LUKOIL continues to develop its potential in the generation of renewable energy. The company has commissioned a 24-megawatt hydroelectric power-generation unit at the Belorechensk Hydroelectric Power Plant, Krasnodar Region, Russia, and started to supply power to the wholesale market as part of the power plant Reconstruction Phase I. The company is also busy with installation of another similar hydroelectric power-generation unit there.
Outdated equipment is being replaced with new highly efficient hydroelectric power-generation facilities, delivering a boost of each unit's capacity from 16 to 24 megawatt. Besides, all auxiliary systems of the power plant will be upgraded as part of the reconstruction project.
The reconstruction will extend the life of the Belorechensk power-generation plant by no less than forty years, increasing its economic viability and reliability of green power generation.
The project, relying on equipment manufactured in Russia, features innovative technologies. Those include a brushless excitation system and an electric drive of the turbine wicket gates, which raises the reliability of the hydro generator, excludes the risk of oil leaks and guarantees environmental and fire safety.