At-Bashinskaya HPP is being modernized again in Kyrgyzstan

The At-Bashinskaya hydroelectric power station, one of the oldest hydroelectric power stations in Kyrgyzstan, is preparing for repair work that will affect the underwater elements of the dam. This is reported by the press service of HYDRO.

For repair work, the balance holder of the HPP – OJSC “Electric Stations” – attracted a Russian contractor, the HYDRO group of companies.

The company’s specialists will replace the worn metal lining of the spillway threshold (waterproof coating of the bottom adjacent to the spillway system) using a caisson.

“It will be installed from the upstream side of the cylindrical gate of the bottom spillway. The tunnel will be assembled from steel profiles, it will be supported by the concrete structure of the dam itself. It is worth noting that the installation of a caisson at a depth of 45 meters, capable of withstanding high pressure, is an extremely rare practice. Typically, in such cases, dry chambers are used in which the pressure surrounding the chamber is maintained. In our case, there will be atmospheric pressure in the caisson, and therefore specialists will not need diving training and there will be no need to undergo decompression,” explained project manager Dmitry Sannikov.

Currently, profiles for the caisson have already been manufactured and delivered to Kyrgyzstan. Installation will begin in January 2025, after which repairs will be carried out. Completion of all works is scheduled before the beginning of May in order to avoid disruption of the spillway function during a flood.

It should be recalled that within the framework of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the project for the reconstruction of the At-Bashin hydroelectric power station was successfully completed in 2023. 22.4 million Swiss francs (about 2.5 billion soms) were allocated for these purposes. The Ministry of Finance of Kyrgyzstan then stated that thanks to the reconstruction, the installed capacity of the HPP increased by 14%, and the service life of the At-Bashinskaya HPP was extended by 35-40 years, providing a long-term perspective for the energy security of the region.