At the At-Bashi hydroelectric power station, one of the oldest hydroelectric power stations in Kyrgyzstan, preparations are underway for repair work that will affect the underwater elements of the dam. This was reported by the press service of HYDRO.
For repair work, the balance holder of the hydroelectric power station – OJSC «Electric Stations» – attracted a Russian contractor, the HYDRO group of companies.
The company’s specialists will replace the worn metal skin of the spillway threshold (a waterproof bottom covering adjacent to the spillway system) using a caisson.
«It will be installed on the upstream side of the cylindrical gate of the bottom spillway. The tunnel will be assembled from steel profiles and will be supported by the concrete structure of the dam itself. It is worth noting that installing a caisson at a depth of 45 meters, capable of withstanding high pressure – is an extremely rare practice. Typically, in such cases, dry chambers are used in which the pressure surrounding the chamber is maintained. In our case, there will be atmospheric pressure in the caisson, and therefore specialists will not need diving training and there will be no need to undergo decompression», — explained project manager Dmitry Sannikov.
Currently, profiles for the caisson have already been manufactured and delivered to Kyrgyzstan. Installation will begin in January 2025, after which repair work will be carried out. Completion of all work is scheduled before the beginning of May to avoid disruption of the spillway during floods.
Let us recall that within the framework of cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), the project for the reconstruction of the At-Bashi hydroelectric power station was successfully completed in 2023. 22.4 million Swiss francs (about 2.5 billion soms) were allocated for these purposes. The Ministry of Finance of Kyrgyzstan then stated that thanks to the reconstruction, the installed capacity of the hydroelectric power station increased by 14%, and the service life of the At-Bashi hydroelectric power station was extended by 35-40 years, providing a long-term perspective for the energy security of the region.
