Gorky Hydroelectric Power Station is a low-pressure riverbed hydropower station on the Volga. It is located in the Nizhny Novgorod region and connects the cities of the Volga region and Gorodets. The capacity of the hydroelectric power station is 1513 million kW / h, the station is the fourth stage of the Volga-Kama cascade of hydroelectric power stations. Today it is part of the RusHydro energy corporation.
Start of construction
The construction of the Gorky Hydroelectric Power Station began in 1948, the country barely recovered after the devastating war, and urgently needed energy resources to restore industry. The station has become a testing ground for technical innovations and discoveries. More than 15 thousand people took part in its construction. 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 and more than 700 government buildings from the surrounding villages that fell under the flood plan were moved. By 1951, 2 micro-districts with full social infrastructure were put into operation, including schools, hospitals, houses of culture and other facilities.
In April 1951, preparatory work was completed, concrete laying 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 Gorky Hydroelectric Power Station was finally adopted. During 1953, the building of the hydroelectric station and locks were built.
The main stages of work
On August 12, 1953, the foundation pit of the Gorky Hydroelectric Power Station was completely filled, two days later the first ships passed 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 the innovative method of backfilling the channel - trucks dumped large stones and specially cast concrete blocks into the Volga from the built-in pontoon bridge.
The reservoir of the Gorky Hydroelectric Power Station on October 25, 1955 was filled to a mark of 75 meters. In October of the same year, the first hydraulic unit was launched; in December, three more units were launched. The next four hydraulic machines were installed and launched in December 1956. Filling the reservoir to the operating level was fully completed in July 1957.
In December 1959, the capacity of the Gorky Hydroelectric Power Station reached its targets, which amounts to 520 MW. The station was accepted for continuous operation on November 29, 1961. Its current name is "Nizhny Novgorod Hydroelectric Power Station", the facility received in 1991.
General information
All the dams of the Gorky Hydroelectric Power Station extended over 18.6 kilometers, which during the construction period was an absolute record for the country. The structure of the hydraulic structure includes:
- Spillway dam.
- Seven alluvial earthen dams.
- Three dams.
- Shipping locks.
- The building of the Gorky hydroelectric station.
The station project 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 kW. In the machine room there are 8 hydraulic units with rotary vane turbines, each with a capacity of 65 MW. Turbines are manufactured and delivered to the station by the Leningrad Electrosila plant.
The length of the pressure front stretches for 13 km (Gorky Sea), the maximum height of the Gorky hydroelectric 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.
Shipping facilities
The Gorky Hydroelectric Power Station's ship passing facilities include four locks, an upstream port for the upper reach, and a water area in the lower reach. The design of the locks is two-chamber, each chamber is a separate structure in the upper and lower pools. The middle reaches, in which the Gorodets ship repair plant is located, separates the two extreme points of the shipping structures, and in the winter, river vessels settle here.
A two-lane highway connecting the cities of Zavolzhye and Gorodets runs along the upper site of the Gorky Dam. A railway track with a dead end in the engine room of the hydroelectric station was laid at the station.
Exploitation
Gorky Hydroelectric Power Station is one of the largest transport and energy hubs. In addition to the main purpose - supplying energy to the region - the construction of a hydroelectric facility improved navigation on the Volga. Work on improving the design of the station began during its construction. In the 60s, the chambers of the wheels of hydraulic units were lined with stainless steel. Until 1986, a partial reconstruction of the hydraulic units themselves was done.
In 1991, the Gorky hydroelectric station was renamed Nizhny Novgorod. A year later, the hydroelectric station received the legal status of a branch of RAO UES of Russia. In 1993, the Nizhny Novgorod Hydroelectric Power Station was incorporated and registered as a public company. Since December 2004, the company came under the control of RusHydro.
Uniqueness and value
The Gorky Hydroelectric Power Station in Russia has become a pioneer in introducing many technical innovations. For the first time, during the erection of a hydroelectric complex, vibro-immersion of the tongue was introduced into practice. This step allowed to reduce construction costs by 43%.
During the construction of the facility, Konstantin Sevenard, who served as the chief engineer of the hydroelectric power station, proposed and successfully implemented the construction of a freezing ice curtain. The technology allowed to limit the discharge of water into the pit, where the main structures were built.
For the first time, the Gorky Hydroelectric Power Station implemented a project for the construction of a reduced-type building, which allows placing hydraulic units in the machine room with access for servicing by an external crane with a lifting capacity of 500/50 tons.
The construction of the Nizhny Novgorod hydroelectric station solved several urgent tasks - the generation of low-cost energy from renewable sources, the emergence of a deep-water route along the Volga, capable of passing multi-tonnage vessels. The dam of the hydroelectric station connected the two banks of the river, which radically improved transport links in the region.
Reconstruction
Since 2012, the Gorky Hydroelectric Power Station has been implementing a global modernization program. The project should be completed in 2020. During the work, the blades of transformer turbines are replaced, the control system of the units is modernized, crane equipment is replaced.
One of the main steps of the project is the replacement of hydraulic power equipment, with the installation of more powerful machines. After the completion of this phase, the operating capacity of the hydroelectric power station will reach 560 MW. In addition to work on fixed assets, there is a replacement of the gate of shipping locks.
Museum
Photos of the Gorky Hydroelectric Power Station, historical and modern, can be seen in large numbers in the museum dedicated to the construction and development of the station. The exposition opened in 2008 and clearly demonstrates how the country's energy potential was growing. No less fully stands talk about the prospects and plans for further work of the industry.
The museum was designed by professionals who created a special atmosphere in the halls. Decor elements imitate various designs of the Nizhny Novgorod hydroelectric power station. In the halls, in addition to historical objects, the period of construction of the object, informational digitized materials are collected, which can be found using touch panels.
Attention visitors enjoy electrified cards and skillfully made layouts. For example, the miniature exhibit “Water Mill” is the starting point of the story about what a hydraulic turbine is and how far technology has gone from its prototype.