The 3GW project will house nine turbine-generators, each of 333MW nominal capacity and manufactured by Power Machines. The first 7.86m diameter turbine was despatched a year ago, and the next three turbines are en route on a 6500km trip by sea and river to the site.
Power Machines is currently manufacturing the fourth and fifth generators for the plant.
The project is under construction on the river Angara in Siberia, and the joint developers – RusHydro and Rusal, the Russian aluminium group – will see three units commissioned each year over 2010-12.
Rusal recently confirmed its continued funding for the scheme despite the impact of the global economic slowdown on the commodities sector. When fully commissioned, the plant is designed to generate 17,600GWh of electricity per year.
Power Machines is to manufacture two even larger capacity units – 375MW each – for the 750MW La Yesca plant being built on the Rio Grande de Santiago, and will have the world’s biggest CFRD dam. The units are to be commissioned in January and April 2012, respectively.
The project is being built by the Constructora de Proyectos Hidroelectricos (CPH), a joint venture led by Ingenieros Civiles Asociados (ICA).
Power Machines has has despatched the first consignment to the project comprising nodes for two turbines, the crane for the machine hall and auxiliary hydromechanical equipment.
The second load is to be sent in the third quarter and will include the first generator, more nodes and further hydromechanical equipment.
