Successful start of the Danube’s HPPs in the New Year
Danube’ s HPPs “ Đerdap 1“ and “Đerdap 2 “ have successfully started the implementation of the annual production plan by fully utilizing favorable inflows of the Danube.In the HPP “Đerdap 1“, the installation of the turbine equipment A-4 has begun under the revitalization program.
Unlike last year, when because of the long drought, our HPP “ Đerdap 1“ didn’t fulfill the annual production plan . At the beginning of this year, both of the Danube’s HPPs “ Đerdap 1“ and “Đerdap“ 2 have recorded an extremly good daily production, by 50 percent more than planned .
The good production of HPP “Đerdap 1“ which planned production accounts for 80 percent of the total annual production plan of the Company HPP “Đerdap“, is particularly encouraging. Up to 15 th of January, fully using unexpectedly abundant inflows of the Danube for this time of the year of about 6,000 m3/s, HPP “Đerdap 1“ was producing daily about 16-17 million kWh of electricity. Thanks to this fact, it surpassed the so called dynamic plan for the first half of January by 54 percent , because, instead of planned 165 million kWh, it produced even 254 million kWh of electricity. Therefore, the first 75 % of the plan for the first month has been realized.
– The Power Plant has welcomed the new year with the complete operational readeness – said Ljubiša Jokić, the director of the “Đerdap 1“.
– All the planned overhauls and operations of the preventive maintenance of the five power units, (A-4 is in revitalization), and all other auxiliary and supporting equipment, including the ship lock were completed on schedule. The result is the achieved high level of operational readiness . In this way, the maximum utilization of hydro-energetic potential of the big river with the extremly favorable inflows for this time of the year of about 6,000 m3/ s, is enabled. Compared to the Danube’s inflow of the previous year with extreme draughts it is 1,600 m3/s above.
As a young hydrologist employed with this big HPP, Nebojša Paunović, points out that the last year’s average inflow of the Danube of only 4,400 cubic meters of water per second was by 1,100 cubic meters below the average inflow, and the forth smallest inflow of the big river in four decades of operation of HPP “Đerdap 1“. According to the prognosis of Miloš Savić, the head of Control Department, and Miloš Martinović, an independent control operator and electricla engineer , the favorable inflows of the Danube of about 6,000 m3 /s will continue till the end of January. Due to that fact both of Danube’s HPPs will maintain a high daily production for this time of the year. HPP “Đerdap 1“ will produce about 17 and HPP “Đerdap 2“ about 5 million kWh of electricity.
At the same time, such good production announces one more successful production year of the second Danube’s HPP “Đerdap 2“ . This HPP also entered the new year with the complete operational readeness of all 10 power units, having total installed capacity of 270 MW. The result is a daily production output of about 5 million kWh of electricity and fulfilled a semimonthly balance of 75, instead of planned 53 million kWh. It is also a hint that the HPP “Đerdap 2“, the only run-of-the-river (ROR) capacity in Serbia that implemented and surpassed the production plan , even this year could repeat or surpass the last year’s production success.
From the conversation with the Director of the HPP “Đerdap 1“, Ljubiša Jokić, we learn that the workers of this HPP began in late December the installation of the turbine equipment of the new A-4. The intensive work on three positions is carried out in two shifts. In the turbine duct of the power unit the installation of the distributor is being done, more precisely the installation of the upper and lower ring. At the same time, on the installation block, the installation of the turbine runner and turbine block, which consists of turbine cover, adjustment ring and two servo-motors, is being done. Also, in the overhaul basis, the AK3 paddle of the distribution device is being done.
– In the last year, a larger number of revitalization tasks were completed considerably earlier – Jokić points out. Among other things, the anticorrosive protection of the flow bodies was finished, completed recovery works on the turbine runner coating, on the guides of pre-turbine lock, recovery of the rotor and installation of new poles, completely new stator of the main power unit was formed…After the arrival of the most part of the turbine equipment from Russia, because of which the revitalization is in delay, the work is being continued according to the plan. The planned dynamics of work in two shifts is completely kept, but it is foreseen that if necessary, the third shift shall be introduced, in order to prevent the delay of any kind.
With the maximum efforts, and based on gained expiriances and the fact that good part of works and procedures on the revitalization is already finished, our interlocutor expresses optimistic prognosis that the installation of the new A-4 will be finished until April 15 . In that way, on May 16 which is the Day of our biggest HPP, after the expiration of one-month handover testing, this power unit with the increased power of 10% should be included in the power system of Serbia. According to the current plan, the further stage of revitalization, after the A-4 is included into the electricity network of EPS shall start on September 1.
– A-5 will also be revitalized, but only if all the equipment will have been delivered timely to Đerdap- says Ljubiša Jokić.- This doesn’t refer only to the new parts of tourbine equipment which installation is about to be completed, but also to the dismantled parts of the equipment from A-4 that have been transported to Russia for rehabilitation and revitalization and which will be installed in the new A-5.
– If the Russian partner “ Silovie mashiny“, that is at the same time the contractor of revitalization project, fulfills this obbligation in time or sooner, it is possible that the revitalization of the third power unit (A-5) at HPP “Đerdap 1“ will start even sooner.
In addition, together with the revitalization works, the preparations for big six- month overhaul of the ship lock are underway, whose beginning, in agreement with the Romanian partner, is planned for April 8. During this overhaul, together with the replacement of the wood material on the lower door and the overhaul of the electro hydraulic operation unit , the scope of the necessary revitalizing operations of the hydro-mechanical equipment of this unique road and component of HPP “ Đerdap 1“, will be closer examined.
Icebraker “Greben “ on standby
According to the Plan for the defence from ice,which has been recently adopted by the Serbia-Romania Joint Commission on Đerdap, our side of the Commission has engaged the icebreaker “Greben“ and put it on standby. The ship is anchored in the HPP “ Đerdap 1“ and it will intervene, if necessary, in the Đerdap gorge sector. Its main task will be to break the ice cover in the gorge sector, primarily near Sokolac, about Golubac, in order to prevent the accumulation of icebergs, i.e. making of ice barriers, that could cause floods in the coastal-upstream.
The peak HPPs are also ready
Good hydrology of the Danube and the maximum production performance of the Đerdap’s HPPs for this time of the year enabled the peak capacities that are within the HPP “Đerdap“, “Vlasina“ and “Pirot“ HPPs, to continue filling their accumulations. Therefore, those HPPs in the state of complete operational readiness have been waiting for the call of the dispatchers of EPS.
Source Serbia Energy/EPS Kwh
