View source for Ekibastuz GRES-2 Power Station

{{Infobox power station
| name                   = Ekibastuz GRES-2 Power Station
| name_official          = 
| image                  = GRES-2.jpg
| image_size             = 250 px
| image_caption          = The GRES-2 Power Plant in Ekibastuz, Kazakhstan
| image_alt              = A very tall stack 
| location_map           = 
| location_map_size      = 
| location_map_caption   = 
| coordinates            = {{coord|52|1|26.3|N|75|28|34.5|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title|name=GRES-2 Power Plant}}
| country                = Kazakhstan
| location               = Ekibastuz
| status                 = 
| construction_began     = 
| commissioned           = 1987
| decommissioned         = 
| cost                   = 
| owner                  = [[Inter RAO UES]] (50%)<br>[[Government of Kazakhstan]] (50%)
| operator               = 
| th_fuel_primary        = coal
| th_fuel_tertiary       = 
| ps_units_operational   = 2 × 500 MWe
| ps_units_manu_model    = 
| th_cogeneration        = 
| th_combined_cycle      = 
| ps_electrical_capacity = 
| ps_electrical_cap_fac  = 
| website                = 
| extra                  = 
}}
The '''GRES-2 Power Station''' (or '''Power Station Ekibastuz''') is a coal-fueled [[power station|power generating station]] in [[Ekibastuz]], [[Kazakhstan]].  GRES-2, built in 1987, has installed capacity of 1,000 [[MWe]] and has the world's tallest [[flue gas stack]] at {{convert|419.7|m|ft|0}} high. The reinforced concrete chimney is about {{convert|38|m|ft|0}} taller than the [[Inco Superstack]] in Sudbury, Canada. Locals refer to it as "the Cigarette Lighter". It is the tallest [[chimney]] ever built.

The power station is the start of the [[Powerline Ekibastuz–Kokshetau]] and uses a transmission voltage of 1,150&nbsp;kVAC, the highest transmission voltage in the world. The extension of this line to Chelyabinsk in Russia is also designed for 1,150&nbsp;kV, but it currently operates at only 500&nbsp;kV. About 3/4 of the energy produced by GRES-2 is exported to Russia.

Fifty percent of GRES-2 shares are owned by [[Inter RAO UES]], and 50% by Kazakhstan's [[Government of Kazakhstan|government]].

==Individual units==
The planned capacity of 4,000 [[MWe]] is to be provided by eight equal units, 500 MWe each. 
* '''Unit 1''' was launched into service in December, 1990. 
* '''Unit 2''' was launched into service in December, 1993.
* Construction of '''Unit 3''' was started 1990 but later stopped.

==2006 fire==
On 30 May 2006, the chimney of the GRES-2 Power Station caught fire as flames and smoke could be seen pouring out of the top of the building. There were no reports of injuries and there was no word on the cause of the blaze. Firemen at the scene said all those inside the building had been evacuated.{{cite needed|date=July 2016}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Kazakhstan|Russia||Energy}}
* [[Ekibastuz GRES-1]]
* [[List of chimneys]]
* [[List of towers]]
* [[List of tallest freestanding structures in the world]]
* [[Unfinished building]]
* [[List of tallest buildings and structures in the world]]

==External links==
* [http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b1297 Smoke-stack diagrams]
* [http://gres2.kz/index.php?view=3 GRES-2 official website]
* {{Structurae|id=s0018365|title=GRES-2 Chimney}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-ach|rec}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Inco Superstack]]<br>{{small|1={{conv|380|m|ft|abbr=on}}}}}}
{{S-ttl|title=World's tallest chimney|years=1987&nbsp;– present}}
{{S-inc|rows=1}}
{{S-end}}
{{Supertall chimneys}}

[[Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 1987]]
[[Category:Towers completed in 1987]]
[[Category:Power stations built in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Chimneys in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Coal-fired power stations in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Power companies of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Inter RAO]]