Saratov Hydroelectric Station
Encyclopedia
The Saratov Hydroelectric Station or the Saratov GES also known as the Lenin Komsomol
Saratov Hydroelectric Power Station is a hydroelectric power plant on the River Volga that is located in Saratov Oblast
, 130 km northeast from the city of Saratov
, Russia
.
Although the initial design had to be altered in interests of practical reasons, the delay was long enough to allow the Kuybyshev GES to come online and provide direct power to the new building site. Many of the workers moved to the new city of Balakovo
and their experience proved to be invaluable. The construction was declared to be all-union and in particular took a massive input from the nation's youth. Because of their large input the station was later named after the Communist Youth League, the Komsomol. By autumn 1967 the dam was completed and the river was blocked and in December of that year the first four powerhouses became operational. Overall the station was declared to be completed in November 1971.
.
The station is rated at 1,360 MW, producing an annual 5.352 billion KWh of energy. There are a total of 24 powerhouses, 21 rotor-blade at 60 MW and two horizontal turbines at 45 MW. In addition there is fishery path that generates a further 10 MW.
is powered by the station; the rest of the energy is absorbed into the Russian national grid.
Komsomol
The Communist Union of Youth , usually known as Komsomol , was the youth division of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Komsomol in its earliest form was established in urban centers in 1918. During the early years, it was a Russian organization, known as the Russian Communist Union of...
Saratov Hydroelectric Power Station is a hydroelectric power plant on the River Volga that is located in Saratov Oblast
Saratov Oblast
Saratov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Volga Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Saratov. Population: -Demographics:Population:...
, 130 km northeast from the city of Saratov
Saratov
-Modern Saratov:The Saratov region is highly industrialized, due in part to the rich in natural and industrial resources of the area. The region is also one of the more important and largest cultural and scientific centres in Russia...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
History
The plant was built as part of the massive post-war industrialisation plan The great construction sites of communism , which was to form a Volga-Kama Cascade of hydroelectric dams. Construction was authorised by an order from the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union on June 1, 1956.Although the initial design had to be altered in interests of practical reasons, the delay was long enough to allow the Kuybyshev GES to come online and provide direct power to the new building site. Many of the workers moved to the new city of Balakovo
Balakovo
-Twin towns/sister cities:Balakovo is twinned with: Pabianice, Poland Trnava, Slovakia Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States Baku, Azerbaijan-References:...
and their experience proved to be invaluable. The construction was declared to be all-union and in particular took a massive input from the nation's youth. Because of their large input the station was later named after the Communist Youth League, the Komsomol. By autumn 1967 the dam was completed and the river was blocked and in December of that year the first four powerhouses became operational. Overall the station was declared to be completed in November 1971.
Technical details
Today the station consists of a 1,260 metre long, 40 metre high artificial dam flanked by landfilled earth dam which totals 14 kilometres in length, forming the Saratov ReservoirSaratov Reservoir
Saratov Reservoir is an artificial lake in the lower part of the Volga River in Russia formed by a the dam of the Saratov Hydroelectric Station situated in the city of Balakovo. Filling of the reservoir started in 1967. The uppermost point of the reservoir is situated in Tolyatti, it stretches...
.
The station is rated at 1,360 MW, producing an annual 5.352 billion KWh of energy. There are a total of 24 powerhouses, 21 rotor-blade at 60 MW and two horizontal turbines at 45 MW. In addition there is fishery path that generates a further 10 MW.
Economic value
Today the station is valuable asset to the Central region and the middle Volga. It powers several nearby industries and irrigates fertile land adjacent to it. Most of the city of SaratovSaratov
-Modern Saratov:The Saratov region is highly industrialized, due in part to the rich in natural and industrial resources of the area. The region is also one of the more important and largest cultural and scientific centres in Russia...
is powered by the station; the rest of the energy is absorbed into the Russian national grid.
Powerlines
The two 500 kV Powerlines from Saratov Hydroelectric Station to Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant crosses Volga River in a 1.6 kilometres long span. The tower at Saratov Hydrolectric Station is 159 metres, that at the East shore of Volga River 197 metres tall. It is the tallest electricity pylon in Russia Source.See also
- List of conventional hydroelectric power stations
- List of power stations in Russia