters. In October of the same year, the first hydroelectric unit was launched, and in December three more units were put into operation. The next four hydraulic machines were installed and launched in December 1956. The filling of the reservoir to the working level was fully completed in July 1957.

In December 1959, the capacity of the Gorkovskaya hydroelectric power station reached its planned targets, which is 520 MW. The station was put into permanent operation on November 291961. The object received its current name "Nizhny Novgorod HPP" in 1991.

General information

All the dams of the Gorkovskaya hydroelectric power station stretched for more than 18.6 kilometers, which was an absolute record for the country during the construction period. The hydraulic structure includes:

• Spillway Dam.
• Seven fill earth dams.
• Three dams.
• Shipping locks.
• The building of the Gorky HPP.

The project of the station was created by the Hydroproject Institute. The planned capacity of the station is 520 MW, during the year the output reaches an average of 1.51 billion kWh. The turbine hall has 8 hydraulic units with rotary-blade turbines, each with a capacity of 65 MW. The turbines were manufactured and delivered to the station by the Leningrad plant Electrosila.

The length of the pressure front stretches for 13 km (the Gorky Sea), the maximum height of the Gorkovskaya HPP dam is 40 meters. The catchment dam has a length of 291 meters, the number of spans consists of 12 structures with a width of 20 meters.

Navigation facilities

Navigation facilities of the Gorkovskaya hydroelectric power station include four locks, an upstream outport, and a water area in the downstream. The design of the locks is two-chamber, each chamber is a separate structure in the upper and lower pools. The two extreme points of the navigable facilities are separated by the middle pool, in which the Gorodetsky ship repair plant is located, and in winter river vessels settle here.

On the upper platform of the damThe Gorkovskaya HPP is crossed by a two-lane highway connecting the cities of Zavolzhye and Gorodets. A railway track with a dead end in the engine room of the hydroelectric station was laid on the territory of the station.

Operation

Gorkovskaya HPP is one of the largest transport and energy hubs. In addition to the main purpose - supplying energy to the region - the construction of the hydroelectric complex improved navigation along the Volga. Work to improve the design of the station began during its construction. In the 1960s, the wheel chambers of hydraulic units were lined with stainless steel. Until 1986, a partial reconstruction of the hydroelectric units themselves was carried out.

In 1991, the Gorky hydroelectric power station was renamed Nizhny Novgorod. A year later, the hydropower plant received the legal status of a branch of RAO UES of Russia. In 1993, the Nizhegorodskaya HPP was incorporated and registered as an OJSC. Since December 2004, the company has come under the control of RusHydro.

Uniqueness and value

Gorkovskaya HPP in Russia has become a pioneer in the introduction of many technical innovations. For the first time, during the construction of a hydroelectric complex, the vibro-immersion of a sheet pile was put into practice. This move has reduced construction costs by 43%.

During the construction of the facility, Konstantin Sevenard, who served as the chief engineer of the HPP, proposed and successfully implemented the construction of a freezing ice-ground curtain. The technology made it possible to limit the flow of water into the pit, where the main structures were built.

A project was implemented for the first time at the Gorkovskaya HPPconstruction of a lower type building, which allows to place hydraulic units in the engine room with access for maintenance by an external crane, with a lifting capacity of 500/50 tons.

The construction of the Nizhny Novgorod hydroelectric power station solved several urgent problems - the production of inexpensive energy from renewable sources, the emergence of a deep-sea route along the Volga, capable of passing large-tonnage ships. The hydroelectric dam connected the two banks of the river, which dramatically improved transport links in the region.

Reconstruction

Since 2012, the Gorkovskaya HPP has been implementing a global modernization program. The project should be completed in 2020. In the course of the work, the blades of transformer turbines are being replaced, the control system of the units is being modernized, and crane equipment is being replaced.

One of the main steps of the project is the replacement of hydraulic power equipment, with the installation of more powerful machines. After completion of this phase, the operating capacity of the hydroelectric power plant will reach 560 MW. In addition to work on fixed assets, the gates of shipping locks are being replaced.

Museum

Photos of the Gorkovskaya hydroelectric power station, historical and modern, can be viewed in large numbers in the museum dedicated to the construction and development of the station. The exposition was opened in 2008 and clearly demonstrates how the country's energy potential has grown. The stands tell about the prospects and plans for the further work of the industry no less fully.

Professionals who created a specialatmosphere in the halls. Decor elements imitate various designs of the Nizhny Novgorod hydroelectric power station. In the halls, in addition to historical items from the period of construction of the facility, digitized information materials have been collected, which can be viewed using touch panels.

Electrified maps and artfully crafted mock-ups enjoy the attention of visitors. For example, the miniature exhibit "Water Mill" is the starting point of the story about what a hydro turbine is and how far technology has gone from its prototype.