Volkhov Hydroelectric Station

Volkhov hydroelectric plant (Russian: Волховская ГЭС имени В. И. Ленина, romanized: Volkhovskaya GZS imeni V. I. Lenina), named after V.I. Lenin, is a hydroelectric station on the Volkhov River located in the town of Volkhov, Leningrad Oblast, in northwestern Russia. It is the oldest and longest serving hydroelectric plant in Soviet Union and Russia.[1] It is a part of the Ladoga cascade.

Volkhov Hydroelectric Plant
Volkhov hydroelectric plant
Location of the Volkhov Hydroelectric Plant in Leningrad Oblast
Country	Russia
Location	Volkhov, Leningrad Oblast
Coordinates	59°54′38″N 32°20′35″E
Status	Operational
Construction began	1918
Opening date	1926
Owner(s)	TGC-1
Dam and spillways
Impounds	Volkhov River
Power Station
Installed capacity	86 MW
Annual generation	347 GWh

Construction work started in 1918. On September 16, 1921 it was included into a GOELRO plan. Genrikh Graftio, one of the founders of the plan, was in charge of the construction of the station. The plant was completed in 1927 with a capacity of 6,000 kilowatts.[2]

The station on a 1930 Soviet postage stamp

In 1993—1996 3 hydroturbines were replaced by a new 12 MW units, other units are planned to be replaced in 2007—2010. After these replacements, the plant is estimated to achieve total power of 98 MW.