Video Overview of Construction of Bagaevsky Hydroelectric Complex (November 2022)

 O. Arpachinsky

Construction of the Bagaevsky Hydroelectric Complex continues in the Rostov Region. This complex is an important infrastructure transportation project. The BHC will not only ensure safe navigation on the lower Don River, but will allow increasing the fish population due to the fish bypass and spawning channel, which is currently under construction. The work is being performed by Stroytransgaz GC.

Construction of the cutoff curtain, the purpose of which is to protect the pit for the main facilities against water flooding, is 84 % completed on the Arpachinsky Island. 1881 WTSPs (welded tubular sheet pile) were submerged. The sheet piling will also act as a retaining wall to prevent the pit walls against collapsing. Earthwork continues on the island.

When building the BHC, the construction was launched for the mooring and approach channels that will ensure not only a convenient entrance for vessels, but their moorage while in wait for lockage. The guiding jetties represented by walls of mooring and approach channels are built for smooth entrance of vessels into the lock chamber. Walls are made of Larssen sheet piles L5-UM. As of today, more than 140 pieces were submerged. The sheet piles are submerged to the depth of 16 metres.

The construction of the fish bypass and spawning complex is in progress at a high rate. It includes the Fish Bypass and Spawning Channel (FBSC) and six spawning areas for young and adult fish. The artificial spawning area will allow increasing the fish growing period, and the channel capacity will exceed the modern values by 2.5–3 times. As of today, the works to lower the level of underground water (water lowering) in the head control gate pit and channel tract are actively performed. Wellpoint systems are used for this purpose – pumping units consisting of wellpoints, water collector and pumping unit. The elevation of the first tier was reached in the area of the head control gate pit. Earthworks commenced. In the nearest days the reaching of the water lowering elevation of the second tier is planned. Spawning area No. 2 is completely built, installation of the intake control gate pipes of this spawning area is in progress. Earth excavation is completed 100% in spawning areas 1, 3 and 4, formation of slopes is in progress.

FBSC Head Control Gate Pit

The workers’ camp with housing capacity for 1500 people is 85% complete. There is a total of three hostels for shift workers in the camp area, two of them are already in use, and the third one is being provided with furniture. A canteen is being prepared for commissioning. Equipment has been fully delivered and is being installed. Construction of a hotel for the Group of Companies travelling personnel commenced. Work of autonomous power supply is in progress.

Workers’ Camp

Operation of the first concrete plant commenced, construction of the second plant is nearing completion.

Project background:

The Bagayevsky Hydroelectric Complex is the most important infrastructure project not only for the Rostov region, but also for the whole country. The hydroelectric complex under construction will be composed of a shipping lock with a central control room, upper and lower approach channels with mooring-guiding structures, a spillway and earth fill dam, a meandering fish bypass and spawning channel and a fish passage lock, industrial, service, engineering and auxiliary facilities, and housing for operating personnel. To ensure the navigation safety, channel-regulating dams are being constructed, as well as shore protection dams that will prevent the development of bank erosion processes (washout and collapse), protect from the impact of ship waves and reduce the negative impact of waters on the population living in these areas. In order to ensure guaranteed waterway dimensions (depth – 4 m, width – 80 m, bending radius – 500 m) in the section from the Kochetovsky Hydroelectric Complex site at km 3004.5 of the waterway of the Integrated Deep Water System (IDWS) to the Bagaevsky Hydroelectric Complex site at km 3089 of the IDWS waterway, dredging and river cut-off are envisaged.