Barr River Hydropower Scheme

John Heaton

• Achadh Forsa

– Poor financial returns

– Decided not to progress

Review of Achadh Forsa and Barr River

• Barr River – Potentially viable

– Some design improvements required

– Construction costs to be reduced

Review of Achadh Forsa and Barr River

• Refinement of design

• Modelling and optioneering

• Outline design

• Consents

Barr River progress

• Intake arrangement – Intake locations – Number and style of

intakes

• Pipeline route • Grid connection

– Location – Cable route – Capacity

Barr River design review

• Cost/benefit analysis

– Intake locations and levels

– Turbine house location

– Grid connection

Barr River options appraisal Scenario Higher 2-2 exc MN1 Higher 2-3 inc MN1

Intake arrangement

Turbine house location

Grid connection

Hydrology - FDC source Hydroplan (P50) Hydroplan (P50) Hydroplan (P50) Hydroplan (P50) Hydroplan (P50) Hydroplan (P50) Hydroplan (P50)

Intake level (mAOD) 150 149 149 154 149 149 149

Turbine level (mAOD) 11 12 12 12 12 12 36

Gross head (m) 139 137 137 142 137 137 113

Design flow (l/s) 1,406 1,422 1,422 1,433 1,422 1,422 1,442

Turbine type Pelton Hydrohrom 5-jet PeltonHydrohrom 5-jet PeltonHydrohrom 5-jet PeltonHydrohrom 5-jet PeltonHydrohrom 5-jet PeltonHydrohrom 5-jet Pelton

Power (kW) 1,510 1,525 1,575 1,595 1,525 1,580 1,275

Gross energy (MWh/yr) 5,197 5,305 5,360 5,116 5,307 4,285

Gross capacity factor 33% 39% 38% 38% 38% 38% 38%

Plant availability 95% 95% 95% 95% 95% 95%

Parasitic load & losses 4% 4% 4% 4% 4% 4%

Electricity sold to grid 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Net energy that earns FIT 4,365 4,937 5,040 5,092 4,860 5,041 4,070

Net energy that earns PPA 4,365 4,740 4,838 4,888 4,665 4,840 3,908

Net energy that earns local revenue - - - - - - -

FIT rate, p/kWh 6.46 6.46 6.46 6.46 6.46 6.46

PPA rate, p/kWh 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 5.00

Rate for local supply, p/kWh - - - - - - -

FIT revenue £318,940 £325,568 £328,931 £313,938 £325,666 £262,946

Local supply revenue £0 £0 £0 £0 £0 £0

Export revenue £236,983 £241,908 £244,407 £233,267 £241,981 £195,378

Gross revenue £555,923 £567,476 £573,338 £547,205 £567,647 £458,324

Rent £25,000 £44,474 £45,398 £45,867 £43,776 £45,412 £36,666

Operating costs £51,000 £49,840 £49,840 £49,840 £49,840 £49,840 £49,840

Net revenue £417,245 £461,609 £472,238 £477,631 £453,589 £472,395 £371,818

Best case Worst case Worst case Worst case Worst case Worst case Worst case

£5,615,000 £4,587,350 £4,616,709 £4,643,700 £4,502,020 £4,648,932 £4,167,350

Best case Comparitive Comparitive Comparitive Comparitive Comparitive Comparitive

7.4% 10.1% 10.2% 10.3% 10.1% 10.2% 8.9%

Intake 2-1 trib

Below gorge

As per Hydroplan

Near waterfall

BASELINE - Hydroplan figures

Close to Garbh Dhoire

CAPEX

ROI

BASELINE - GHC figures Higher turbine house

11.30

£493,245

Barr River outline design

Item Description

Intakes 3 ‘main’ intakes – relatively large reinforced concrete 8 small intakes – small pre-fabricated

Pipeline 1.5km ‘gravity’ pipeline – plastic, up to 500mm diameter 1.7km ‘pressure’ pipeline branches – plastic, 630 to 900mm diameter 1.2km ‘pressure’ common pipeline – GRP or ductile iron – up to 1m dia.

Turbine Vertical axis Pelton, Crossflow or Turgo, up to 1.75MW

Powerhouse Steel portal frame, timber clad, slate-coloured roof 11m x 8m in plan, up to 8m tall

Outfall Reinforced concrete structure built into river bank

Intakes

Pipeline

Turbines

Powerhouse

Barr River modelling results Item Value

Head 153m

Flow Up to 1.5m3/s

Power Up to 1.75MW, likely to be 1.65MW

Energy Approximately 5GWh/year

Revenue sources Feed in tariff @ 6.46p/kWh Power export @ 5-7p/kWh

Operating costs Maintenance and rent

Net revenue Approximately £500k/year (before debt payments)

Construction cost £4.5-5million (excluding development, finance & legals)

• CAR licence

– Impoundments

– Abstractions

• Planning

• Forestry Commission

Barr River consents – secured

Environmental constraints • Impact on watercourses

• Cultural heritage

• Protected species

• Recreation

• Transport

• Trees

Priorities during construction • Sediment management

(pollution control) • Protection of archaeology • Ground preparation and

reinstatement • Tree protection • Protected species

mitigations • Traffic management • Maintaining public access

and safety

Status and next steps

• Feed in Tariff preliminary accreditation

• Procurement

• Refine budget

• Detailed design

• Complete consents process

• Secure finance and legals