Chirkay Hydroelectric Power Station Completes Generator Rotor Installation for Unit 3 Modernization
2025-06-05
The assembly and installation of the generator rotor for the complete replacement of hydro unit No. 3 have been completed at the Chirkay Hydroelectric Power Station (CHPS), the largest hydroelectric power station in the North Caucasus. The work is being carried out as part of RusHydro's Comprehensive Modernization Program (PCM).
The generator rotor is one of the largest-scale components of a hydro unit. At Chirkay HPS, its diameter is nearly 9 meters and its weight is 617 tons. The new rotor is 57 tons heavier than the old one due to the increased area of the poles, which will increase the hydro unit's capacity by 10%.
The modernization project of Chirkay HPS started in 2023. It includes the replacement of all four hydro units, power transformers, electrical, hydromechanical and auxiliary equipment that has been in operation for more than half a century. The modernization is being carried out by specialists from JSC Hydroremont-VKK (part of the RusHydro Group). All new equipment is produced by Russian enterprises, including turbines.
Each of the four 250 MW hydro units at Chirkay HPS is being replaced with new ones of 275 MW each. After full modernization, the station's total capacity will increase by 10% — from 1,000 MW to 1,100 MW. The replacement of the first hydro unit, No. 2, was successfully completed in May 2025.
Chirkay HPS is located on the Sulak River in Dagestan. As the main regulating hydroelectric power station of the Unified Energy System of Southern Russia, it has high maneuverability, operating in the peak part of the load curve and annually producing 2.4 billion kWh of clean energy. Chirkay HPS has the second-highest dam height in Russia and the highest arch dam in the country — 232.5 meters.