Half a century of stability

About the history and role of the Kapshagai hydroelectric power station in the life of the Almaty region

The Kapshagai hydroelectric power station is a city-forming enterprise. It is located near the city of Kapshagai in the middle reaches of the river. Or. This year the hydroelectric power station celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Just 55 years ago there was nothing man-made here, only the muddy waters of the river flowed down the gorge. Or, but it was here, where the river valley narrows to 600 m, that the site was chosen for the construction of a hydroelectric power station. The power station site is located in a narrow place in the riverbed between high rocky banks.
The idea of ​​​​building a hydroelectric station on the river. Or many people nominated it. However, it was first substantiated in the book “Technical and Economic Indicators of the Kapshagai Hydroelectric Power Station on Ili”, published in 1942, by the famous Kazakh energy scientist, President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic – Academician Sh. Shokin. In September 2012, a memorial plaque to academician Sh. Shokin was installed on the facade of the main building of the Kapshagai hydroelectric power station.
The design of the Kapshagai HPP was carried out by the Kazakh branch of the All-Union Design and Survey Institute “Hydroproekt” named after. S. Ya. Zhuk in 1959, with revision of the project in 1961 to 1964. The beginning of the construction of the hydroelectric power station is considered to be 1965, when the directorate of the future facility was created.

The first group of builders (23 people) arrived at the hydroelectric power station construction site on January 23, 1963. Its task was to receive cargo arriving at the construction site, build temporary warehouses, and a bridge across the Kaskelenka River for transporting cargo to the construction site. During these years, a temporary settlement for hydraulic workers, a cinema, a school, and dormitories appeared, then the construction of a microdistrict began.

In 1966, work began in the area of ​​the main structures of the waterworks: the construction of compressor rooms, workshops, and a canteen. The excavation of the supply canal pit, clearing the base for the riverbed dam and the development of the first stage pit for the hydroelectric power station building have begun. On June 20, 1969, to the sounds of a festive march, a memorial plate was lowered to the bottom of the reinforced frame of the hydroelectric power station building, on which this date and the words “the first cube of concrete was laid at the Kapshagai hydroelectric power station …” were engraved. The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Kazakh SSR, D. A. Kunaev, was present at the laying.

The Ili River was blocked on September 29, 1969. In May 1970, filling of the reservoir began. On October 1 of the same year, by order of the Council of Ministers of the KazSSR, the operating enterprise “Kapshagayskaya HPP” was created as part of “Almatyenergo”.

On December 20, 1970, the director of the Kapshagai hydroelectric power station, B. G. Osipov, launched and connected the first hydraulic unit to the network. 7 days later, on December 27 of the same year, the second hydraulic unit was connected to the network. The operational period (the period of equipment development) has begun. The last, fourth, unit was launched on December 22, 1971.
The year 1980 in the life of the energy complex of Almaty and the region is marked by the completion of construction work at the Kapshagai hydroelectric station. At the end of the 1980s, modernization was carried out at the hydroelectric power station generators, after which heating losses decreased by about 300 kW. Another modernization was carried out in 1994-1995 in order to reduce ventilation losses. These works were carried out taking into account the fact that the station operates at reduced pressures and cannot develop the rated power of the generators. From October 1, 1995, according to the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the hydroelectric power station was transformed into the state republican enterprise “Kapshagay hydroelectric power station” with the withdrawal from the structure of “Almatyenergo” into direct subordination to the line ministry. A year later, the hydroelectric station became part of Almaty Power Consolidated CJSC. Since February 14, 2007 – as part of Almaty Electric Power Plants JSC (AlES).
The design capacity of the hydroelectric power station is 434 MW. Actual installed capacity (after relabeling in 1994) is 364 MW. The electricity generation technology used at hydroelectric power plants is based on the use of water flow from a reservoir. Water flows through the supply channel into the water intake and through the turbine water conduits into the spiral chamber to the blades of the guide vane. When the guide vane opens, water passes through the hydraulic turbines, thereby rotating them and is discharged through suction pipes into the downstream outlet channel.
In 2016, after clearing the river bed. Or in the downstream, the station for the first time was able to reach an available capacity of 364 MW.
Having insignificant electricity consumption for its own needs (about 0.35%) and the lowest cost of electricity in the energy system, the Kapshagai HPP served as a “lifesaver” in emergency situations as a very mobile reserve of generating capacity, which increases the financial well-being of the energy system.
To increase the reliability of the equipment, ensure safe operation, improve the technical characteristics of the equipment, its reconstruction is carried out step by step.

Over the past 12 years, in order to improve the reliability and trouble-free operation of equipment, a large-scale modernization has been carried out at the station, namely the reconstruction of the hydraulic unit control system, the hydraulic unit excitation system, the introduction of a vibration control system on the hydraulic unit (No. 2), the reconstruction of oil pressure units of the hydraulic unit control system and complete transformer substations, the installation water metering devices in turbine water conduits of hydraulic units, reconstruction of storage batteries and waterproofing of the cable tunnel of the outdoor switchgear-220 kV was completed, reconstruction of the outdoor switchgear-220 kV was completed with the replacement of air switches with SF6 ones, a major overhaul of the braking system was carried out, with the replacement of the braking columns of hydraulic units, etc.
From the beginning During the operation of the hydroelectric power station, consumers generated about 53.756 billion kW/hours of electricity, an average of 1.1 million kW/hours per year. And in the most high-water year, 2010, the station generated 1.78 billion kW/hours of electricity. Over the years, more than 673 cubic kilometers of water have been passed through the turbines of the hydroelectric power station, an average of 13.5 cubic kilometers per year.

More than one generation of power engineers received professional training at the station. Today, the Kapshagai HPP employs highly qualified specialists dedicated to their work. The team at the Kapshagai hydroelectric power station is looking forward with optimism. This confidence is built on fifty years of experience in creative activity, values ​​and traditions, its economic and intellectual potential, and the energy of professionals. The current generation of power engineers carefully operates the station and does everything possible to pass on an efficient, reliable and operational station to the next generation of specialists.