Amur River - RusHydro, China Three Gorges express interest in joint river control project

RusHydro, China Three Gorges express interest in joint river control project
23 October 2013, HydroWorld

JSC RusHydro and China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) have announced
their interest in constructing storage-based hydroelectric projects
along feeders of the Amur River.

Per an agreement signed by RusHydro's Evgeny Dod and CTG's Cao Guangjing
in Beijing, the two will cooperate in considering reservoir-based
hydropower projects that could benefit both countries.

The companies not only agreed to discuss the partnership's
organizational form of cooperation and financing principles, but also
proposals for the potential sale of energy generated by the new
hydropower plants.

The discussion was wrought by flooding in the Amur River Basin in 2013
that affected parts in both countries. High volume flows from China's
Ussuri and Sungari rivers flowed into Russia's Khabarovsk region.

The two rivers combine for about 35% of the Amur River's flow, according
to RusHydro, with a "significant part" of it still unregulated by
reservoirs.

RusHydro said the construction of new dams with large reservoirs is
essential in mitigating potential flooding, while counter-regulator dams
in tailraces at existing hydropower plants will also be explored.

http://www.hydroworld.com/articles/2013/10/rushydro-china-three-gorges-express-interest-in-joint-river-control-project.html

***

RusHydro and China Three Gorges Corporation consider cooperation in
construction of the flood control hydropower facilities in the Russian
Far East

22 October 2013
Press Release, RusHydro
URL: http://www.eng.rushydro.ru/press/news/89043.html

JSC RusHydro announces that it may consider potential cooperation with
the China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) on construction of the
storage-based hydroelectric facilities on the feeder rivers of the Amur
to contain future floodings in the region.

Evgeny Dod, Chairman of the Management Board of RusHydro, and Cao
Guangjing, Chairman of the Board of CTG, agreed to sign a cooperation
agreement during their meeting in Beijing.

The massive floods in the Far East of Russia and North-Eastern region of
China in 2013 caused by ample rainfalls revealed the necessity to work
out the measures to mitigate the risks of floods in the future. During
the negotiations management of RusHydro maintained that it considered
the construction of the reservoir-based hydropower plants to be the most
efficient.

Both RusHydro and CTG expressed their interest in the joint development
of such facilities on the feeders of the Amur River.

The parties agreed to discuss the organizational form of cooperation and
its financing principles, as well as to develop the proposals on
electricity sales for the new generating capacities.

RusHydro and CTG will present their joint proposals for consideration of
the governments of Russia and China.

The flood of 2013 in the Amur River basin was the strongest in the
entire history of hydrological observations. It had unique scope having
covered all rivers of the basin, including those, located in the Chinese
part of the basin. The flood was caused by powerful cyclones that had
led to prolonged heavy rainfalls. Situation in Khabarovsk region was
complicated by high volume flows of Ussuri and Sungari rivers, most of
this flow originating in Chinese territory. Currently, these rivers are
responsible for more than 35% of the Amur River flow.

The flood impact have been substantially mitigated by RusHydro's
Zeyskaya and Bureyskaya hydropower plants: approximately two thirds of
the flood flow volume had been accumulated in their reservoirs. This
prevented the levels of Amur River in Blagoveschensk from reaching its
historic peak levels, that could have disastrous consequences. Due to
significant reserve volume of the Zeyskaya reservoir, the flood peak was
reduced by more than three times: from 11,700 m3/s in the headrace to
3,500 m3/s in the tailrace.

Significant part of the Amur River still remains unregulated by
reservoirs, leaving it open to periodic catastrophic floods. In order to
mitigate the floods and to prevent possible damage, construction of new
hydropower dams with large reservoirs is essential, as well as
construction of counter-regulator dams in tailrace of the existing large
hydropower plants.

Currently, construction of the RusHydro�s Nizhne-Bureyskaya hydropower
plant, counter-regulator for the Bureyskaya plant, is in progress.
Project documentation for the Nizhne-Zeyskaya HPP, counter-regulator for
the Zeyskaya HPP, has been developed. Other hydropower projects with
regulating reservoirs on tributaries of the rivers Zeya and Bureya may
include the Selimdzhinskaya, Giluyskaya and Nizhne-Nimanskaya dams.

On September 21, 2013, President Vladimir Putin commissioned the
Government of the Russian Federation to develop the program for
construction of new hydropower facilities in the Far East of Russiaby
the end of the year. The new power plants could provide protection from
floods, improve reliability of electricity supply, and create new job
opportunities. This will have positive multiplication effect on the
economic development of the region and quality of life of local communities.
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