RusHydro has completed another stage of its Comprehensive Modernization Program (CMP) at the Volzhskaya hydroelectric power plant, with the scheduled replacement of the generator at hydroelectric unit No. 8 now underway.
According to the company, all 22 hydroturbines and 20 generators at the plant have already been upgraded. As a result, the station’s capacity has increased from 2,541MW to 2,734MW. Upon full completion of current upgrades, capacity is expected to reach 2,744.5MW.
The generator at unit No. 8 had been operating since 1959 and had reached the end of its standard service life. The new unit, manufactured by Russian engineering firm Power Machines, features updated technical specifications aimed at improving efficiency and reliability.
The Volzhskaya project is the final and most powerful plant in the Volga-Kama Cascade and is currently the largest hydroelectric station in Europe. Its average long-term electricity output is 11.5 billion kWh. Due to its ability to rapidly adjust output, the plant plays a key role in maintaining the stability of Russia’s unified energy system.
RusHydro’s CMP is a long-term initiative to replace or modernize aging equipment at hydroelectric and pumped storage plants across its portfolio. This includes turbines, generators, transformers, auxiliary systems, and hydraulic structures. The program is designed to treat generating facilities as unified technological systems during upgrades.
Over 14 years of the CMP’s implementation, RusHydro has increased its installed hydro capacity by 631.5MW. In total, 146 hydroturbines, 154 generators, 113 power transformers, and over 10,000 auxiliary units have been replaced or modernized during that period.
