Ministry of Energy: experts have confirmed the seismic safety of the Kambar-Ata-1 HPP

The project of a large hydroelectric power station “Kambar-Ata-1” in Kyrgyzstan has been recognized as resistant to seismic threats. According to the Ministry of Energy of the country, such a conclusion is contained in the conclusion of an international group of experts engaged by the Swiss consulting company AFRY Switzerland Ltd to update the feasibility study of the Kambar-Ata HPP-1 project.

The Ministry of Energy also stated that the final report confirms the safety and bearing capacity of the future concrete gravity dam. Specialists conducted a comprehensive analysis of the geological, tectonic and seismic data of the region, having studied earthquake catalogs and satellite observations. The team working on the assessment included the world’s leading experts, including the chairman of the Committee of the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), responsible for seismic aspects of the design, as well as experts in the field of hydraulics and geotechnics.

The result of this work was the recommendation to use the design of a curved gravity dam. According to experts, this form will provide additional stability of the entire structure and its ability to withstand design loads in a seismically active zone. The relevant department of Kyrgyzstan also added that the issues of HPP safety are under special control at all stages. To further ensure reliability, it is planned to carry out detailed seismic microdistricting of the adjacent territory and deploy a network of permanent monitoring stations.

Earlier, President of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic Kanatbek Abdrakhmatov expressed concern about the lack of necessary seismological studies. He warned that in the event of a strong earthquake, the destruction of the dam of the Kambar-Ata HPP-1 could cause a domino effect that would lead to the destruction of the downstream HPP “Kambar-Ata-2” and the entire lower cascade of hydroelectric power plants. The head of the Academy of Sciences also said that the site chosen for the construction of the HPP is dangerous.

Original (in Russian): Минэнерго: эксперты подтвердили сейсмобезопасность ГЭС «Камбар-Ата-1»