The Krasnoyarsk Dam is a high

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

gravity dam A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation. Gravity dams are designed so that each section of the dam is ...

located on the Yenisey River about upstream from

Krasnoyarsk Krasnoyarsk is the largest types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. It is situated along the Yenisey, Yenisey River, and is the second-largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk, with a p ...

in Divnogorsk,

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

. It was constructed from 1956 to 1972, and it supplies about 6,000 MW of electricity, mostly used to supply the KrAZ (Krasnoyarsky Aluminievyy Zavod, the Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Plant). Both power and

aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

plants are controlled by the RUSAL company. Banknote 10 rubles 2004 back

Beginning with the opening of the 10th turbine in April 1971, the powerhouse was the world's single largest

power plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...

until the

Grand Coulee Dam Grand Coulee Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, built to produce hydroelectric power and provide irrigation water. Constructed between 1933 and 1942, Grand Coulee originally had two powerhous ...

Washington state Washington, officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is often referred to as Washington State to distinguish it from the national capital, both named after George Washington ...

reached 6,181 MW in 1983. The Krasnoyarsk Dam is held to be a landmark symbol of Krasnoyarsk, and it is depicted on the 10-ruble banknote. As a result of the damming, the Krasnoyarsk Reservoir was created. This reservoir, informally known as the Krasnoyarsk Sea, has an area of and a volume of . It is in length and in width at its widest, has an average depth of , and a depth of near the dam. The Krasnoyarsk Dam significantly influences the local climate; normally the river would freeze over in the bitterly cold

Siberian Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states si ...

winter Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in temperate and polar climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Dif ...

, but because the dam releases unfrozen water year-round, the river never freezes in the to stretch of river immediately downstream from the dam. In winter, the frigid air interacts with the warm river water to produce

fog Fog is a visible aerosol consisting of tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air at or near the Earth's surface. Reprint from Fog can be considered a type of low-lying cloud usually resembling stratus and is heavily influenc ...

, which shrouds Krasnoyarsk and other downstream areas.

Ship lift

The dam is equipped with a

canal inclined plane An inclined plane is a type of boat lift cable railway used on some canals for raising boats between different water levels. Boats may be conveyed afloat, in caissons, or may be carried in cradles or slings. History Inclined planes have evolv ...

to allow passage of ships. It is in fact an electric

rack railway A rack railway (also rack-and-pinion railway, cog railway, or cogwheel railway) is a steep grade railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with ...

. The track gauge is , making it the widest-gauge railway of any type in the world. At the time of its construction, this feat of modern engineering allowed for ships to be physically moved in only 90 minutes.

References

External links

Yenisey River Steam Navigation
{{in lang, ru - photo gallery showing ship elevator
Single Russian shiplift/Единственный в России судоподъемник
- Video of the ship elevator in operation Hydroelectric power stations built in the Soviet Union Hydroelectric power stations in Russia Buildings and structures in Krasnoyarsk Krai Dams completed in 1972 Dams on the Yenisei River Broad-gauge railways by size

Ship lift

See also

References

External links