En+ Group, the world’s leading producer of low-carbon aluminium and largest private sector generator of hydropower, announces the launch of a new Hydroelectric Unit No.2 at Irkutsk HPP. Investment in the project, which involved the complete replacement of the old hydroelectric unit as part of the Group’s "New Energy" modernization program, totaled over 1 bn rubles.
November 23, 2020, Irkutsk - En+ Group, the world’s leading producer of low-carbon aluminium and largest private sector generator of hydropower, announces the launch of a new Hydroelectric Unit No.2 at Irkutsk HPP. Investment in the project, which involved the complete replacement of the old hydroelectric unit as part of the Group’s "New Energy" modernization program, totaled over 1 bn rubles.
The new hydroelectric unit has an increased capacity of 105.7 MW, compared to the previous equipment which had capacity of 82.8 MW, and will be more reliable. The unit’s increased capacity will join the power system supply by the end of March 2021, once it has passed all certification procedures and been confirmed by the System Operator of the Unified Energy System.
More than 1,500 tons of equipment manufactured at Russian plants were delivered to the enterprise for the technical re-equipment of the hydroelectric unit. Construction and installation works to replace the hydraulic unit in the turbine hall of the station were carried out round the clock.
Four out of eight hydroelectric units will be replaced at Irkutsk HPP before 2023 as part of the program for the modernization of En+ Group's Siberian hydroelectric power plants, which will allow the plant to produce up to 200 million kWh of additional power, as well as enhance operational safety. The work is being carried out in stages: preparation for the next unit has already started, with the first parts of the new unit having already arrived at the plant.
Mikhail Khardikov, head of En+ Group's energy business, said:
"The technical solutions that were used in the design and installation of Irkutsk HPP’s new hydroelectric unit are unparalleled. The unit is more efficient and more powerful than its predecessor and meets fully all the latest requirements for hydropower equipment operational reliability and safety. This is the result of the combined hard work and commitment of all specialists at the Irkutsk HPP. Work to install and construct the unit was also overseen by Institute Hydroproject, who designed the project, as well as the contracting organization EuroSibEnergo-Engineering, a member of En+ Group.
