OREANDA-NEWS. July 09, 2009. “Institute Hydroprojsct” will do the engineering and geological mapping at construction site of Severnaya Tidal Hydroelectric Station at the estuary of Dolgaya bay of the Barents sea near the settlement of Teriberka, Murmansk Region. During three weeks the institute experts will do the onshore geological survey in order to identify the nature of soil at the area of dam construction.

In the frame of the contract, “Institute Hydroproject” is performing oversight of the survey activities by the subcontractors as well as implementing a series of survey and geological work on its own. In particular, specialists have drilled wells in the area where the future dam will adjoin the rock; currently, the core material is under survey; geodetic survey is completed. As a result of all the completed work the Institute will prepare a report for the state review of survey materials for the construction of Severnaya Tidal Hydroelectric Station.

“Institute Hydroproject” whose history counts 80-odd years of operation, has since the late 40-ies of the last century been researching the possibility of usage of tidal energy in connection with a decision to design a tidal power station at the Murmansk coast in the polar region. The Institute carried out the basic engineering, the working design and supervised the construction of Kislogubskaya Tidal Hydroelectric Station – currently, the only operating tidal power station in Russia. “Hydroproject” also developed the technical and economic assessment of the design of Tugurskaya Tidal Hydroelectric Station in Okhotsk Sea. The same project stipulated for construction of Severnaya Tidal Hydroelectric Station in Murmansk region as an experimental station for probation of technologies which will further on be used at big-size tidal electric power stations.

The installed capacity of Severnaya Tidal Hydroelectric Station is 12 MW, with power generation capacity of 23,8 million kW/h per annum. Tidal power engineering has high ecological effect and a great potential in Russia. According to assessment by “Institute Hydroproject”, the expediency of tide usage in the White sea, on the river Mezen and in Okhotsk sea – in Tugursky and Penzhinsky bay was identified as total tidal power station capacity of 110 million kW and annual power generation capacity of 260 billion kW/h.