SAYANOGORSK — 2009 · Major Tragedy
The Sayano-Shushenskaya Power Station Accident
At 08:13 on 17 August 2009, turbine 2 at Sayano-Shushenskaya, Russia's largest hydroelectric plant, broke apart because of excessive vibration. The roughly 920-tonne rotor was thrown upward, the turbine hall flooded, and nine of the ten turbines were damaged or destroyed. Seventy-five people were killed. At least 40 tonnes of transformer oil leaked into the Yenisei River, spreading many kilometres downstream. The official report published in October 2009 found that running the turbine in a non-recommended power range, combined with poor balancing after repairs, caused fatigue damage to the cover bolts.
- Date
- 2009
- Place
- Khakassia, Russia, Sayanogorsk, RU
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 52.8260, 91.3710 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 17 August 2009Turbine 2 broke apart and the hall flooded.
- August 2009Crews fought an oil slick on the Yenisei River.
- August 2009The death toll reached 75.
- October 2009The official report blamed vibration and bolt fatigue.
Sources
- BBC News — Russia plant disaster toll rises news.bbc.co.uk ↗
- BBC News — Russia tackles Siberia oil slick news.bbc.co.uk ↗
- CNN — Explosion at Russian plant edition.cnn.com ↗
- BBC News
- CNN
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.