Possibilities of enhancing the efficiency of the Angara cascade of hydroelectric power plants

Abstract

The paper focuses on the reservoir regulation issues of the Angara cascade of hydroelectric power plants (HPPs). The current requirements of water users and the restrictions on the operating conditions of individual hydrosystems are analyzed. The inconsistency of the current legislation on water resources management in the Baikal and Angara basins is noted. Satisfying the requirements of water users and water consumers under normal and close-to-normal water availability, the management system cannot meet the standard needs and restrictions during the low and high water periods. One of the main reasons for the decrease in the reliability and stability of the water and energy systems in dry and wet years is a significant decrease in the regulation capabilities of the Irkutsk and Bratsk reservoirs versus design indices. The study involves an analysis of the operation of the Angara cascade of HPPs and the efficiency and reliability of the water management system of the Angara basin over the past 30 years. The optimal operating conditions of the cascade were modeled factoring in the current requirements of water users and socio-economic constraints for various hydrological conditions based on a 120-year statistical series of observations. Measures are proposed to enhance the effectiveness of managing the water resources of the Angara cascade reservoirs. The system of models developed by the authors was used to assess the effectiveness of the proposed measures. The assessments of the stability of the Angara water management system and the possibilities of increasing the probability of meeting the water users requirements are presented. We propose amending the current legislation to significantly boost the energy efficiency of the Angara cascade of hydropower plants, without violating the regulatory compliance of non-energy participants in the water management system of the Angara basin.