Borisoglebskaya HPP received guests
In anticipation of the anniversary of the north most underground hydroelectric power plant journalists and bloggers from Moscow, Saint-Petersburg and Murmansk visited Borisoglebskaya HPP.
Borisoglebskaya HPP is part of the Paz HPPs Cascade of JSC TGC-1 and is located in the border zone. The border between Russia and Norway goes along the dam of the power plant. The power plant was built by the Norwegian specialists in four years by order of the USSR - in 1959 the project was approved and in late 1963 trial operation of the core equipment began.
For 50 years Borisoglebskaya HPP repeatedly experienced work on modernization of the core and ancillary equipment, maintaining its uniqueness and status of the most powerful HPP of the Paz HPPs Cascade.
Journalists saw the main generator hall located 50 meters underground, visited the aeration tunnel where in winter and spring the ice stalagmites grow, could get into the so-called "bus tunnel", carved directly out of the rock.
- Before the water from the river Paz reaches the turbine blades it goes along an over 700-meter long path through the tunnel, punched in the rock - Andrei Nikitin, Head of the Borisoglebskaya HPP of JSC TGC-1 told the participants of the excursion. - The height of the tunnel is 14 meters, the width – 10 meters. A mighty water flow rushes through the underground channel, forcing the turbines with capacity of 56 MW to work.
Today 12 people are involved in servicing Borisoglebskaya HPP. Operational and management staff resides directly in the Borisoglebsky village, other workers travel daily from the Nikel village, located 40 km from the HPP.
- This work regime entails some special aspects - said Andrei Nikitin. - We have introduced the so-called at home shift. The shift engineer has a dedicated dispatching communication line and signalling system at home, while the control over the operation of the equipment in the evening and night-time is performed from the head-end plant of the Cascade - Rajakoski HPP.
Telemechanic and communication channels are one of the innovations of the plant. In addition to control automation, the core equipment of the HPP is also modernized.ؙ
- During its operation 17 overhauls were held at Borisoglebskaya HPP - said Evgeny Kotov, Chief Engineer of the Paz HPPs Cascade of JSC TGC-1. - One of the most important upgrades was made in 1985. In order to isolate one of the two generators for isolated operation on the Norwegian grid the 150 kV outdoor switchgear has been renovated. We have recently upgraded the nodes of the kinematics water wheels, reconstructed the turning system of blades to prevent oil leaks, performed works on replacement of the turbine gates lifts cables.
- Most hydropower plants of JSC TGC-1 in Murmansk Oblast are located in remote and sparsely populated settlements, - added Alexander Zakharov , electrical equipment repair engineer of the Borisoglebskaya HPP of JSC TGC-1. - Arrival of guests interested in the work of the HPP and life in such settlements is a great event for us and a great gift for the anniversary!