RusHydo searches for aid to revamp its Sayano-Shushensk hydrostation

The station stopped operations in August due to an unprecedentedly large-scale accident, which completely destroyed the station’s three hydrounits, while seriously damaging the others. In all, the station has 10 hydrounits, each of which was capable of generating 640mwt of energy. According to official data, the accident’s victims death toll stood at 70, while RusHydro estimated its monthly losses resulting from the accident at 1.5bln.rubs. 

According to experts’ most conservative estimations, full liquidation of the accident and its consequences will take about 3-4 years, while the restoration of the station to its pre-crisis power-generation level will require about Rub40bln., half of which Sberbank has promised to provide under favorable terms. “The first credit line of Rub10bln will be opened for RusHydro before the end 2009, while the bank can allocate a total of up to Rub20bln,” Sberbank President and CEO German Gref said. “Besides, we will bankroll the repayment of mortgages, estimated at about Rub6mln, taken by people killed or declared missing in the accident.”  

Meanwhile, Zubakin has also noted that, apart from the company’s in-house efforts, the Russian government has also pledged to help in the restoration of station. “The exact form and the contents of such help have yet to be determined.”