| Pļaviņas Hydro Power Plant | |
|---|---|
| Location | Aizkraukle |
| Status | operational |
| Commission date | 1965 |
| Owner(s) | Latvenergo |
| Power station information | |
| Primary fuel | Hydropower |
| Generation units | 10 |
| Power generation information | |
| Installed capacity | 868.5 MW |
| Annual generation | 1,501 GWh (2007) |
The Pļaviņas Hydro Power Plant is the biggest power plant in Latvia and one of the biggest hydroelectric power plants in the European Union. It is located in Aizkraukle on the river Daugava. It has ten individual turbines with installed total capacity of 868.5 MW.[1][2]
The construction aroused an unusual wave of protest in 1958. Most Latvians opposed the flooding of historical sites and a particularly scenic gorge with rare plants and natural features, such as the Staburags, a cliff comparable in cultural significance to the Lorelei in Germany. The construction of the dam was endorsed in 1959, however, after the purge of relatively liberal and nationally oriented leaders under Eduards Berklavs and their replacement by Moscow-oriented, ideologically conservative cadres led by Arvīds Pelše.
The first turbine of the plant was launched in December 1965. The plant was put into full operation in 1968 by launching the fourth turbine. In 1991–2001, additional six turbines were added to original four increasing the capacity to 868.5MW. The first reconstruction of the plant was carried out from 1999 to 2001, and the second one, to be completed in 2010, was launched in 2007.[1]
The complex is operated by Latvenergo.