Verkhne-Tulomskaya HPP of JSC TGC-1 was visited by Finnish veterans – builders of the power plant

On August 16, 2015, Verkhne-Tulomskaya HPP of JSC TGC-1 was visited by a delegation from Finland which included builders of the power plants and Verkhnetulomsky settlement.

Construction of Verkhne-Tulomskaya HPP was ordered by the Soviet Union from Imatran Voima, Finnish company, and the power plant was commissioned in 1964. It became one of the most powerful HPPs ever built by Finnish specialists who also erected Yaniskoski, Rayakoski, and Kaitakoski HPPs in the Murmansk Oblast as part of TGC-1 Paz HPPs Cascade.

Power plant employees showed the veterans around the site and told them about power plant development and renovations implemented since the time it was built.

"We were looking forward to this trip dreaming to see the power plant again. It is a great honour for us to visit the HPP once more", said the guests.

"People from all over Finland came to the construction site. It was home to about 3,500 builders and maintenance personnel from1961 through 1964.

"Verkhne-Tulomskaya HPP is the main regulating power plant in the energy system of the Murmansk Oblast", said Alexander Smirnov, Chief Engineer of TGC-1 Tulomskiye and Serebryanskiye HPPs Cascade. "Fifty years of operation of the power plant is proof of high quality construction workmanship and equipment." A decision was made to have Verkhne-Tulomskaya HPP fully revamped stepwise to improve its reliability.

Apart from the hydroelectric power plant, Finnish specialists built houses, a school, a hospital, a community centre, a post office, and a fire station. Before the HPP was built, a total of 168km of road and a telephone communication line had been installed from the Finnish border to Verkhnetulomsky settlement which became Europe's longest line installed at one stage.