As you know, Alessandro Volta invented the first electric battery in 1800. Seven decades later, the first power plants appeared, and this event forever changed the life of mankind. Many of them were technically imperfect and very soon gave way to more efficient stations. However, among the power plants there were also centenarians. For example, the Volkhovskaya HPP, which is still operating today, was one of the first built under the Soviet regime. It is recognized as a monument of science and technology and is considered one of the industrial attractions of the Leningrad region.
Volkhov
Russia is a country of full-flowing rivers, so at the beginning of the twentieth century, many inventors began to develop projects to use its hydropower potential. The Volkhov River was not left without attention. It is easy to find it on the map of our country, since it is the only one flowing from Lake Ilmen. And this is not its last feature, since Volkhov has the ability to change direction. This happens when the water level of Ilmeni is low and due to the backwater supply.
Volkhovskaya HPP: project history
Idea buildinghydroelectric power plants on the Volkhov River were first put forward by engineer G. O. Graftio in 1902. Twelve years later, he modernized it, taking into account the appearance of more powerful turbines, and submitted it to the government of tsarist Russia for consideration. The project did not arouse much interest among officials, and lay down, as they say, under the cloth. In 1917, the engineer managed to interest the Provisional Government in his brainchild, which authorized the preparatory work for the construction of a new hydroelectric power station. They lasted only a few months and were suspended due to the revolution and subsequent events that led to the collapse of the country's economy. The second attempt to start building a hydroelectric power station on the Volkhov River was made with the assistance of V. I. Lenin in 1918, but it was soon rejected. And only in 1921 this HPP was included in the GOELRO plan.
Construction
Volkhovskaya HPP will soon celebrate its 95th anniversary. It was so many years ago that the Soviet government adopted a resolution on its construction. Moreover, in a document adopted at a meeting of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of the RSFSR of the Eighth Convocation, it was indicated that this facility would help resolve the issue of power supply to Petrograd and put an end to the protracted fuel crisis. In addition, in 1922, the government of the RSFSR instructed the relevant authorities to provide all possible assistance to Volkhovstroy. As a result of the heroic efforts of the workers, already in July 1926, the operation of the gateway of the new hydroelectric power station began, which made it possible to open through shipping on the Volkhov River. When constructing the reservoir, 10,000 hectares of farmland were flooded.
Operating history
The grand opening of the Volkhov hydroelectric power station took place in December 1926. Then three hydroelectric units were put into operation, and the rest were activated over the next 12 months. At that time, the Volkhovskaya HPP had a capacity of 58 MW. In subsequent years, it was gradually increased, and by the beginning of the 40s it amounted to 66 MW.
When approaching the hydroelectric power station of the front line in the forty-first year, the equipment of the Volkhovskaya hydroelectric power station was dismantled and taken away. Fortunately, the Nazis failed to capture this strategically important facility, and in the fall of 1942, when the situation had somewhat stabilized, three hydraulic units were re-assembled and put into operation. In addition, a cable was laid along the bottom of Lake Ladoga, and from that moment on, the Volkhov hydroelectric power station (there is almost no photo of that period) began to play an extremely important role in the power supply of besieged Leningrad. In parallel with this, work was underway to bring the capacity of this facility to pre-war levels, which was achieved by October 1944, and the full restoration of the hydroelectric power station was completed in 1945.
In the following decades, the Volkhov hydroelectric power station operated smoothly, and in 1966 its team was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor for creative work.
Refitting
Between 1993 and 1996, the Volkhov hydroelectric power station, whose photos give an idea of its architectural appearance, was modernized. In particular, three hydroelectric units were replaced with more powerful ones, 12 MW each. Initially, it was planned to replace the rest of the turbines, but due to lack of funds, this process was significantly delayed. Be that as it may, at the end of 2007, an agreement was signed to replace the first hydroelectric unit of the station, which was carried out only two years later. At the moment, work on the modernization of the Volkhovskaya HPP is still not completed. At the same time, it is expected that after the replacement of all hydroelectric units, its capacity will be increased to 98 MW.
HPP today
Volkhovskaya hydroelectric power station is one of the low-pressure run-of-river power plants. Its facilities include:
- 212 meters long concrete spillway dam;
- hydroelectric building;
- fish passage facility;
- single-chamber shipping lock;
- water outlet;
- an ice-protective wall 256 meters long.
The average annual electricity generation of the Volkhov power plant is 347 million kWh. The HPP building houses ten radial-axial hydraulic units operating at a pressure of 11 meters. The pressure structures of the hydroelectric power station form the Volkhov reservoir. Its area is 2.02 sq. km, and the useful capacity is 24.36 million cubic meters.
Tours
As already mentioned, the Volkhovskaya HPP is an interesting monument of science and technology, so there are always many who want to visit this facility and get acquainted with its design features. To do this, you must pre-register for an organizedgroup tour, which is possible only upon presentation of a passport. The program of such a trip accompanied by a guide includes a walk along the hydroelectric dam, a visit to the museum-apartment of Heinrich Osipovich Graftio and the machine room, as well as an acquaintance with the history of the creation of the dam. In addition, if you have a map of Volkhov in front of you, then, looking closely, you can see that there are many interesting sights near the dam. In particular, if you wish, you can visit the City Museum and the Church of Michael the Archangel.
Volkhovskaya HPP on the map
You can get to the hydroelectric power station by train, which departs from the Moscow railway station to the Volkhovstroy railway station, or by car along the Kola highway. The Volkhov map below will help you find the hydroelectric power station, on which you need to find the address: Graftio street, house 1.
Now you know what the Volkhovskaya HPP is famous for, what role this facility played in the life support of besieged Leningrad, and what the future holds for it.
