Hydroelectric Power Station Failures Information
This is a list of major hydroelectric power failures due to damage to a hydroelectric power station or its connections. Every generating station trips from time to time due to minor defects and can usually be restarted when the defect has been remedied. Various protections are built in to the stations to cause shutdown before major damage is caused. Some hydroelectric power station failures may go beyond the immediate loss of generation capacity, including destruction of the turbine itself, reservoir breach and significant destruction of national grid infrastructure downstream. These can take years to remedy in some cases.
Where a generating station is large compared to the connected grid capacity, any failure can cause extensive disruption withing the network. A serious failure in a proportionally large hydroelectric generating station or its associated transmission line will remove a large block of power from the grid that may lead to widespread disturbances.
List of failures
| Plant | Location | Description | Year | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banqiao Dam | China | 26,000 dead from direct flooding, 145,000 dead from subsequent famine and epidemics, 11 million homeless. Caused loss of generation, dam failed by overtopping | 1975 | |
| Bieudron Hydroelectric Power Station | Switzerland | 1269 MW loss, penstock rupture, three fatalities, flooding and loss of generating capacity | 2000 | [1] |
| Herdecke () | Ruhr | 132 MW power generation loss, due to overtopping after failure of Mohne dam | 1943 | |
| Itaipu Dam | Brazil | 18 GW power generation loss due to storm damage of transmission lines, | 2009 | see also: 2009 Brazil and Paraguay blackout |
| Sayano–Shushenskaya Dam | Russia | 2009 Sayano-Shushenskaya hydro accident, 6 GW power generation loss, 75 fatalities, due to turbine failure | 2009 | [2] |
| Schoellkopf Power Station | Niagara Falls, NY | Destruction of the plant as it fell from the gorge wall and collapsed into the river, caused by water seeping into the back wall of the power station. One worker was killed and damage was estimated at $100 million USD. | 1956 | [3] |
| Sui-ho, Fusen, Kyosen and Choshin Dams | Korea | due to enemy bombing, attacked during the Korean War resulting in the loss of approximately 90% of North Korea's generation capacity | 1952 | [4] |
See also
- Dam failure
- List of power outages
- Hydraulic engineering
- Hydroelectricity
- List of significant thermal power station failures
- Operation Chastise
References
- ^ "Cleuson-Dixence Rehab Nears End". Tunnel Builder. August 9, 2008. http://www.tunnelintelligence.com/safety-in-detail-167.html. Retrieved 22 January 2011.
- ^ Ilya Naymushin (2009-08-17). "Russian dam disaster kills 10, scores missing". Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE57G0M120090817?sp=true. Retrieved 2009-08-17.
- ^ Schoellcopf collapse
- ^ "Historical Review: Bombings of Dams". Bulletin. Canadian Dam Association. Winter 2009. http://www.cda.ca/bulletins/CDAQ_0109_L.pdf. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
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