Nizhne-Svirskaya HPP of TGC-1 celebrates its 85th anniversary

On 19 December 2018 Nizhne-Svirskaya HPP of TGC-1 celebrates its 85th anniversary.

First projects on the conquest of Svir were developed in the pre-revolutionary years. In 1916 engineer Vadim Nikolsky calculated the volume of water resources of the Svir River, which allowed to develop a project for the construction of two power plants and a regulating dam. However, the construction of Nizhne-Svirskaya HPP headed by Genrikh Graftio started only ten years later, after the first born of GOELRO — Volkhovskaya HPP. The HPP's foundation on the Svir River was laid on 19 October 1927.

In 1934, full capacity was gained by the second and third hydroelectric generating units of the station, and in 1935 the specialists installed the last turbine. In September 1941, the Nizhne-Svirskaya HPP was occupied by enemies: the equipment was partially dismantled, mostly destroyed. Renovation of the station began in 1944, and after four years the HPP again reached its full capacity of 100 thousand kW. On 14 May 1949 Nizhne-Svirskaya HPP was named after academician Genrikh Graftio.

"Contrary to the expectations of experienced European and American colleagues, Soviet scientists were able to build a hydraulic structure on soft soils, which today, decades later, stands firmly and reliably," said Dmitry Vidyakin, Director of the Ladoga HPPs Cascade of TGC-1. "We are proud that we were lucky enough to work at a unique energy facility which is so important for the region!"

Reference

Nizhne-Svirskaya HPP is located in Leningrad Oblast, on the Svir River. Organizationally, it is part of the Ladoga HPPs Cascade. The installed capacity of the plant is 99.0 MW, long-term average electricity output is 490.5 million kWh.

TGC-1 is a leading producer and supplier of electricity and heat in the North-West of Russia. The Company comprises power plants within four entities of the Russian Federation: St. Petersburg, the Republic of Karelia, and Leningrad and Murmansk Oblasts.