Hydropower is the most used form of renewable energy in Russia, and there is large potential in Russia for more use of hydropower. According to the International Hydropower Association Russia is the seventh largest producer of hydroelectricity in 2020. It is also second in the world for hydro potential, yet only 20% of this potential is developed. Russia is home to 9% of the world's hydro resources, mostly in Siberia and the country's far east. At the end of 2005, the generating capacity from hydroelectric sources in Russia was 45,700 MW, and an additional 5,648 MW was under construction. The World Energy Council believes that Russia has much potential for using its hydro resources, with a theoretical potential of about 2,295 TWh/yr, with 852 TWh being economically feasible.
The largest dams in Russia are the Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam, which has an installed capacity of 6,400 MW; the Krasnoyarsk Dam (6,000 MW); the Bratsk Dam (4,500 MW); the Ust-Ilimsk Dam (4,320 MW) and the Zeya Dam (1,330 MW). Some of the most recent dam projects are the Bureya Dam (2010 MW) and the Irganai Dam (800 MW). The Boguchany Dam (1920 MW), Zelenchuk Dam (320 MW), Zaramag Dam (352 MW) and Nizhne-Chereksky (60 MW) are currently under construction. RusHydro is the largest hydroelectric company in Russia and the second largest hydroelectric producer in the world. In October 2010, China Yangtze Power, the largest hydropower corporation in China, and EuroSibEnergo, a Russian energy company, signed a cooperation agreement to expand hydroelectric energy production in Russia and export energy to China's northern territories.
Largest hydropower plants Rank Name Capacity (MW) Commissioning years Owner River Region Sources1 Sayano-Shushenskaya 6,400 1978-1985 2011-2014 RusHydro Yenisei Khakassia 2 Krasnoyarsk 6,000 1967-1971 EuroSibEnergo Yenisei Krasnoyarsk Krai 3 Bratsk 4,500 1961-1966 EuroSibEnergo Angara Irkutsk Oblast 4 Ust-Ilimsk 3,840 1974-1979 EuroSibEnergo Angara Irkutsk Oblast 5 Boguchany 2,997 2012-2014 RusHydro / RUSAL Angara Krasnoyarsk Krai 6 Volga 2,660 1958-1961 RusHydro Volga Volgograd Oblast 7 Zhiguli 2,456 1955-1957 RusHydro Volga Samara Oblast 8 Bureya 2,010 2003-2007 RusHydro Bureya Amur Oblast 9 Saratov 1,404 http://www.sarges.rushydro.ru/press/news/96946 .html 1967-1970 RusHydro Volga Saratov Oblast 10 Cheboksary 1,374 1980-1986 RusHydro Volga Chuvashia 11 Zeya 1,330 1975-1980 RusHydro Zeya Amur Oblast 12 Nizhnekamsk 1,205 1979-1987 Tatenergo Kama Tatarstan 13 Votkinsk 1,035 1961-1963 RusHydro Kama Perm Krai 14 Chirkei 1,000 1974-1976 RusHydro Sulak Dagestan
Accidents On 17 August 2009, there was an explosion at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power plant, which killed 75 plant workers and injured 13. The Federal Service for Ecological, Technological, and Nuclear Supervision's investigation concluded that poor management and technical flaws were responsible. The explosion was caused by a 29-year-old turbine that experienced an uncontrolled and excessive vibration. Since then, officials from RusHydro, the operator of the plant, have called for better oversight and safety at hydroelectric plants.
See also Renewable energy in Russia
References