The Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam (Russian: Сая́но-Шу́шенская гидроэлектроста́нция, Sayano-Shushenskaya Gidroelektrostantsiya) is located on the Yenisei River, near Sayanogorsk in Khakassia, Russia.
It is the largest power plant in Russia.Construction began in 1963.
The plant is operated by RusHydro. The plant operated ten type РО-230/833-0-677 hydro turbines manufactured at the Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod, each with a capacity of 640 MW at 194-metre (636 ft) head. The total installed capacity of the plant is 6,400 MW; its average annual production is 23.5 TWh, which peaked in 2006 at 26.8 TWh.
Building scale
The station’s constructions include the dam, a power plant building located near the dam, and an additional spillway which is under construction.
The arch-gravity dam is 242 metres (794 ft) high. It has a crest length of 1,066 metres (3,497 ft), crest width of 25 metres (82 ft), base width of 105.7 metres (347 ft) and maximum head of 220 metres (720 ft). It consists of a solid left-bank dam 246.1 metres (807 ft) long, a power dam 331.8 metres (1,089 ft) long, a spillway dam 189.6 metres (622 ft) long and a solid right-bank dam 298.5 metres (979 ft) long.
It is by far the larger of only two gravity-arch dams in Russia. Water pressure for the dam is approximately 30 million tons, of which 60% is neutralized by the dam’s own weight and 40% is carried to rock on the bank.
The dam is constructed to “safely” withstand earthquakes up to 8 on the Richter scale, and was recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records for the strongest construction of its type.
The dam supports the Sayano-Shushenskoe reservoir, with a total capacity of 31.34 km3, useful capacity of 15.34 km3 and surface area of 621 km2 (240 sq mi).
2009 accident
2009 Sayano-Shushenskaya power station accident.
On 17 August 2009 at 8:13 AM, the hydro-electric plant suffered a catastrophic accident that caused flooding of the engine and turbine rooms, and two 711 MVA electric generators to explode underwater as a result of a short circuit.
All other machinery was damaged to some extent, with only four hydro-aggregates ultimately recoverable; the remaining six required replacement. As of 10 September 2012, 75 people, including 1 pregnant woman, were confirmed dead, while one person was still listed as missing forty days after the disaster.
The accident caused an oil spill with at least 40 tonnes of transformer oil released, spreading over 80 km (50 mi) downstream of Yenisei.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visits the accident site at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station in Cheryomushky on August 21, 2009. At right is Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu.
The plant restarted operations on 24 February 2010, while repairs were complete by November 2014. According to Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko the rebuilding of the engine room alone would cost $1.2 billion.
Turbine damaged after explosion 
Rebuilt power plant room
Dam subcontractor Gidroelectroremont’s chief accountant has been accused by the Khakassia police of embezzling 24 million rubles from the funds allocated for repairing the dam.
Newly constructed 5-level diversion canal
Reconstruction of the power station completed in 2014. The total cost of reconstruction is about 41 billion rubles (1.25 billion USD). Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station is an interesting tourist attraction.
Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam Data
- Country
- Russia
- Location
- Sayanogorsk, Khakassia, Russia
- Official name
- Сая́но-Шу́шенская гидроэлектроста́нция
- Operator(s)
- RusHydro
- Reconstruction costs
- 41 billion rubles (1.25 billion USD)
- Status
- In use
- Type of dam
- Arch-gravity dam
- Began
- 1963
- Opening date
- 1978
- Height
- 242 m (794 ft)
- Length
- 1,066 m (3,497 ft)
- Installed capacity
- 6,400 MW
- Turbines
- 10 × 640 MW
- River
- Yenisei River
- Reservoi name
- Sayano-Shushenskoe reservoir
- Total capacity
- 31.3 km³ (7.5 cu mi)
- Spillway capacity
- 13,600 m³/s (480,000 cu ft/s)
- Reservoi Surface elevation
- 621 km² (240 sq mi)
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