Partial replacement of the Kegums hydroelectric power plant’s water spillway shutter

Since its creation in 1939, Daugava’s oldest hydroelectric power plant has been an important source of renewable energy in the country. The replacement of the Kegums hydroelectric power plant’s 6th and 7th span shutters was carried out to increase safety of the dam.

The two existing 80 m wide valve type shutters were replaced with eight new vertical shutters. Their distance control is implemented from the Kegums HES2 control panel, which allows the opening of each shutter to be individually adjusted. In the maximum closing position, the upper edge of the shutter is located on the 33.25 m mark, which provides protection against water splashing over them. The main task of the technical solution, which was successfully resolved at the design stage, was to prevent a reduction in water flow capacity, which is expected when increasing the number of shutters four times. As a result, the total flow ability of eight new shutters after rebuilding is 3280 m3/s. Alongside the increased safety, the benefits of new shutters are reduced operating costs and the ability to operate them at particularly low environmental temperatures.

Janis Sprogis,
Head of the Energy construction at SIA “Latvijas Energoceltnieks”

Our company has experience in the foreign energy, construction and communications market, and we appreciate the opportunity to apply our knowledge in ambitious renewal projects for Latvia’s energy infrastructure.