WIND POWER STATIONS GOES ON-LINE IN RUSSIA'S NORTH

A wind power station, the first in Taimyr (a peninsula in Russia's Polar areas), is ready to go on-line, Valeri Karavayev, a spokesman for the Norilsk Mining Company, has said that the station will be launched as soon as frosts subside - now the temperature in Taimyr is 53-55 degrees below zero. According to Mr. Karavayev. the station is unique by many parameters. It was assembled in the town of Levinskiye Peski near Dudinka, its rated capacity reaching up to 450,000 kWt/hrs. The station's cost will be twice as cheap as that of the currently operating local diesel power station. There are some windy 250 days annually in Taimyr, so the investments are expected to pay off before too long. The wind power station will provide electricity in calm days, too, for its accumulator batteries are of a large capacity. If necessary, the station may also run on diesel fuel. According to Mr. Karavayev, soon after the launch of the first station engineers of the Norilsk mining company will start assembling similar power stations in the towns of Nosok and Dickson.