Yakutskaya SDPP-2: Heat and Light of the Severe North

The MAIN JOURNAL for POWER GRID SPECIALISTS in RUSSIA

36

YAKUTSKAYA SDPP-2: HEAT AND
LIGHT OF THE SEVERE NORTH

Yakutia is isolated from an in-

tegrated power grid of the Russian 
Federation. Nowadays it includes 
three energy areas: Western,
Central and Southern Yakutsk, and 
also a zone of the decentralized 
power supply which is attended by 
JSC “Sakhaenergo”. 94% of power 
consumption of nine areas of the 
republic and 54% of heatconsump-
tion in of Yakutsk (Central energy 
area) are provided by Yakutskaya 

SDPP constructed still in the six-
ties of the last century. Despite 
the modernization of Yakutskaya 
SDPP which was carried out in the 
eighties, six of eight gas-turbine
installations of station have already 
more than twice reached the end of 
its service life.  

Inhabitants of Yakutia perfect-

ly remember the accident in De-
cember, 2002 when the capital 
and a third part of the population 

Construction of Yakutskaya SDPP-2 is an event for the region more than just of 

a large-scale. Especially taking into account that the energy situation in Yakutsk 

and the central part of the republic has developed in a very dif

fi

 cult way today. 

Residents of the capital of the republic know 

fi

 rsthand how it is to be left without 

heat and light when the temperature outside the window is 50 degrees below zero.

New Energy

of the Far East

37

of the republic have been left 
without electricity, heat and water 
for two hours at a temperature of 
40 degrees below zero. That time 
Yakutskaya SDPP has been com-
pletely stopped because of the ac-
cident on the sixth power unit and 
mistakes in the actions of tech-
nicians. In November, 2008 in the 
Central energy area high alert be-
cause of breakage of the gas-tur-
bine GTU-45 installation has been 
again introduced. Both times were 
succeeded to avoid catastrophic 
consequences, however the situa-
tion is still very serious these days: 
despite planned repairs, the station 
has reached the end of its service 
life and the outdated equipment of 
Yakutskaya SDPP will be pulled 
out of service since the next year.

Big Plans

The city of Yakutsk develops 

more than just dynamically today. 
Those who came there three-four 
years ago cannot recognize the 
city any more today – its appea-
rance has changed a lot. The in-
ternational airport, a large number 
of social objects – schools, kinder-
gartens, sports units have been 
constructed, and the housing stock 
has increased by a third over the 
last 10 years. The government of 
the republic has proposed ambi-
tious strategy for development till 
2032, which includes appearance 
of dozens of new enterprises and 
tourist objects. 

Moreover, at the Eastern Eco-

nomic Forum which took place in 
September, 2015 in Vladivostok, 
the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) 
submitted 19 projects at the total 
cost of 262.5 billion rubles; plans in 
the 

fi

 eld of mining, development of 

high technologies and transport are 
among them. Even according to 
the most conservative calculations 
till 2020 electric loading of the 
Central energy area of Yakutia 
will grow by 70%, and load of heat 
networks networks will increase
by 30%.

It is obvious that without a re-

liable source of energy resources 
it is simply impossible to realize 
the conceived. Replacement of 

was required – it was necessary to 
understand whether the buildings 
would be able to sustain weight 
during the summer months when 
permafrost soil melts.

New Yakutskaya SDPP-2 is 

built on two isolated platforms: one 
of them is located on the mountain 
Chochur-Muran, and another – at 
its bottom. On the main platform 
the main building of power plant, 
the building of electrotechnical 
devices,  service buildings are 
constructed. On the secondary 
platform the incorporated building 
for a central heat point, water 
treatment plants, pumping plant 
utility and drinking water supply 
system with water-storage tanks 
have been constructed. Platforms 
are connected one to each other 
by a pipe rack process. 

The station will be under 

construction in two construction 
stages. The 

fi

 rst construction stage 

of Yakutskaya SDPP-2 includes 
four gas-turbine installations with 
waste-heat recovery units and 
three peak water-heating boilers 
with plantwide infrastructure. The 
second construction stage contains 
three gas-turbine installations with 
waste-heat recovery units.  Four 
gas-turbine installations of the 

fi

rst construction stage power 

facility – LM 6000 produced by 
General Electric with a capacity of 
42.3 MW and waste-heat recovery 

YAKUTSKAYA SDPP-2

• 

Objectives:

• 

creation of electrical capacity reserve,

• 

replacement of operating Yakutskaya SDPP retired capacity

• 

Electrical capacity: 

193.5 MW

 (1st construction stage)

• 

Heat capacity: 

469 Gcal/h 

(1st construction stage)

• 

Total electrical capacity

of two construction stages: 

338.6 MW

• 

Total heat capacity

of two construction stages:

569.8 Gcal/h

• 

Fuel: 

natural gas of Srednevilyuisk gas and condensate 

fi

 eld

• 

Р

opulation of the

Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) :

1 million people

• 

Р

opulation of Yakutsk:

300 thousand people

seriously outdated capacities of 
the Central energy area of the re-
public, and also improvement of 
an ecological situation by means 
of the partially removal of ineffec-
tive and ecologically harmful boiler 
house of Yakutsk is also the main 
objective of Yakutskaya SDPP-2 
which is building now. 

Yakutsk

New Heart

The 

fi

 rst construction stage of 

Yakutskaya SDPP-2 is the one of 
four drafts of the PJSC “RusHydro” 
investment program for  new 
power facilities construction in 
the Far East, realized jointly with 
“RAO Energy Systems of the East” 
according to Decree of the Russian 
Federation President.

Construction of a new highly 

effective gas-turbine combined 
heat and power plant in Yakutsk is 
a really unique event. Over the last 
50 years it is the 

fi

 rst large thermal 

power facility built in the conditions 
of permafrost. Yakutskaya SDPP-2 
project has no analog at present 
time. What worth only concrete 
works which were conducted within 
the temperature of 40 degrees 
below zero! The project attracted 
special attention due to the severe 
Yakutsk climate. In particular, long-
lasting examination of test piles 

Fa

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t s

h

e

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stallations, gas pipelines of inner 
circuits of waste-heat recovery 
units and peak water-heating boi-
lers within the main building, gas-
turbine installations air conduits 
comes to the end. At the building 
of electrotechnical devices instal-
lation of Gas Insulated Switchgear 
(GIS) cells with capacity of 110 kV 
is conducted, which is necessary 
for electrical energy receiving, dis-
tribution and transmission through 
air-lines from the station to the 
power supply system. Hydraulic 
tests of a pipe rack process have 
been carried out, hydraulic tests 
of tanks with diesel (emergency) 
fuel have been started, equip-
ment at the building of gas boost-
ing station and at the incorporated
building on the secondary plat-
form has being installed.

For Safety

and Comfort

Construction of the new power 

facility on the territory of Yakutia 
has attracted the attention of 
the federal government, public 
authorities of the republic, and 
its residents. Importance of the 
project was emphasized by the 
vice-speaker of State Assembly 
(Il Tumen) Olga Balabkina: “The 

units with a capacity of 42.9 Gcal/h 
are already mounted at the main 
building of the station. 

Unlike the classical SDPP used 

for the development of electric 
power only, the new station will 
produce also heat. It will allow to 
reduce considerably the number 
of boiler rooms (now there are 
more than 100 ones), which 
provide service for the capital of 
the republic and doing harm to 
environment. Improvement of 
the ecological situation will be 
promoted also by use of natural 
gas as fuel. Moreover, the place 
for construction has been chosen 
taking into account a wind rose, 
due to that the smoke will leave 
the city aside, and the location on 
a height far from the city districts is 
also favorable for the city ecology. 

At the moment implementa-

tion of the project is in its active 
phase. The main buildings and in-
stallations have been constructed, 
delivery of the basic facilities has 
been carried out and the main part 
of works on installation has been 
ful

fi

 lled. Now the closing stage in-

cludes 

fi

 tting-up of the four waste-

heat recovery units – station
basic facilities, hydraulic tests 
have been carried out. Also at 
the main building installation of 
gas pipelines to gas-turbine in-

matter of Yakutskaya SDPP-2 
construction has been in a spot-
light for a long time. After all, we, 
the citizens, want to turn on the 
lights and to watch TV coming 
home late in the evening. We 
want the city streets lamps and 
traf

fi

 c lights to be switched on, 

we want to see gleaming   neon 

fi

 res of advertising, and also we 

wish that kindergartens, schools, 
hospitals would be warm and 
full of light. We want our city 
to become more beautiful for 
living in a comfortable, safe 
and homelike place. In modern 
conditions social responsibility 
of business is necessary for 
successful implementation of 
such global project, because 
construction of such scale 
won’t make a momentary pro

fi

 t. 

Members of business community 
say that it is “long money”. And 
there we are glad to see the 
understanding attitude of the 
RusHydro company, where the 
safety of the republic residents is 
an understandable matter and not 
just a 

fl

 uent phrase. Protection of 

the population from technogenic 
incidents, creation of conditions 
when life will be safe and 
comfortable, all these become the 
main motto of current construc-
tions”. 

Yakutskaya SDPP-2 on-site racks