Ust-Ilimsk HPP

The Ust-Ilimsk Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) is the third-oldest and second-largest hydropower plant in the Angara chain; it is located near the city of Ust-Ilimsk, Irkutsk region, and is one of the most important power plants in Eastern Siberia.

Construction of the Ust-Ilimsk HPP lasted from 1963 to 1980. The purpose of its establishment was to provide electric power to the region's rapidly expanding industrial sector, including major timber mills and aluminium smelters.

Main parameters:

• Installed power capacity: 3,840 MW
• Average annual output: 19,942.9 million kWh
• Dam height: 105 metres
• Dam length: 1,475 metres
• Hydroelectric unit count: 16

The Ust-Ilimsk hydroelectric power plant is a major source of electric power for the Irkutsk region and its neighbours. It provides energy to industrial facilities such as the Ust-Ilimsk Timber Mill and the Bratsk Aluminium Smelter. Moreover, the HPP plays a role in regulating the water level in the Angara River to help prevent floods and ensure safe navigation for ships.

In 2024, the Ust-Ilimsk HPP completed a project to expand its 500 kV outdoor switchyard. The project was completed in nine months, which is a record time compared to the estimated 15 months stipulated in the project documentation. As a result, the Ust-Ilimskaya hydroelectric power plant became the heart of the Peleduy energy ring, a crucial source of energy for the development of the northern territories of the Irkutsk Region, Buryatia and Transbaikalia. It also supplies power to Yakutia and connects it to the Unified National Power Grid. The investments totalled about RUB 1.4 billion.

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.