Moscow, 20 December 2004. On Saturday, 18 December 2004, RAO UES subsidiary OAO "Dagenergo" commissioned the Gunibskaya HPP named after Rasul Gamzatov into commercial operation. The power plant is located on the Kara-Koisu River in the Republic of Dagestan. The commissioning ceremony was attended by the member of the Management Board and Managing Director of the Hydrogeneration Business Unit of RAO "UES of Russia" Vyacheslav Sinyugin, and the Chairman of the Dagestan Government Atay Aliyev.

The installed capacity of the Gunibskaya HPP is 15 MW, with an average annual output estimated at 57.6 million kWh.

The completion of the power plant was among the top priority projects of RAO "UES of Russia" aimed at promoting the wider use of hydro resources as an environment friendly and renewable source of energy. The important social and economic implications of small and medium-size hydropower development are also due to the need to ensure reliable power for some mountainous and hard-to-reach areas of the country.

The construction of the Gunibskaya HPP was implemented since 1997 in complex geological and weather conditions. The Gunibsky hydropower installation was designed by OAO "Lengidroproekt Institute". The cost of the construction works at the Gunibsky hydropower installation totals about RUB450 million. The project was financed from the investment budget of OAO "Dagenergo".

The Gunibskaya HPP uses the technology for the construction of standard small hydropower plants ("Prometey") developed by OAO "Dagenergo". The project is aimed at the development of the region's unique hydropower resources. Dagestan is now considering the construction of some more small hydropower plants on the rivers of Samur, Akhtychay, Andiysky Koisy and some other rivers in the Republic.

The day before the commissioning ceremony at the Gunibskaya HPP, the RAO UES delegation headed by Sinyugin took part in the meeting of the Council of Heads of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation in the Southern Federal Okrug (FO) chaired by the Presidential Plenipotentiary in the Southern FO Dmitry Kozak. The meeting addressed issues of social and economic development of the Federal Okrug's republics, krays and regions. During the meeting, Vyacheslav Sinyugin made a report on the development prospects of the energy sector and the strategy for reforming the energy companies in the Southern Federal Okrug. On the same day, the RAO UES delegation took part in the consultation with the Government of the Republic of Dagestan on cooperation in the development of the region's hydropower resources.