The Polotsk Hydroelectric Power Station (HPS) will be officially commissioned on June 30, and the Vitebsk HPS in a month. This was announced today to journalists by Mikhail Luzin, General Director of RUP "Vitebskenergo", in response to a question from a BELTA correspondent.
The Polotsk HPS will be officially commissioned on June 30, and the Vitebsk HPS in a month. This was announced today to journalists by Mikhail Luzin, General Director of RUP "Vitebskenergo", in response to a question from a BELTA correspondent.
"We will sign the commissioning act for the Polotsk HPS this Friday, and the Vitebsk HPS will be commissioned on July 31. However, this refers to the official signing of the acts. Meanwhile, both stations have been operating in test mode for about six months, generating energy. The trained personnel, together with and under the supervision of specialists from our subcontracting organizations, are servicing the installed equipment," said Mikhail Luzin.
He emphasized that the recruited teams of workers have undergone all necessary training. "Hydropower engineering is well-developed in the post-Soviet space, so we selected our best specialists several years ago and have been systematically conducting relevant training at HPSs in Russia and Ukraine during this entire period. There were also internships at the Grodno HPS," noted the General Director.
The implementation of the investment project "Construction of the Polotsk HPS on the Western Dvina River in the Vitebsk Region" was initiated by RUP "Vitebskenergo" in 2011. The installed electrical capacity of the station will be 21.66 MW, which is sufficient to cover the consumption of four districts: Lepel, Ushachi, Chashniki, and Rossony. The general contractor for the construction is the Russian company OAO "VO "Tekhnopromexport", and the facility's operation at this stage, together with specialists from RUP "Vitebskenergo", is being carried out by representatives of the Czech company Mavel, whose equipment is installed at the HPS.
The capacity of the Vitebsk HPS will be 40 MW, and the construction of the hydro-node is being carried out by the China National Electric Equipment Corporation (CNEEC).
An investor is currently being sought for the 33 MW Beshenkovichi Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP), which is intended to complete the cascade of power stations on the Western Dvina River in accordance with state programs for the construction of hydroelectric power plants and the development of the Belarusian energy system. "This facility is very relevant because it is the Beshenkovichi HPP that is supposed to raise the water level within Vitebsk. Unfortunately, our financial situation forces us to use a scheme of attracting direct foreign investment. Today, there are options proposed by a Chinese corporation and a company from Slovakia. There was also a proposal from a Russian company. However, as energy specialists, none of them fully satisfy us yet, because we think primarily about the consumer. We cannot allow the investor's expensive terms to affect the increase in tariffs for the population," explained Mikhail Luzin.
The commissioning of the hydroelectric power plant cascade will allow for savings of approximately $24 million per year on the purchase of fuel resources (at today's gas prices). The environmental impact will also be reduced.
Mikhail Luzin attended the opening of the Republican competitions for teams in the repair and maintenance of distribution electrical networks in Vitebsk today, which are taking place at the training center branch of RUP "Vitebskenergo" from June 27 to 30. They include seven different stages, from checking theoretical knowledge to practicing a wide variety of situations in practice. Teams from six regional energy systems are participating.