The revitalization of the “Đerdap 1” hydroelectric power plant has been successfully completed, handover tests are underway and synchronization and inclusion in the power system is expected by mid-November at the latest, announced “Elektroprivreda Srbije”.
These days, the first rotation of the last revitalized unit A3 was started and “Đerdap 1” with six modernized and stronger “machines” is ready to use the potential of the Danube.
– “Đerdap 1” has been the pride of our hydropower industry for more than five decades, and with a successful revitalization, it will certainly be so for the next 30 to 40 years. We got increased power, less scope of maintenance and decades of reliability – said Dušan Živković, v. d. general director of EPS, after a tour of the completed works.
Živković pointed out that the revitalization of HPP “Đerdap 1” increased the total power of its six units to 1,140 megawatts, and by increasing the nominal active power of each unit from 171 to 190 megawatts, EPS got one new power plant, with a power of about 100 megawatts.
– We will continue revitalization in the hydro sector in the coming period, and the most significant projects are the modernization of “Vlasin hydropower plants”, HPP “Bistrica”, “Potpeć” and “Đerdap 2”. The importance of the revitalization of EPS hydroelectric power plants was also recognized by the European Union, which, through the Western Balkan Investments Framework (WBIF) program, granted EPS a grant of 49 million euros to finance four projects of renewable energy sources. Of that, 16.1 million euros are intended for the revitalization of “Vlasin hydropower plants” – said Živković.
Vladan Živanović and Miodrag Ranković, members of the Supervisory Board of EPS, as well as executive directors, attended the tour of the completed works at HPP “Đerdap 1”.
HE “Đerdap 1”, the largest hydroelectric power plant in the EPS system, produces about half of the total electricity from the EPS hydro sector. Extensive work on the revitalization of HPP “Đerdap 1” was carried out by the expert teams of “Elektroprivreda Srbije”, HPP “Đerdap”, experts from domestic scientific institutions and the Russian company “Silovije mašini”.
Unit A3 was stopped on September 1, 2022, after more than 51 years of operation. The largest part that is mounted in one piece on the A3 is the rotor of the main generator weighing 610 tons and having a diameter of 14.15 meters. The 350-ton, six-bladed impeller of the trumpet is the most attractive part that is mounted in one piece.
About 40 kilometers of power and signal cables are installed in each unit. The most modern equipment from domestic and international manufacturers is installed in the revitalized aggregates.
The main supplier of the equipment is the Russian company “Silovije mašini” from Saint Petersburg, and part of the equipment was revitalized in domestic factories. How huge this job is is illustrated by the fact that 1,300 tons of rotating and 950 tons of static equipment were dismantled. The contractors were the workers of HPP “Đerdap 1”, “Goša montage”, “Đerdap usluga”, ATB Sever from Subotica, “Jadran”, “Kolubara Metal” as well as experts from the institute “Nikola Tesla”, “Mihajlo Pupin”, while metal control entrusted to the Materials Testing Institute from Belgrade.
