Krasnoyarsk Dam

Krasnoyarsk Dam is a large concrete gravity dam on the Yenisey River at Divnogorsk, approximately 30 kilometres upstream from Krasnoyarsk in Siberia. Built between 1956 and 1972, it forms the Krasnoyarsk Reservoir and supports the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station, one of the most important generating facilities in Russia. The dam rises 124 metres and the station has an installed generating capacity of about 6,000 megawatts. Its electricity has been closely associated with the energy-intensive industrial economy of the region, particularly the Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Plant, or KrAZ. The dam and the aluminium plant are both described in reference material as being controlled by RUSAL. The project was developed during the Soviet period as part of the large-scale expansion of hydroelectric infrastructure in Siberia. Its construction transformed the Yenisey valley, creating the Krasnoyarsk Reservoir, commonly called the Krasnoyarsk Sea. The reservoir covers about 2,000 square kilometres, contains approximately 73.3 cubic kilometres of water, extends roughly 388 kilometres, and reaches a maximum reported depth of about 105 metres near the dam. Beyond electricity production, the reservoir and the dam have influenced transport, settlement patterns, industry, recreation, and the environmental conditions of the river corridor. Krasnoyarsk Dam became a notable engineering landmark during the final phase of its construction. With the commissioning of its tenth turbine in April 1971, the associated power station was described as the world's largest single power plant by installed capacity at that time. It retained that distinction until the United States' Grand Coulee Dam reached 6,181 megawatts in 1983. The facility remains one of the defining pieces of infrastructure in Krasnoyarsk Krai and is represented on Russia's 10-ruble banknote, reinforcing its status as a regional symbol rather than merely an industrial installation. The dam also has unusual navigation infrastructure. An inclined-plane ship lift, built as an electrically powered rack railway, enables vessels to bypass the dam. Its track gauge is reported at 9,000 millimetres, making it exceptionally wide by railway standards. Ships can be moved through the system in approximately 90 minutes. This feature reflects the effort to preserve navigation along the Yenisey after construction of the hydroelectric barrier. Operation of the dam has altered downstream river conditions. Water released from the reservoir remains comparatively warm and unfrozen during Siberia's winter, preventing the Yenisey from freezing for a long stretch downstream, reported in reference material as approximately 200 to 300 kilometres. The interaction between unfrozen river water and cold winter air produces fog that can affect Krasnoyarsk and other downstream locations. Thus, Krasnoyarsk Dam is simultaneously a power-generation asset, a transportation structure, a regional landmark, and a major force shaping the local physical environment.

Krasnoyarsk Dam was constructed on the Yenisey River during the Soviet Union's postwar expansion of large-scale hydroelectric power. Work began in 1956 at the site near Divnogorsk, upstream from Krasnoyarsk. The project was intended to provide a large and dependable electricity supply for the growing industrial complex of Siberia. Construction continued for sixteen years and was completed in 1972. The resulting structure is a 124-metre-high concrete gravity dam supporting the Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station. The power station reached a major historical milestone in April 1971, when its tenth turbine entered service. With that unit operating, the station was regarded as the world's largest single power plant by installed capacity, at roughly 6,000 megawatts. It held that distinction until Grand Coulee Dam in Washington State expanded to 6,181 megawatts in 1983. The generating complex subsequently became closely linked with the Krasnoyarsk Aluminium Plant, whose energy-intensive production depends on substantial and reliable electricity supplies. Reference material identifies RUSAL as controlling both the aluminium plant and the power and aluminium assets associated with the project. Creation of the dam produced the Krasnoyarsk Reservoir, a vast artificial lake informally known as the Krasnoyarsk Sea. The reservoir extends for approximately 388 kilometres and covers about 2,000 square kilometres. Its formation altered the geography of the Yenisey basin, affecting transport, local communities, industry, and the use of the river for recreation and navigation. The dam includes an inclined-plane ship lift designed to move vessels past the barrier. Rather than using a conventional lock, the system physically carries ships on an electrically powered rack railway. Its 9,000-millimetre track gauge is described as the widest railway gauge of any type, and a transit reportedly takes about 90 minutes. Hydrological and climatic effects became another defining feature of the installation. The dam releases water that does not freeze during the severe Siberian winter. Consequently, the Yenisey remains open downstream for a reported 200 to 300 kilometres instead of freezing in the way it otherwise normally would. Warm water meeting intensely cold air creates persistent winter fog around Krasnoyarsk and other downstream areas. These effects illustrate the extent to which the project changed the local environment beyond its direct role in electricity generation. Today, Krasnoyarsk Dam remains an operating hydroelectric landmark and one of the most recognizable structures in Krasnoyarsk Krai. Its image appears on Russia's 10-ruble banknote, and the facility is widely associated with the identity of Krasnoyarsk and the region's industrial history. Its importance rests on the combination of generating capacity, reservoir scale, navigation technology, and lasting effects on the Yenisey landscape.

• 1983

  Largest-power-station distinction ends

  [1]Krasnoyarsk Damen.wikipedia.org

  Grand Coulee Dam reaches 6,181 megawatts, surpassing the Krasnoyarsk station's earlier world-leading capacity.

• 1972

  Construction completed

  [1]Krasnoyarsk Damen.wikipedia.org

  The dam construction program is completed, establishing the principal structure and the reservoir-based hydroelectric complex.

• 1971

  Tenth turbine enters service

  [1]Krasnoyarsk Damen.wikipedia.org

  The tenth turbine opens in April, bringing the associated power station to approximately 6,000 megawatts and making it the world's largest single power plant by installed capacity at the time.

• 1956

  Construction begins

  [1]Krasnoyarsk Damen.wikipedia.org

  Construction of the Krasnoyarsk Dam begins on the Yenisey River near Divnogorsk during the Soviet expansion of Siberian hydroelectric infrastructure.

Major hydroelectric infrastructure and a landmark of Siberian industrial development.

• Hydroelectric power generation · 1971

  Krasnoyarsk hydroelectric power station

  The generating complex associated with the dam has an installed capacity of about 6,000 megawatts. It supplies electricity to the Russian grid and has been particularly important to the energy-intensive aluminium industry in Krasnoyarsk. The station became internationally notable when its tenth turbine entered service in 1971, briefly making it the world's largest single power plant by installed capacity.

• Hydroelectric reservoir · 1972

  Krasnoyarsk Reservoir

  The reservoir created by the dam is informally known as the Krasnoyarsk Sea. It covers roughly 2,000 square kilometres, holds about 73.3 cubic kilometres of water, extends approximately 388 kilometres, and reaches a reported maximum depth of 105 metres near the dam. It supports water management, transport, and regional recreational use while substantially reshaping the Yenisey valley.

• Navigation infrastructure · 1972

  Krasnoyarsk Dam ship lift

  An inclined-plane ship lift allows vessels to pass the dam without a conventional navigation lock. The system operates as an electrically powered rack railway and uses a reported 9,000-millimetre track gauge, described as the widest railway gauge of any type. A vessel can be moved through the lift in approximately 90 minutes.

1. 1Krasnoyarsk Damen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Power Station official websitekges.ru