Kama Hydroelectric System

a series of hydroelectric power plants on the Kama River; part of the Verkhniaia Kama, Kama, Votkinsk, and Nizhniaia Kama integrated hydro-engineering complexes.

The Kama Hydroengineering Complex, located near the city of Perm’, was the first part of the system built (1949–57). It consists of a powerhouse, earth dams, and a two-channel navigation lock. The world’s first powerhouse of the spillway type, containing 24 hydroelectric power units, was built there. The installed capacity of the hydroelectric power plant is 504 megawatts (MW). The combination of the powerhouse with the spillway made possible a reduction in the length of the concrete works by 190 m. Another feature of the project is a six-chamber lock that makes possible simultaneous handling of several vessels and log rafts.

The Votkinsk Complex (1955–63), located near the city of Chaikovskii, Perm’ Oblast, includes a powerhouse with ten hydroelectric power units, earth and concrete spillway dams, and a two-channel single-lift navigation lock. The installed capacity of the Votkinsk Hydroelectric Power Plant is 1,000 MW.

The Nizhniaia Kama Complex is under construction (1972) above the mouth of the Viatka River. It is to include a modern powerhouse, an earth dam, and a two-channel single-lift lock. The planned capacity of the plant is 1, 248 MW.

Also in the planning stage is the construction of the Verkhniaia Kama Power Plant, which will involve shifting a portion of the drainage of the Pechora and Vychegda rivers into the Kama and Volga. The planned capacity of the hydroelectric power plant is approximately 600 MW.

The total output of the multistage Kama system will reach more than 8 billion kW-hr in an average year in terms of water levels. The creation of reservoirs will significantly improve navigation on the Kama and its tributaries and will provide a dependable water supply for industry and towns in the adjacent regions.