The preparatory stage for the construction of the Vitebsk HPP is planned to be completed in the first quarter of 2013

October 31, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. The preparatory stage for the construction of the Vitebsk Hydroelectric Power Station (HPS) is planned to be completed in the first quarter of 2013, Ivan Pugachev, head of the construction department of the Vitebsk HPS branch of the Vitebsk Electric Networks RUP Vitebskenergo, told a BELTA correspondent. According to him, about 800 builders will be involved in the construction of the HPS, so work is currently underway on the right bank of the Western Dvina near the village of Bukatino to equip a temporary base for them. In particular, dormitories, offices, and a canteen are being built from modular units. Simultaneously, trees are being felled on the main construction site. In the near future, the project for the construction of access roads will be ready, which will allow builders to start their construction. The main asphalt road will run along the right bank of the Western Dvina from the side of Ruba through Bukatino and will remain after the completion of the HPS construction. The second, temporary road, will lead to the main construction site on the left bank of the river past the village of Podberezye. The preparatory stage for the construction of the Vitebsk HPS is planned to be fully completed in the first quarter of 2013, so that the construction of the hydro-unit can begin in the spring, the source noted. Ivan Pugachev recalled that the turnkey contract for the construction of the Vitebsk HPS was concluded with the China National Electric Equipment Corporation (CNEEC). Its cost is over $100 million. At the same time, according to the document, Belarusian enterprises must be involved in the construction and Belarusian building materials must be used for 30% of the contract value. The customer, RUP Vitebskenergo, exercises control over this. The main construction phase is scheduled to begin in March-April 2013, when the architectural design for the construction of the hydro-unit is expected to be ready. In general, it will resemble the Polotsk HPS: an diversion channel with two dams will also be built, after which the hydroelectric power station itself will be erected. The difference is in greater capacity, which the Vitebsk HPS will have at 40 MW. This will provide electricity to a third of the Vitebsk region, the specialist emphasized, adding that the Vitebsk HPS should generate its first electricity in January 2017. After that, within 12 months, a lock for water vessels will be built on the left bank of the river. In addition, to ensure the safety of the HPS and nearby settlements, an architectural project for the construction of bank protection structures (a pumping station and concrete structures) upstream of the Western Dvina is currently being developed. "After the dam is built, the water level upstream will rise. Bank protection structures will prevent water from overflowing the riverbed during spring floods or heavy rains," explained Ivan Pugachev. In accordance with the Concept of Energy Security of the Republic of Belarus until 2020, a cascade of four hydroelectric power stations is planned on the Western Dvina: Polotsk, Vitebsk, Beshenkovichi, and Verkhnedvinsk. Their total installed capacity will be 125-130 MW. Contracts for the construction of the Beshenkovichi and Verkhnedvinsk HPS have been concluded with a Turkish company, which will own these facilities for 30 years. After this period, the hydroelectric power stations will become the property of Belarus. -0-