Bratsk HPP

The Bratsk Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) is one of the largest and most renowned hydropower plants in Russia. It is located on the Angara River near the city of Bratsk, Irkutsk Region. This plant is part of the Angara chain of hydroelectric power plants. It is the third-largest in Russia by capacity.

The Bratsk hydroelectric power plant (HPP) was built between 1954 and 1967. On September 8, 1967, the State Commission officially accepted the plant into full-time operation. The Commission rated the quality of works as 'excellent'.

When it was finished, it was the largest hydropower plant in the world by installed capacity. The project was part of a large-scale energy development programme in the USSR, which aimed to provide industry with cheap electric power.

Main parameters:

• Installed power capacity: 4,500 MW
• Average annual output: 21,553.7 million kWh
• Dam height: 124.5 metres
• Dam length: 924 metres
• Hydroelectric unit count: 18

The Bratsk hydroelectric power plant played a crucial role in the development of industry in the Irkutsk region and all of Siberia. The electric power generated by the plant is used to operate aluminium smelters, metal-making plants and other energy-intensive facilities. Moreover, the HPP plays a role in controlling water levels in the Angara River, ensuring flood protection and facilitating navigation.

A New Energy retrofitting programme was launched at the Bratsk Hydroelectric Power Plant in 2007. In the first two phases, 12 hydroelectric units were updated at the plant. In 2021, the next phase of the HPP's retooling began. By 2026, six impellers of the hydroelectric units at the plant will be replaced. After the reconstruction, all impellers of the Bratsk HPP's hydroelectric units will be replaced.

The New Energy Programme is a major initiative to overhaul and replace key components at four of En+'s largest hydroelectric power plants: Krasnoyarsk, Bratsk, Irkutsk and Ust-Ilimsk. The total amount of investment in the programme is RUB 21 billion.