Beginning with the opening of the 10th turbine in April 1971, the powerhouse was the world's single largest power plant until the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state reached 6,181 MW in 1983.

[2][3] In winter, the frigid air interacts with the warm river water to produce fog, which shrouds Krasnoyarsk and other downstream areas.

[3][4] The dam is equipped with a canal inclined plane to allow passage of ships.

The track gauge is 9,000 mm (29 ft 6+5⁄16 in), making it the widest-gauge railway of any type in the world.

[5] At the time of its construction, this feat of modern engineering allowed for ships to be physically moved in only 90 minutes.