Krasnoyarsk, August 19, 2019 - En+ Group, a leading vertically integrated aluminum and power producer, has begun a major overhaul of hydraulic unit No. 12 at the Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Power Plant (the “HPP”). The upgrade is being carried out as part of the “New Energy” modernization program of En+’s hydroelectric power plants.
This is the first major refurbishment to be carried out on the station’s main equipment in 2019.
Hydraulic unit No. 12 was first put into operation in 1971. Every six years each of the HPP’s 12 hydraulic units are required to undergo a full refurbishment. Constant monitoring and ongoing repairs ensure that the equipment remains in good working condition in between refurbishments.
Before the start of the 2019 refurbishment, the equipment underwent mandatory tests, including vibration testing, which showed that it continued to comply with required standards, confirming that the hydraulic unit remains fit for operation.
During the refurbishment, all of the machine’s main components and auxiliary equipment will undergo a thorough check and any defects including cavitation damage, metal corrosion in the flow path, on the runner and other details will be repaired.
The hydrogenerator at hydroelectric unit No. 12 underwent a major reconstruction in 2013. Since then, digital secondary switching devices have been replaced periodically. Now a set of installation and commissioning works will be carried out at the unit as part of the technical re-equipment of the relay protection and automation systems, vibration control and an automated process control system in order to optimize operating modes and diagnose equipment conditions, improve technical and economic indicators, and increase the reliability of the entire system. The updated system (the same system has been installed at of the station’s hydraulic units) will alert and quickly prevent emergency shutdowns, which can lead to serious damage to the hydraulic unit.
The refurbishment of hydraulic unit No. 12 is expected to be completed in September 2019. The company does not expect the refurbishment process to have an impact on the station’s overall production, nor will there will be any idle water discharge.
Krasnoyarsk HPP’s upgrade programme is part of the large-scale modernisation programme 'New Energy' being implemented at En+ Group’s Angara-Yenisei cascade HPPs (Ust-Ilimsk, Bratsk, Irkutsk and Krasnoyarsk HPPs). 'New Energy' is a key investment project for En+ Group’s power generating assets. One of the project’s main priorities is to improve the reliability and safety of all plants, including Bratsk HPP.
As part of the Group wide programme, four runners have already been replaced at Ust-Ilimsk HPP, all 12 hydraulic units and two runners have been replaced at Krasnoyarsk HPP, and the upgrade of Irkutsk HPP began in July 2019. The first fully upgraded hydraulic unit will be commissioned in July 2020 and the remaining three will be replaced by 2023. As a result of these upgrades, the capacity of each unit will increase from 82.8 MW to 105.7 MW.
Through the use of modern equipment at the HPPs, En+ will raise efficiency, reduce repair costs, and improve the performance of both the units and the entire stations. As part of this programme, a comprehensive series of replacements is being carried out, encompassing both primary (hydraulic units, runners) and auxiliary equipment. The programme is due to be fully implemented by 2046. Investments will amount to RUB 21 bln by 2026, including funds already invested in the project. Additional investments by 2046, based on the current prices, amount to c. RUB 34 bln.
As a result of the HPP equipment upgrades, the total additional power generated in H1 2019 from the same volume of water amounted to 595 mln kWh. This helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the Group’s operations by 690,000 tonnes.
En+ Group’s Siberian HPPs are expected to increase their production of clean electricity by 2 bln kWh from 2022, while using the same volume of water passing through the plants’ turbines. This will reduce the Group's greenhouse gas emissions by 2.3 mln tonnes per year, which will have a positive impact on the environment in Siberia and globally.
