According to the Russian nickel and palladium mining company, the new turbines will give an increase of 10% in the output of the Ust-Khantaiskay hydro power project. Besides, the replacement turbines are expected to extend the commercial life of the hydro power plant in Taymyr Peninsula.
The first of the company’s hydroelectric power plants in the Taymyr Peninsula, Ust-Khantaiskay supplies power to Nornickel’s mining and metallurgical activities in Norilsk along with the Igarsky and Dudinsky industrial areas.
It was in 2012, that Nornickel’s management opted to upgrade its Ust-Khantaiskay facilities. As part of that, power generating units, which had been in operation for more than 40 years, were planned to be replaced with latest technology for improved efficiency.
In November 2015, Nornickel had replaced the first hydroelectric turbine and a year later replaced the second turbine.
In the next four years, Nornickel plans to have the remaining four hydroelectric units to be replaced.
With all the new turbines in place by 2021, the Ust-Khantaiskay hydro power project is expected to increase its capacity to 502MW. Its maximum annual output as a result has been estimated to go up to 2.4 billion kWh.
The modernization of the Russian hydro power plant is expected to cut down the use of coal-fired power generation. Thereby, CO2 emissions could be brought down by at least 2.2 million tons per year which is the same as taking out nearly 450,000 passenger cars from the roads.
Image: Replacement turbine of the Ust-Khantaiskay hydroelectric power plant in Russia. Photo: courtesy of PJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel.
