Shulbinskaya hydroelectric power station is one of the three power plants of the Irtysh cascade and has the largest capacity among hydroelectric power plants in Kazakhstan. It is located on the Irtysh River, near the village of Shulbinsk, in the East Kazakhstan region of the republic. The main objective of the station is to smooth and cover peak loads in the energy system of Kazakhstan.
Construction stages
Despite the fact that the Shulbinskaya HPP celebrated its fortieth birthday in 2016, its construction is still not considered completed. The construction of the station began in 1976, the 1st hydraulic unit was launched on December 23, 1987. The first stage of the Shulba hydroelectric power station reached its design capacity on December 19, 1994, when the last, 6th hydroelectric unit of the station was launched.
In 1997, the rights to operate the power plant were transferred for 20 years to the concession of the American company AES, which undertook to complete the construction of a number of station facilities, including a shipping lock. The company could not ensure the fulfillment of all the obligations assumed. In 2003, the gateway returned to state ownership and was completed with the budget funds of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The grand opening of the lock took place on October 12, 2004, the final commissioning was scheduled for spring 2005.
The deadlines for the complete completion of the construction of the Shulba Hydroelectric Power Station have not yet been announced, although completion and commissioning of the second stage would increase the usable volume and level of the reservoir, increase the station’s capacity and generate energy.
Technical features
Photos of the Shulbinskaya hydroelectric station provide an idea of the scale of the station’s hydraulic system. It consists of a right-bank gravel-sand dam with a vertical drop of 28 meters, a left-bank dam with a length of 440 meters and a single-chamber ship lock with supply channels. The station’s hydraulic structures are able to withstand an earthquake of 9 points.
Deep spillways combined with the station building. Six hydroelectric units with a total capacity of 702 MW are located here. The energy is generated by generators with a capacity of 117 MW each, produced in St. Petersburg by the Electrosila plant. They are driven by rotary-vane turbines with an impeller diameter of 8.5 meters, assembled by the Kharkov Turboatom. The resulting electricity is supplied to an open switchgear (switchgear) with a voltage of 220 kilovolts.
Repair and modernization of the station
Not knowing the rest, the Shulbinsk Hydroelectric Power Station for many years annually generated more than 1.65 billion kWh of electricity. Despite her relative youth, she received a respite - in 2000, a cycle of overhauls began at the station.
To avoid possible accidents, four hydraulic units were repaired, including complete disassembly, removal of impellers and replacement of protective control systems for generators. All six units of the station underwent modernization of electrical and mechanical equipment, as well as excitation systems.
A comprehensive modernization was not avoided by the station’s open switchgear. For the first time in Kazakhstan, five combined electro-gas disconnectors for transformer cells and a section switch are installed here.
Often rumors about a possible breakthrough of the dam and the flooding of neighboring settlements have become one of the reasons for the repair of potentially dangerous hydraulic structures. In particular, restoration and anticorrosion works were carried out on the equipment of the upper and lower downstream stations of the station and the dam was strengthened.
Shulba reservoir
The dam of the Shulbinskaya hydroelectric power station forms a seasonal seasonal reservoir with a useful volume of 1.8 cubic meters. kilometers. The filling of the reservoir began in 1982. Today, the reservoir area is 255 square meters. kilometers, length - about 53 kilometers, width - about 6 kilometers. In the valleys of the Osikh, Shulbinka and Kyzyl-Su rivers, large bays were formed with a length of up to 11 and a width of up to 1.5 kilometers.
The bowl of the reservoir is located at an altitude of 250 meters above sea level. It is relatively shallow - the maximum depth is 35 meters, the average is 8 meters. A waterway with a depth of 2 to 7 meters was laid along a pond closer to the left bank. When filling the reservoir, the Irtysh valley between the mouths of the Uba and Shulba rivers was partially flooded, willow groves, islets of forests, meadows and agricultural land went under the water.
The reservoir of the Shulba Hydroelectric Power Station, recreation facilities and beaches on its shores attract tourists both from all over Kazakhstan and from other neighboring countries. A fish-rich pond attracts fishing enthusiasts; windsurfing and kiting opportunities give scope for fans of outdoor activities and sports.