A technical assessment has confirmed that the unfinished dam of the Krapivinskaya hydroelectric project in southwestern Siberia remains structurally viable, though missing documentation and funding gaps continue to stall the site, regional officials said.
Work on the facility in the Kemerovo region began in the mid-1970s before being suspended. Engineers recently concluded that the main dam structure is in serviceable condition, but regional governor Ilya Seredyuk stated that Soviet-era blueprints no longer meet current regulatory standards, requiring a complete redesign before construction can resume.
Local authorities are also awaiting the findings of an environmental impact review to evaluate ecological safeguards. Regional planners view the project as a way to curb local electricity deficits through clean generation once operational.
Completing the station is estimated to cost 90 billion rubles (approximately 980 million dollars). While Russian security officials previously said an investor had been located under government directives, no binding financial contracts have been signed, leaving the schedule for site mobilization uncertain.
