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Daugava hydropower plants (HPP)

The idea of using water from the river Daugava as an energy source was not a new one, however, specific plans and a real project only commenced at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1921 the construction and planning organisation "Daugavbūve", which developed the project and proposed constructing seven power stations on the rapids of the Daugava: Dole, Keguma, Aizkraukle, Koknese, Plavinas, Krustpils and Trepe. Nowadays the resources of the Daugavas are used by three hydropower plants - Pļaviņu HPP, Ķeguma HPP and Rīgas HPP, which have been built downstream of the river. On February 12th, 2001 they were merged establishing a new branch of LATVENERGO - "DAUGAVA HYDROPOWER PLANTS".

In recent years, Daugava hydropower stations have been supplying more than half of Latvia's customers with electricity. This figure is flexible, because electricity generation at hydropower plants are influenced by hydro-meteorolocal conditions that can vary each year.

At hydropower plants a great deal of attention is paid to hydro-technical structure safety. The resolution of these issues is carried out in conjunction with the best global specialists.

Pļaviņu HPP
In terms of capacity this is the largest hydropower plant in Latvia and is considered to be the third level of the Daugavas hydro-electric cascade. It was constructed 107 km distant from the firth of Daugava and is unique in terms of its construction - for the first time in the history of hydro-construction practice, a hydropower plant was built on clay-sand and sand-clay foundations with a maximum pressure limit of 40 m. The HPP building is merged with a water spillway. The entire building complex is extremely compact. There are ten hydro-aggregates installed at the hydropower plant and its current capacity is 870,000 kW.

Ķeguma HPP
The second level of the Daugava hydropower plant cascade was built 70 km distant from the firth of Daugava.

The power station's construction began in 1936 upon the signing of a contract with the Swedish company "Sentab". In four years, a modern hydropower plant was built with equipment manufactured in Sweden. Four hydro-aggregates were installed at the power station with a combined capacity of 68,000 kW and a calculated pressure limit of 13,5 m.

After the construction of the Pļaviņu HPP it was necessary to expand the Ķeguma HPP. The expansion was carried out during 1979 building the new Ķeguma HPP - 2, with three hydro-aggregates and the power plant's capacity grew by 192,000 kW. After further reconstructions in 1998 its current capacity is 264,000 kW.

Rīgas HPP
This is the newest hydropower station on the river Daugava. The first level of the cascade was constructed in 1975 on the isle of Dole, 35 km distant from the firth of Daugava. At the base of the Hydro-technical building is clay and dolomite. As a building located downstream of the river, it has very long causeways and the combined land building length is 15 km.

There are six hydro-aggregates installed with vertical rotating axles with a combined capacity of 402,000 kW and a maximum pressure limit of 18 m.


Production of electricity at Daugava hydropower plants

Year

Ķeguma HPP

Rīgas HPP

Pļaviņu HPP

Total

1990

900

1068

2527

4495

1991

651

779

1845

3275

1992

498

605

1418

2521

1993

572

691

1613

2876

1994

616

822

1865

3303

1995

575

700

1657

2932

1996

360

440

1056

1856

1997

571

708

1665

2944

1998

845

1017

2436

4298

1999

475

673

1589

2737

2000

533

674

1587

2794

2001

541

669

1586

2796

2002

477

578

1376

2431

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