The historical experience of using small hydropower plants in the power supply systems of Russia: Akbash hydroelectric power plant in the 1920s-1930s

The article handles topical issues of the hydropower development the in Kabardino-Balkarian Republic in the 1920s–1930s. By organizing a hydrographic study of the region, the Soviet government was convinced of the design and construction effectiveness of small hydroelectric power plants as a cost-effective form of renewable energy. A five-year plan for the electrification of the region in 1925–1929 was developed, an integral part of which was the construction of a group hydroelectric station in the Malo-Kabardinsky district, in the east of the KBAO in the dry steppe zone with insufficient and unstable moisture. After laying the western canal of the Malo-Kabardinsky irrigation system, the local authorities began the construction of the Akbashskaya SHPP, which played a key role in supplying high-quality electricity to remote settlements and the first industrial enterprises of the district. Today, the use of the resources of small rivers, which form the basis of the hydrographic network of the region, will ensure the sustainable development of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic and create conditions for its energy security and scientific and technical modernization of industry.