Small Hydropower Plant Verkhnebalkarskaya In Russia Put Into Commercial Operation
- Voith delivered the main equipment for the hydropower plant
- The commissioning was carried out by Voith with remote assistance due to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
- The new power plant will ensure stable production of clean electricity in the Republic Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia
On June 25, 2020, all three units of the Russian small hydropower plant Verkhnebalkarskaya were successfully commissioned, connected and synchronized with the energy grid of Russia. The commissioning took place within 72 hours, although it had to be carried out by remote assistance due to travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The technology group Voith delivered the main equipment for the hydropower plant.
The scope of supply of Voith Hydro in Balakovo, Russia, included three horizontal Francis spiral turbines with a pre-turbine gate valve, three synchronous generators with excitation system, three sets of automatic control systems along with thermal and vibration control, installation supervision and the commissioning of the three identical Francis units. The engineering and supply of the horizontal Francis spiral turbines, with a unit capacity of 3.34 MW each, was carried out by Voith Hydro in St. Georgen/Stfd., Austria.
Great care was taken to preserve the environment. The design provides a completely oil-free operation of the turbines, using electrical drives for the wicket gate actuation and the turbine inlet valves as well as water-lubricated guide bearings to protect the environment and reduce the need for maintenance.
Source: Voith