83 years ago, on October 15, 1939, the first hydroelectric unit of the Ķegum (ĶES) hydroelectric power station was started up. At that time it was the most modern power plant in Europe, informs AS “Latvenergo“.
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On October 15, 1939, the 88 kilovolt Ķegums – Riga power line, “Jāņciems” substation in Riga was also turned on, and at 23:36 the electricity produced in Ķegums began to be supplied to the residents of Riga. Soon, electricity began to run. flow also to Jelgava, Bauska, Dobela, Tukuma and in one year about 6,000 families in Latvia were electrified.
Kegum HPP construction began in 1936, the project involved four hydroelectric units with a total capacity of 70 MW. 40 years after its construction, the station was expanded and in 1979 Ķeguma HES-2 started operating. At the moment, the power of the station is 248 MW and the electricity is produced by seven hydroelectric units, which will produce even more electricity after the reconstruction of the Daugava HPP waterfall.
Electricity Ķeguma HES was successful in development last year, producing 512 GWh of electricity, but the year 2017 was particularly productive or rich in water, when 825 GWh was produced.
Ķegum HPP also became the powerhouse of Latvia the cradle – the start of a specially conceived unified national electricity supply and on 22 December 1939, with the establishment of the State Electric Company “Ķegums”, the start of the “Latvenergo” enterprise.
In the photo: “Latvenergo” opens the photo album by photographer Eduards Kraucs on the construction of Ķegums HPP.
