Irganayskaya HPP. Work on bugs

When you visit Dagestan, you should not get acquainted with the remarkable cascade of hydroelectric stations - Sulak. Two hydroelectric power stations, unique in architectural and engineering solutions, the Chirkey and Irganayskaya HPPs, are the pearls of Dagestan, affecting the natural landscape and the scale of engineering thought. The main thing is to remember that these are regime institutions of energy, they can only be visited as part of an organized group. But even if you are a single tourist, you should go to these amazing places to feel the adrenaline rush when driving on mountain roads and see the second largest in Russia ground dam of Irganayskaya HPP.

Why Avark Koisu and Irganayskaya HPP?

This mountain river, originating in the mountain gorge and flowing into the main river of Dagestan, Sulak, in the upper channel impresses with rapids and roughness. In the lower channel, the river is pacified by the Irganayskaya HPP, as if taming a disobedient mustang and making it the second power station that generates electricity in Dagestan. The complexities of construction and the alarming recent past of this station create to it an aura of mystery and frightening mystery. Halo, so not combining with the beauty of mountain scenery.

The first stage of construction - transport

Construction of the station took place in two stages and coincided with the troubled times of the 90s of the last century. The Sulaksky cascade of hydroelectric power stations is a part of the generating company of Russia JSC RusHydro.

Exploration of the possibilities of building a station in the lower reaches of the Avarska Koisu River near the village of Shamilkala was started by the designers of the Lenhydroproject Institute in the 1970s. But only in 1996 the plan for the construction of the station on the dam-derivation scheme was approved. This means that part of the pressure of water is created with the help of a dam, and a part - with the help of a straightening tunnel from the bend of a river 5.2 km long. To build such a scale it was necessary to build an amazing transport structure - the Gimrinsky road tunnel with a length of 4303 meters. This structure, the largest automobile tunnel in Russia, deserves special attention.

Construction of a hydro power plant

By the time the construction of the Gimrinsky tunnel was completed in 1987, work began on erecting the main structures of the station. And there came the years of perestroika, the severe economic crisis in the country. By 1996, the first derivation tunnel was drilled, and the dam was poured up to a level of 483 meters at a design 578 meters. By 2001, 2 units were commissioned at the plant, the capacity of 214 MW was reached and the average annual output was 656 million kW / hour. By 2008, the reservoir was filled up to the design mark, reaching a capacity of 400 MW and a regime of continuous operation of the hydroelectric power station. A ground bulk dam of 111 meters height is the second in Russia after the dam of Kolyma HPP.

Irganayskaya HPP: terrorist attack

On the night of September 7, 2010, the sky over the station lit up with a flame. After a few claps the transformer of the station caught fire. Photo of the Irganayskaya hydroelectric power station, covered with flames, circled the editions. The fire was extinguished by morning. 23 people and six units of equipment allowed to localize the disaster and do without victims. Later it became known that the explosion at the Irganaiskaya HPP occurred due to a violation of the sealing of the oil pump unit. Emergency load shedding and automatic protection with the release of oil products minimized the damage.

Further inspection of the station by law enforcement agencies established the presence of an explosive device at the main hydrounit in the engine room. Near the explosive device, equal in trotyl equivalent of 3 kg, was a booby trap in the form of a ballpoint pen. Undermining the Irganayskaya hydroelectric power station, the bomb exploded, would cause incomparably greater damage. The data on the presence of the bomb served as an excuse for allegations of a possible terrorist act at the station. Responsibility was assumed by a gang of militants called Jamaat "Guraba". Echoes of this incident appeared in 2011, when just before the New Year at the station found a TNT.

Security Level

Permanent monitoring of the safety of the station is entrusted to the special service of the hydroelectric power station, which carries out its activities in accordance with the Federal Law "On the Safety of Hydraulic Structures". Based on this and other normative acts, a Safety Declaration for the operation of hydraulic structures, approved by the Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Supervision, was developed. Monitoring of Russian and international experts ensures control and supervision of the operation of the units.

Work on bugs

After 2010, the Irganayskaya HPP acquired a system of electronic passes and the recording of working hours. The mode object is under protection. The system of rapid alerting of the population about emergencies has been introduced and a rapid response team has been prepared. The station is equipped with a signal-metal fence around the perimeter and dams, and buildings of the hydroelectric power station. Constant video surveillance is being conducted.

Ecology and station

Despite some objections by ecologists regarding flooding of land during the construction of the station, it is necessary to note the responsible attitude of JSC RusHydro to the issues of environmental safety. Annually in the budget of the organization at least 10 million rubles are pledged for the improvement of the nature protection activities of the Irganaysky branch. These funds are used to monitor environmental safety, work on demercurization of mercury lamps and environmental measures in the water area.

Oil spill elimination is an example of effective management

An example of concern for the safety of the environment can be considered the elimination of pollution caused by emergency discharge of petroleum products in September 2010. In the shortest possible time, with the fulfillment of all the norms of the controlling and supervising bodies, the consequences of the discharge were eliminated. Subsequent verification of the Dagestan department of Rosprirodnadzor and the Dagestan branch of the Center for Laboratory Analysis and Technical Measurements in the Southern Federal District issued positive prescriptions when analyzing the work to eliminate emissions.

All the work of the energy company RusHydro and its branch (Irganayskaya HPP) is subject to increasing the reliability of the operation of the units and protecting the station and minimizing the risk of equipment failure. Updating the company's assets, both energy and professional, is a priority for the station.