Hydropower & Dams Issue Four, 2015 3

Lai Chau RCC dam completed ahead of schedule in VietnamThe Lai Chau dam on the river Dain northwestern Vietnam was com-pleted on 2 May, one month aheadof schedule, project consultant AFGroup announced on 16 June. Aninauguration ceremony was held on23 May by the Son La Hydro PowerProject Management Board, whichis managing the project on behalf ofowner-operator Vietnam Electricity(EVN). The 131 m-high, 620 m-long roller compacted concretegravity dam was built in 26 monthsby a consortium led by Vietnam’sstate-owned constructors, the SongDa Corporation, creating a reservoirwith a maximum storage capacity of1.2 ¥ 109 m3. It features a gatedspillway with six bays, each 14.5 mwide and 20.5 m high.

Construction of an associated 1200MW hydropower plant at the toe ofthe dam is underway, with the firstof three units to begin operation in2016 and to be fully commissionedin 2017. Song Da Corporation, inpartnership with the local state-owned construction groups LICOGIand LILAMA, are building thepower house with the electro-mech -anical equipment. The three 400MW Francis turbine and the genera-tor sets are being supplied by Alstomin partnership with Hydro chinaZhongnan Engineering Corp orationunder a contract worth more than€90 million signed in January 2013.The AF Group of Sweden acted assub-consultant to the Owner’sEngineer, Power Engineering Con -sulting JSC No. 1 (PECC-1), a for-mer subsidiary of Electricity ofVietnam. AF Consult was responsi-ble for technical design, constructiondrawings design and design supervi-sion. Russia’s Hydro project Institutecarried out for detailed design of theproject.

The total estimated cost of the pro-ject is US$ 1.8 billion, 80 per cent ofwhich has been debt financed, withEVN contributing the remaining 20per cent in equity. In July 2013, agroup of local banks, Vietcombank,Vietinbank, BIDV and Agribank,agreed funding totalling US$ 689.3million.

The plant, near Muong Lay in theprovince of Lai Chau, will be thecountry’s third largest hydropowerstation, after the 2400 MW Son Laand 1920 MW Hoa Binh plants,with a projected output of more than4.7 TWh/year. The project will alsoimprove irrigation of downstreamareas, especially in the dry season,as well as promote socio-economicdevelopment in Lai Chau and DienBien provinces. Lai Chau will bethe third storage hydropower planton the Da river, following the com-missioning of Son La in 2011-2012

and Hoa Binh in 1994. Son La fea-tures a 138 m-high, 1000 m-longconcrete gravity dam. Its power-plant produces average annual out-put of 10.3 TWh. Hoa Binh com-prises a 128 m-high, 970 m-longrockfill dam with annual output ofup to 8160 GWh.

The same engineering and con-struction companies were involvedin the construction of Son La. Aconsortium led by Song DaCorporation was responsible forcivil works, while Alstom suppliedthe turbines and generators. Son Lawas also de signed by Hydroprojectof Russia, with design services alsosupplied by the AF Group. HoaBinh was built by Song DaCorporation, with turbines suppliedby Leningradsky Metal licheskyZavod and generators by Electro -sila, both now part of Russia’sPower Machines.

The 131 m-high LaiChau RCC dam inVietnam, recentlycompleted ahead ofschedule, within 26months.

US federal agencies co-operate to enhance hydro development prospectsThree US federal agencies haveagreed to extend their co-operationon hydropower for a further fiveyears, following their initial memo-randum of understanding (MoU)agreed in 2010.

The Departments of Energy (DoE),Interior (DoI) and the Army have beenworking through the MoU to strength-en long-term working relationshipsand prioritize similar goals in hydrounder a 13-goal system over the lastfive years. An interim progress reportwas published in 2012.

The Army works on the MoUthrough the Corps of Engineers

(USACE), and the DoI through theBureau of Reclamation (USBR).

The agencies said there has been anincrease in non-federal hydro devel-opment projects located at federalfacilities, including: 33 MW ofcapacity across 10 non-federal pro-jects at USBR facilities, and 40 moreprojects under development; and,19.4 MW of capacity across threenon-federal projects with 32 more indevelopment.

Key aims in the next five-yearphase of the MoU include supportingthe elected government’s goal to dou-ble renewable energy generation by

2020, and also improve the federalpermitting process for clean energy,as required under the President’sClimate Action Plan.

The agencies added: “If success-ful, these collaborations will help toincrease hydropower productivity,speed evaluation of hydrokineticprojects, further the deployment oflow-impact hydropower at non-powered dams and irrigationscanals, improve the environmentalperformance of turbines, assess cli-mate risks, and build the resilienceof US hydropower and water infra-structure.”

4 Hydropower & Dams Issue Four, 2015

World’s first tidal lagoon scheme receives final approvalto go ahead in the UKThe UK Government has given the go-ahead to a £1 billion project to buildthe world’s first tidal lagoon inSwansea Bay, Wales.

The Department of Energy andClimate Change has given planningconsent for the construction of thelagoon, which will use the ebb andflow of the tide to generate electricity.

Tidal Lagoon (Swansea Bay) PLCwas set up as a special purpose vehiclecompany to construct and operate the320 MW plant. TLSB contracts devel-opment services from Tidal LagoonPower Ltd (TLP) a business establishedin 2012 to provide UK expertise in tidalrange renewables, specifically coveringdevelopment, planning, engineering,environmental aspects, finance andprogramme management services.

Tidal Lagoon Power announcedrecently that it had secured £200 millionof funding for the project, after globalinvestment manager InfraRed CapitalPartners agreed to invest £100 million.The investment by InfraRed CapitalPartners matches that committed byPrudential in October 2014 and con-firms full equity funding from two UKinstitutions (see H&D Issue Two 2015).

The remainder of the £1 billion capi-tal cost is to be debt-financed by a con-sortium of banks. The developerexpects to reach financial close in July,and begin construction immediatelyafter with the start of commercial oper-ation, currently scheduled for 2019.

China Harbour Engineering Com -pany (CHEC) and Laing O’Rourke arethe preferred bidders for the civil works.CHEC will be responsible for the con-struction of the 9.6 km-long lagoonwall and cofferdam, under a US$ 458million contract announced on 3 June.Laing O’Rourke will construct thelagoon’s 410 m-long turbine house andsluice structure under a £200 million

contract announced in late May. Arupwill be the lead design and engineeringpartner for the contract.

Fixed-price contracts with a risk andvalue engineering scheme will besigned later this year, TLSB hasannounced. It follows the appointmentthis February of a consortium of GEand Andritz Hydro as preferred bidderfor supply of the electromechanicalequipment. The contract, which is val-ued at €400 million, will involve thesupply of sixteen 20 MW units.

Specialist engineering consultancyHR Walling ford worked with TLP onpreliminary studies for the project, andhas been appointed by CHEC to sup-port them as the project moves ahead.

Dr Bruce Tomlinson, HR Walling -ford’s Chief Executive, said: “Havingworked with TLP during the earlyphases of this project, we are delightedto have been selected by ChinaHarbour Engineering Com pany to sup-port the further development ofSwansea Bay tidal lagoon.”

He continued “HR Wallingford hasinternationally recognized expertise incoastal and maritime engineering, andwe have the largest fully commercialphysical modelling facilities in Eur -ope. We will use 2D and 3D hyd raulicphysical models of the proposed sixmile (9.6 km) U-shaped breakwaterand seawall around Swansea Bay toinvestigate and optimize further thedesign. We look forward to workingwith CHEC and we are proud to be apart of the UK supply chain for thisinnovative project.”

Both preferred bidders have commit-ted to use local workers and supplychains for the project. Laing O’Rourkesaid that concrete, reinforcing andother materials would be sourcedlocally, while it would require up to500 workers at peak construction, of

whom a substantial number would belocal to South Wales. CHEC has com-mitted to spending about 50 per cent ofthe contract value on local workers,partners and a local supply chain.

CHEC has also established a UKsubsidiary, with the aim of investingfurther in UK infrastructure over thenext decade, including focusing on fur-ther tidal lagoon infrastructure projectsin the UK. It has also signed an MoUwith TLP for the development of tidallagoons in Asia, potentially opening amajor new export channel for Britishexpertise and technology.

“CHEC has taken the strategic deci-sion to enter the UK infrastructureinvestment and construction market,and we see the Swansea Bay TidalLagoon, a pioneering scheme thatcould bring the world a new energyoption, as the cornerstone project in ourbusiness development strategy in theUK and Europe,” said Lin Yi Chong,CEO of CHEC. “We have not investeddirectly into the Swansea Bay project,but will seek opportunities to invest insimilar projects in the UK and Europe”.

“Beginning with Swansea Bay, weaim to foster a new economic opportu-nity for collaboration in civil engineer-ing between our two companies andnations”, said TLP CEO Mark Shor -rock. “Given the lead by our respectivegovernments, we are aiming to take onthe greening of our energy economy inEuropean and Asian locations thathave eight or more metres of tidalrange and where there is an interest inlow-impact, secure and local sourcesof energy,” he added.

The project has a design life of 120years and is expected to have a netannual power output of more than 500GWh, which is enough to meet theannual electricity needs of more than155 000 UK homes.

Cutoff wall complete at Bagatelle dam, MauritiusThe last panel of the cutoff wall at theBagatelle dam in Mauritius was con-structed on 9 May 2015, almost exact-ly a year after work began for the €35 million project. To mark theoccasion, Prof Thomas Bauer,Chairman of Bauer AG took part in acelebration along with the Chineseambassador, as well as representativesof the China International Water &Electric Corp, the project’s main con-tractor.

Bauer Spezialtiefbau constructed a2.4 km-long diaphragm cutoff wall(56 781 m2), socketed into the rock.The soil partly consists of very hardbasalt, and about 20 000 m2 of slightlyto moderately weathered basalt had to

be penetrated over the entire structurefor the new dam. Furthermore, in thecentral dam area, heavy layers ofbasalt, up to 28 m deep, wereremoved to construct the cutoff wallwith the specified depth. Three dutycycle cranes of the type MC 96 andMC 128 with a BC 40 trench cutter, aswell as two grabs, were used.

The Republic of Mauritius, an islandstate in the Indian Ocean about 2000km southeast of the African coast, hasproblems with ensuring water supply,despite significant rainfall, because of alack of storage capacity on the island.The Bagatelle dam project will changethat. The Ministry of Energy and PublicUtilities of Mauritius is the client.

The Bauer equipment working on thecutoff wall at Bagatelle dam, Mauritius.

6 Hydropower & Dams Issue Four, 2015

India commissions the 800 MW Koldam plant India’s state-controlled NTPC, for-merly known as the NationalThermal Power Corporation, an -nounced on 13 June the commis-sioning of the fourth and final unit atthe 800 MW Koldam hydropowerstation on the river Sutlej in thenorthern state of Himachal Pradesh.Unit 4 was commissioned on 12June and follows the startup of unit 3on 10 April and units 1 and 2 on 30March.

The construction of the project,which was launched in 2003, hasbeen delayed by more than five yearsas a result of environmental and geo-logical problems, most notably sinceDecember 2013 with the sealing ofthe diversion tunnels to allow forimpounding of the reservoir, result-ing in an escalation of the cost toRupees 56.4 billion (US$ 880 mil-lion), an overrun of about 25 per centon the originally approved invest-ment.

The project, on the border ofBilaspur and Mandi districts, com-prises a 167 m-high, 474 m-longrockfill embankment dam with a claycore, impounding a 40 km-longreservoir with a maximum capacityof 560 ¥ 106 m3, and a chute-typespillway with six radial gates. Two900 m-long, 14 m-wide diversiontunnels with a design capacity of6500 m3/s, and four 400 m-long cir-cular steel-lined penstocks, supply asurface powerhouse, equipped withfour 200 MW vertical Francis tur-bines. Operating under a net head of144 m, the powerplant is projected togenerate an average output of about

3.05 TWh/year and provide much-needed peaking power for the north-ern grid in summer. The project isalso expected to extend the life of thedownstream Bhakra reservoir signif-icantly, by trapping the sediments ofthe Satluj. The Bhakra (also knownas Gobind Sagar) reservoir is thethird largest in India, storing up to9.34 ¥ 109 m3 of water. The 90 km-long reservoir created by the 226 m-high Bhakra dam is spread over anarea of 168.35 km2.

Bharat Heavy Electricals suppliedand installed the electro-mechanicalequipment for Koldam. The dam,spillway and power intake structurewere constructed by Italian-ThaiDevelopment Public Company.

Koldam is the first of five hydroplants, with a combined capacity of1519 MW, that it is building in north-ern India. Construction of the 520 MWTapovan Vishnugad project in the stateof Uttarakhand is underway, with plansalso to develop the 171 MW LataTapovan project in Uttarakhand, the120 MW Rammam scheme in WestBengal and the 8 MW Singrauli CWscheme in Uttar Pradesh.

MoU signed for Kheledula HES-3 in GeorgiaThe Anadolu Group of Turkey isready to make its second investmentin Georgia’s hydropower sector withthe development of the 51.4 MWKheledula HES-3, on the riverKheledula, in the northwesternregions of Racha-Lechkhumi andKvemo Svaneti. A memorandum ofunderstanding for the project wassigned on 29 May by the company’swholesale electricity subsidiaryAnadolu Tasit Ticaret, with Geor -gia’s Ministry of Energy. The totalinvestment for the project is estimat-ed to be US$ 80-100 million.

According to the agreement, thecompany will prepare a feasibilitystudy and an environmental impactassessment within 18 months, basedon which the Government will makea decision regarding the project’simplementation. Should the project

go ahead, 20 per cent of the plant’sannual output would be required tobe supplied over a period of 20 yearsto Georgia’s grid during the wintermonths, with the remainder of itsoutput to be sold at the discretion ofthe owner-operator, according to theMinistry. Kheledula HES-3 is pro-jected to produce an average outputof 232.8 GWh/year. It is the first ofa cascade of three run-of-river plantsplanned on the Kheledula, which areplanned to have a combined in -stalled capacity of 84.7 MW and anannual output of 427 GWh.

Georgia Urban Energy, a local sub-sidiary of Anadolu Endustri Hold -ing, commissioned the 85 MWParavani run-of-river plant in thesouthwestern region of SamstkhleJavakheti in October 2014 (seeH&D Issue Six, 2014). Paravani is

Georgia’s first privately ownedlarge-scale hydropower project andthe first large greenfield hydropowerplant to be built in Georgia since theearly 1980s. The US$ 180 millionproject was developed under aBuild, Own and Operate (BOO) con-cession with financing from theEuropean Bank for Reconstructionand Development (EBRD). Theplant will supply electricity to theGeorgian market during the winterand export power to the Turkish gridduring the rest of the year. TheGeorgian Government is seeking todevelop the country’s hydropowerpotential with private investors toimprove security of supply and toreduce expensive hydrocarbonimports to fuel thermal power gener-ation during the high-demand periodin winter.

USBR further advances Minidoka upgradeThe US Bureau of Reclamation hascompleted improvements of the spill-way at Minidoka dam, in Colorado,and awarded a refurbishment contractfor two horizontal Kaplan turbines.

The agency has awarded a US$ 5.86million contract to Alstom Power Inc,to refurbish two 10 MW units andinstall new digital governors at theAllen E. Inman plant, located at

Minidoka dam. Work could beginaround September ,for completionwithin two years, according to USBR.

The powerhouse was commissionedin 1997, and is the second at the dam.Minidoka dam was completed in1907 on the Snake river, and is a 26.2 m high earthfill structure.

The first plant was added in 1910,and still has two generating units with

a combined capacity of 8.5 MW (5.5MW and 3 MW Francis units).

Recently USBR completed works toupgrade and straighten the spillway atMinidoka dam. The US$ 24 millionpackage of works, which began in late2011, also involved adding 12 radialcontrol gates, removing the stoplogsystem, and replacing two irrigationheadworks.

The recentlycompleted Koldamon the river Sutlejin India.

8 Hydropower & Dams Issue Four, 2015

Guidelines for sustainable hydro in the Lower Mekong BasinMulticonsult is assisting theMekong River Commission, throughthe Initiative for Sustainable Hydro -power (ISH), to develop sustainablehydropower guidelines and strate-gies for planned and operationalprojects in the whole of the LowerMekong Basin in Southeast Asia.The project is being jointly executedwith Del tares of The Nether lands.

The Greater Mekong Region(GMR) is one of the most activeareas for development of newhydropower projects. This under-lines the importance of finding goodsolutions to mitigate pressures andimpacts on the environment, fish-eries and people’s livelihoods.

The first part of the study includesan assessment of operational andplanned hydro projects in the wholeLower Mekong Basin, including itstributaries. The operational andplanned projects will be evaluated interms of how environmentally

friendly they are, and how good andsuccessful the mitigation recom-mendations are and have been.

Similar assessments will also bemade in the second part of the study,which involves a pilot study ofselected cascade hydropower pro-jects on the Mekong mainstreamnorth of Vientiane in Laos. Goodpractise mitigation guidelines andrecommendations derived from thefirst part of the study will be testedin relation to their cost and benefitsin the pilot study. Concurrently thepotential advantage of joint opera-tion of the power stations will alsobe assessed. Integrated water re -sources, hydraulic and hydropowermodelling will play a key role in theassessment.

“This interdisciplinary project,which is being led by Multiconsult’shydrology and water resources sec-tion, will aim to propose best prac-tice solutions for mitigation guide-

lines by combining technical excel-lence with solutions that are good interms of environmental considera-tions and integrated water manage-ment. The most important environ-mental mitigation considerationswill be related to fisheries andaquatic ecology and sediment man-agement, but other topics will alsobe considered,” said Multiconsult’sproject manager Leif Birger Lille -hammer.

The project’s main deliverable issustainable hydropower mitigationguidelines and strategies, withemphasis being placed on best prac-tice solutions, but Multiconsult andDeltares have also been asked toidentify knowledge gaps and sug-gest topics for further research anddevelopment within certain identi-fied areas.

The total value of the contract isUS4 1.6 million, and the project willrun for about 18 months years.

Equipment ordered for Shongtong Karchham, IndiaAustria’s Andritz Hydro announcedon 11 June that it is to supply the com-plete electromechanical equipment forthe 450 MW Shongtong Karchhamhydropower plant in the northeasternIndian state of Hima chal Pradesh. Thecontract, which was awarded by theHimachal Pradesh Power Corporation(HPPC), is being financed by Ger -many’s state development bank, KfW,which had previously agreed a loantotalling €150 million.

The run-of-river project on the riverSatluj in Kinnaur district is scheduled tobegin commercial service in 2019. Thecivil works, which will comprise anunderground powerhouse, a river diver-sion barrage, an intake and desiltingchambers, and headrace and tailracetunnels, are to be funded entirely by theAsian Development Bank (ADB),which approved in October 2012 a US$257 million loan, representing thefourth tranche of the Himachal PradeshClean Energy Development Invest ment

Programme. The powerhouse, whichwill be equipped with three vertical axisFrancis turbines, is projected to generateaverage annual output of 1579 GWh.

Shongtong Karchham is one of fourrun-of-river hydropower projects witha combined capacity of 856 MWbeing developed in Himachal Pradeshby HPPC, the state power utility, withfinancing totalling US$ 800 millionbeing provided by the ADB throughthe Himachal Pradesh Clean EnergyDevelopment Invest ment Programme.

The 100 MW Sainj run-of-river pro-ject, on the river Sainj, equipped withtwo vertical axis Pelton turbines, isscheduled to be commissioned laterthis year, along with the 111 MWSawra Kuddu scheme on the riverPabbar in Shimla District, whichincludes three 37 MW vertical axisFrancis turbines. The 195 MWKashang project, involving the har-nessing of the hydropower potential ofthe Kashang and Kerang streams,

which are tributaries of the riverSutlej, is scheduled to be completedby September 2016. This project isbeing developed as three 65 MWstages: Stage I resulting from thediversion of the Kashang stream; and,Stages II and III totalling 130 MW andinvolving the diversion of the Kerangstream and augmentation of the capac-ity of Stage I. Andritz Hydro is sup-plying the complete electro-mechani-cal equipment for both the Kashangand Sawra Kuddu projects.

HPPC is also planning to developthe Renuka Ji dam on the river Giri inthe district of Sirmaur, which is beingdeveloped mainly to supply drinkingwater for the National CapitalTerritory of Delhi.

The project will involve the con-struction of a 148 m-high rockfill damto provide up to 23 m3 of water toDelhi, as well as a 40 MW powerplantat the toe of the dam to provide powerexclusively for Himachal Pradesh’sgrid.

The dam will also increase produc-tion at the existing 60 MW Girihydropower plant by 94 GWh/year.

In late 2014, HPPC disclosed that ithad prepared pre-feasibility studies forsix further projects, with a combinedcapacity of 227 MW, in the district ofChamba, which had been submitted tothe Government of Himachal Pradeshfor approval. It added that AgenceFrançaise de Developpement (AFD)had agreed funding for the 48 MWChanju III and 33 MW Deothal-Chanju projects.

The ShongtongKarchham dam inIndia, where a 450MW hydro plant isbeing installed.

10 Hydropower & Dams Issue Four, 2015

Argentina’s Chihuido project takes shapeConstruction work is expected tobegin in September on the 637 MWChihuido I multipurpose dam inArgentine western province ofNeuquen, following the signing ofan implementation protocol on 23April between Argentina’s Ministryof Economy and Public Finance, theMinistry of Federal Planning, PublicInvestment and Services, and Rus -sia’s state development bank Vnesh -econombank, Inter RAO Export alsoof Russia, and the local project com-pany led by Helport. Vneshe -conombank will finance around 87per cent of the project through a loanof nearly US$ 2 billion under a sepa-rate agreement. Minister of Planningand Public Investment, Julio deVido, said that the two sides expect-ed to finalize the conditions andterms of the financing agreementbetween June and July. The agree-ments were signed in the presence ofRussian President Vladimir Putin

and Argen tine President CristinaFernandez de Kirchner, during a visitby the latter to Moscow.

A 15-year concession to build andoperate the project was awarded to aconsortium of local construction andengineering companies in partner-ship with Inter RAO Export inDecember 2014 (see H&D IssueOne, 2015). The consortium alsoincludes Jose Chediack, PanedileArgentina, Eleprint and Hidro -electrica Ameghino, as well as IsoluxIngenieria, a subsidiary of theSpanish engineering company IsoluxCorsan. Inter RAO Export will sup-ply all electrical and hydromechani-cal equipment, including four 159.25MW turbines, speed governors, syn-chronous three-phase generators,excitation systems, two transformers,hydromechanical equipment and lift-ing equipment, as well the connect-ing 160 km-long, 500 kV transmis-sion line.

Chihuido I, on the Neuquen river,upstream of the Cerros Coloradoscomplex, in northern Patagonia, isexpected to begin operation in 2020.It will comprise a 105 m-high rock-fill embankment dam with concretecore, and a length of 1035 m, and apowerhouse with four verticalFrancis turbines, according to designplans. It is projected to generateaverage annual output of 1750 GWhfor the national grid, which wouldallow Argentina to reduce costly fos-sil fuel imports for power generation.The reservoir, which will have a sur-face area of 18 600 ha and storagecapacity of 6.1 ¥ 106 m3, will alsoprovide flood control in the RioNegro valley and water for domesticand industrial use, as well as for irri-gation during drought periods.Ownership of the dam and plant willbe transferred to the regional govern-ment of Neuquen when the conces-sion expires.

RWE Innogy UK inaugurates Black Rock in Scotland RWE Innogy UK officially inaugu-rated on 29 May the 3.5 MW BlackRock run-of-river scheme on thelower catchment of the river Glass,near Evanton in Ross-shire in the

Scottish Highlands. The hydroelec-tric scheme, which was developedby RWE Innogy UK in conjunctionwith Novar Estates, became fullyoperational in 2014, and is expectedto generate an average output of 11 200 MWh/year, equivalent to theelectricity supply for about 2500homes.

The project comprises an intakeweir, which feeds up to 4.5 m3/s ofwater through a buried pipeline thatdecreases 94 m in height over 3.5 kmto the powerhouse, containing two1.75 MW turbines. A 600 m-longburied 33 kV power cable connectsthe plant to the local grid.

RWE Innogy UK owns and operates22 small hydro schemes in the UKwith a combined installed capacity of78.26 MW (14 in Scotland with acapacity of 26.88 MW, two in north-

ern England with capacity of 6.85MW and six in Wales with a com-bined capacity of 44.53 MW, includ-ing the 33 MW Dolgarrog plant).

The UK renewable energy divi-sion of the German utility is cur-rently constructing one new 3 MWscheme in Scotland and has a fur-ther six projects under developmentin Wales and Scotland, with a com-bined capacity of 20.3 MW.Construction of the Chia Aig run-of-river scheme on the riverAbhainn Chia-aig, located on LochArkaig, near Fort William, began inApril 2014 and is expected to becompleted in early 2016. The pro-jects under development include ascheme of up to 9 MW on the riverPattack in Loch Laggan and the 4.5MW Conwy Falls scheme nearBetws-y-Coed in northern Wales.

The Black Rockrun-of-river schemerecentlycommissioned inScotland.

SHDCL develops three hydro projects in Ghana, and plans moreSmall Hydro Development CompanyLimited (SHDCL), a wholly ownedGhanaian independent power pro-ducer, has signed an agreement withthe state utility Electricity Companyof Ghana (ECG) to develop threehydropower plants with a combinedcapacity of 42 MW with an estimat-ed investment of US$ 164 million.SHDCL plans to start construction ofthe Maham, Tarkwa-Breman andNsuaem run-of-river projects on theriver Ankobra in western Ghana, inearly 2017, according to companydirector Kwadwo Poku. “The con-

struction is set to start in the firstquarter of 2017 after the Environ -mental and Social Impact Assess -ment (ESIA) has been completed.The inundated areas will not affectany communities along the river, sothere will be no resettlement neededfor the project,” he added. Poku saidthe company had identified the threesites during pre-feasibility studies,had already been issued with a provi-sional IPP licence for the project bythe Energy Commission and had ini-tiated approval processes with theWater Resource Commission.

The company has bigger plans.With a view to undertaking furtherhydro development across the coun-try, SDHCL and its technical partner,Knight Piesold of Canada, are nowinstalling gauging stations to gatherwater flow data on major riversacross Ghana. Poku said that hebelieves that Ghana can add about500 MW of hydropower capacity tothe national grid, but added that thebiggest challenge to hydro develop-ment was the spread of artisanal goldmining, known as galamsey, whichwas destroying riverbeds and banks.

12 Hydropower & Dams Issue Four, 2015

Civil works contract signed for Mount Coffee rehabilitation in LiberiaDawnus International of the UK is tocarry out the main civil works for therehabilitation of the Mount Coffeehydropower plant in Liberia, under aUS$ 62 million (£38.8 million) con-tract signed in late May with theplant’s owner-operator, Liberia Elec -tricity Corporation (LEC). The con-tract will include reconstruction andrehabilitation of the main dam, pow-erhouse, spillway and intake, as wellas infrastructure and road works. In2014, Dawnus carried out enablingworks for the project, including con-struction of three cofferdams, con-struction of the ad vanced camp, and

cleaning of the project infrastructureand the powerhouse.

The signing of this contract repre-sents the end of the constructionprocurement process, according to astatement by LEC on 9 June, andpaves the way for first power pro-duction by December 2016. Therun-of-river station on the St. Paulriver was scheduled to return to fulloperation by the end of 2016, butprogress has been delayed by oneyear by the outbreak of Ebola.Dawnus is scheduled to start workon site in September, with its workto be implemented in close coopera-tion with the other contractorsinvolved in the refurbishment of theplant’s infrastructure, as well as theuprating of its installed capacity tofrom 64 to 80 MW. Voith Hydro wasawarded a €43 million contract inOctober 2013 to supply and installthe generating equipment, includingfour Francis turbines and generatorsand associated electro-mechanicalequipment. Andritz Hydro was con-tracted in June 2014 to supply andinstall hydraulic steelworks andauxiliary equipment. National Con -

tracting Co Ltd (NCC), a SaudiArabian subsidiary of the RezayatGroup, was contracted in December2014 to supply and construct the66/132 kV substation at MountCoffee, and the extension of twoexisting substations in Paynesvilleand Bush rod to evacuate powerfrom Mount. Coffee.

A local consortium of Pan AfricanEngineering Group, Sigma Groupand Mamba Point Hotel is responsi-ble for camp construction and otherservices. LEC, the state power utili-ty, is being supported by its Owner’sEngineer, a joint venture of Norplanof Norway and Fichtner of Ger -many.

The rehabilitation work is to befinanced through grants provided bythe Government of Norway and theGerman development bank KfW,representing about 35 per cent and15 per cent, respectively, of the totalcost, as well as a loan from theEuropean Investment Bank, account-ing for around 30 per cent. The bal-ance and any cost overruns are to becovered by the Government ofLiberia.

Contract awarded for Vietnam’s Ban Ang projectChina’s Zhefu Holding Group hasbeen awarded a US$ 6.27 millioncontract to supply the electro-mechanical equipment for the 17MW Ban Ang run-of-river project inVietnam’s northern central coastalprovince of Nghệ An.

The contract, which was awardedby the Nam Mo & Nam NonHydropower Joint Stock Company,requires the supply, installation, test-ing and commissioning, over a periodof 18 months from contract signing,of two 8.5 MW bulb-type turbines,with, generators, auxiliary mechani-cal and electrical and control equip-ment. The contract will be part-financed from a US$ 202 millioncredit awarded in May 2009 by theInternational Development Assoc -iation (IDA), the World BankGroup’s concessional lending arm,towards the $318.05 million cost ofthe Renewable Energy DevelopmentProject (REDP) for Vietnam, whichis co-managed by Vietnam’s Mini stryof Industry and Trade (MOIT).

The aim of the project, the durationof which which has been extended bytwo years until the end of June 2016,is to increase the supply of electricityto the national grid, especially inrural areas, from renewable energysources. This will be done byaddressing barriers to its develop-ment and providing financial support,including carbon revenue providedby the World Bank’s Carbon Partner -ship Facility (CPF) to improve thefinancial feasibility of the projects.The REDP is expected to add 250MW of installed capacity to the grid,generating a total of 965 GWh/year.Between 15 and 25 projects, whichhave a total investment cost betweenUS$ 5 and 20 million each, may befinanced by the REDP or assisted insecuring debt financing from localbanks.

As of November 2014, a total ofnine hydropower projects, with acombined capacity of 114 MW, areoperational, including the 22 MW PaChien and 29 MW Hoa Phu projects.

The latter was developed by the TamLong Power Joint Stock Company,with investment by the MekongBrahmaputra Clean Dev elop mentFund (MBCDF), a fund of theVietnam-based integrated investmentgroup Dragon Capital Group, withdebt financing from Viet combank.Another major project under devel-opment is the 30 MW Trung Thuscheme, on the Nam Muc, a tributaryof the river in the Dien Bienprovince.

Fifteen additional projects, with atotal installed capacity of 265.6 MW,are being appraised by the MOIT,requiring an estimated refinancingamount of US$ 191.2 million, farexceeding the remaining budget ofabout US$ 115 million. In December2013, under an agreement signedwith the Government of Vietnam, theCPF, with Sweden, Norway andSpain as buyer participants, agreed topurchase the first 3 ¥ 106 tonne ofcarbon credits generated throughsmall hydro plants under the REDP.

Iran to build small hydro plants in IndonesiaIran is to build a series of small-scalehydroelectric powerplants in Indo -nesia, under an agreement signed inlate May in Tehran, during a visit bya delegation of Indonesian trade andeconomy officials. The powerplantswill be constructed by Iranian com-

panies, Iran’s Minister of Energy,Hamid Chitchian, said after a meet-ing on 24 May with the IndonesianEconomy Minister Sofyan Djalil.Djalil, who headed the Indonesiandelegation for the 11th Iran-Indonesia joint economic commis-

sion, said that Indonesia plans toconstruct 48 small hydropowerschemes in the next five years.

Memoranda of understanding weresigned by the two countries to coop-erate in the fields of industry, invest-ment, trade, customs and banking.

The war-damagedMount Coffee plantin Liberia, whererehabilitation willnow go ahead.

14 Hydropower & Dams Issue Four, 2015

Generator rehabilitation complete at Roosevelt damThe complete overhaul of the 8 m-diameter high voltage generator atthe Roosevelt dam hydro plant inArizona, USA, was recently com-pleted by Sulzer. The plant, whichbegan operating 100 years ago, wasoriginally equipped with eight 25Hz units supplied by Westinghouse;these were replaced in 1974 with asingle 36 MW, 60 Hz unit. After theunit had been dismantled, the corewas tested using the ELCID (elec-

tromagnetic core imperfection de -tection) method. The stator framewas found to be distorted, requiringspecialized machining equipment.A new core and coils were provid-ed. The process of installing newlaminations involved the construc-tion of a ring of plates around thestator frame, to allow for singlestage hydraulic cylinders to be usedto pressurize each set of lamina-tions, and remove any air pockets.

FERC to relicense Martin dam ... The US Federal Energy RegulatoryCommission (FERC) plans to reli-cense the Martin dam hydro plant, inAlabama.

FERC announced that its staff hadprepared a final environmentalimpact statement (EIS) for AlabamaPower’s relicensing of the 182.5MW facility. The plant is located onthe Tallapoosa river.

The final EIS follows a draft issuedtwo years ago, and following feed-back, proposals and recommenda-tions, the FERC staff said the latestdocument recommends that Martin

dam should be relicensed.Recommendations include adopt-

ing Alabama Power’s proposal toraise the reservoir storage level atlake Martin by almost 1 m duringwinter to help ensure sufficient sum-mer pool levels by the end of Mayeach year.

Further measures under the reli-censing recommendation includewater quality maintenance, and mon-itoring in the tailrace and impound-ment, increased fisheries andwildlife monitoring and manage-ment, and public outreach.

… and reconsider plans for Soldier CanyonFERC plans to rehear plans for theSoldier Canyon scheme in Col -orado. The Commission had previ-ously rejected plans for the project,near Fort Collins, for failing to sat-isfy parts of Section 309a of theFederal Power Act governing small

conduit hydro facilities. However,the developer, Soldier CanyonFilter Plant, appealed and is to havethe project assessed again.

The US Department of Energy(DoE) recently announced US$7million of R&D funding to support

technologies for low-impact hydrosystems.

The Department said the USA has65 GW of untapped hydro potentialin underdeveloped rivers andstreams, and more than 12 GW atnon-powered dams.

The Martin dam and hydro plant, inAlabama, USA, now to be relicensed.

FMV starts construction of Gletsch-Oberwald Swiss regional power producer andsupplier Forces Motrices Valaisannes(FMV) began construction of the 14MW Gletsch-Oberwald hydropowerproject in early May, company ChiefExecutive Pascal Gross announcedon 2 June. The utility, which servesthe southwestern canton of Valais,received a construction permit inJanuary of this year. The run-of-river project is expected to produceaverage annual output of 41 GWhwhen commissioned in 2017. TheCEO also announced that the com-pany had secured a new concessionfor the hydropower capacity on theriver Rhone, between Susten andChippis, which produces 220GW/year.

The utility is also carrying out therehabilitation of two other hydro -power stations. The modernizationof the Bramois plant began in late2014 with the dismantling of the

plant, which was commissioned in1917. The project will involve theinstallation of two new 16 MW units,with expected annual output of 86GWh, and it is scheduled to begincommercial service in 2017. Theplant’s owner-operator is ForcesMotrices de la Borgne, in whichFMV holds a 20 per cent stake.FMV also began the rehabilitationof civil structures and electro-mechanical equipment of thePissevache plant in late 2014. Thisplant, which had been closed downfor safety issues, is expected toresume operation in 2016 with anoutput of around 5 GWh/year.

In partnership with RomandeEnergie and les Services Industrielsde Lausanne, FMV is also planningthe 19 MW Massongex–Bex-Rhôneplant on the Rhone in the region ofMassongex-Bex. Studies are beingcarried out with a view to applying

for a concession for the run-of-riverproject, which is expected to pro-duce 75 GWh/year. The project hasre ceived support from the cantonsof Vaud and Valais, as well as theOffice Fédéral de l’Energie(OFEN), which has declared it aproject of national importance.

Meanwhile, work is continuing atthe Nant de Drance project, involv-ing the installation of a 900 MWpumped-storage unit between theVieux-Emosson and Emosson dams.The plant is expected to start up in2018. FMV holds a 10 per centstake in Nant de Drance, and isresponsible for the construction,commissioning and operation of theproject. The three other sharehold-ers are Alpiq, which holds a 39 percent stake, the Swiss FederalRailways (36 per cent) and LesServices Industriels de Bâle (IWB)(15 per cent).

16 Hydropower & Dams Issue Four, 2015

Work begins at Manolo Fortich, The Philippines...Philippine hydropower producerHedcor Inc has achieved two furthermilestones on the path towards itstarget of generating 2 TWh/year by2020.

In mid-May, the subsidiary ofAboitiz Power announced that con-struction work was underway on the68.8 MW Manolo Fortich cascade inthe province of Bukidnon in theNorthern Mindanao region.

A ground-breaking ceremony washeld in late April for the Peso 12.5billion (US$ 277 million) project,which will comprise the 43.4 MWManolo Fortich 1 and 25.4 MWManolo Fortich 2 plants.

The two-plant cascade, which willharness the Tanaon, Amusig andGuihean rivers, is designed to gener-ate average annual output of 360GWh for the Mindanao region. Theplants are scheduled to be commis-sioned by December 2016. In addi-tion to generating power, the projectwill benefit local farmers, who will

have access to water at the weir sitefor crop irrigation and for livestockas well as to the site’s access roads,which will allow local growers totransport their crops to market moreeasily.

An inauguration ceremony washeld on 12 May for the 14 MWSabangan run-of-river plant in theMountain Province of Luzon, thelargest and northernmost island ofthe archipelago. The plant, which isHedcor’s first in the province, is pro-jected to generate annual output of55 GWh for the Luzon grid, harness-ing the waters of the river Chico. TheSabangan scheme, which was built atcost of Peso 1.8 billion (US$ 40 mil-lion), comprises a weir and a 3.2 km-long intake tunnel connecting to thepowerhouse, which is equipped withtwo Pelton turbines. Hedcor is alsoupgrading and uprating the Ferdi -nand L. Singit powerplant in themunicipality of Bakun in Luzon,which was commissioned in 1993.

The project, which will involve thereplacement of the plant’s sevenFrancis turbines with two Peltonunits, will result in installed capacitybeing increased from 4.9 to 6.2 MW.Civil works include increasing theheight of the weir from 3.6 to 4.35 mand the height of the powerhouse toabout 9.5 m.

Hedcor owns and operates 22 run-of-river hydropower plants in theprovinces of Benguet, Davao andIlocos Sur and the Mountain Provincewith a total capacity of 182 MW, com-prising 11 plants in Benguet withcapacity of 37.75 MW, the 70 MWBakun AC plant in Ilocos Sur and 10plants in the southernmost island ofMindanao with a combined capacity of74.3 MW. In 2014 it commissioned the6.6 MW Tudaya I and 7 MW Tudaya IIplants in the province of Davao delSur, feeding Mindanao’s grid. Tudaya1 is located upstream of the 16.5 MWSibulan A plant, while Tudaya 2 oper-ates next to the 26 MW Sibulan B.

... as Binga refurbishment is completedMeanwhile, the Aboitiz group hascompleted refurbishment of theBinga hydropower plant to achieve arated capacity of 140 MW, andgained clearance to take over andpursue development of the NalatangB scheme, both in the Philippines.

The Binga plant owner and opera-tor, SN Aboitiz Power-Benguet Inc,reported that each of Binga’s fourrefurbished and uprated generationunits had achieved a rated head of 35MW in commissioning tests.

Aboitiz Power Corporation, theparent company, said each of theunits had been uprated from 31.45MW, increasing the capacity of theplant from 125.8 to 140 MW. Therefurbishment work, in Benguetprovince, was undertaken between

December 2014 and February 2015.The higher rating was officially

noted in a Certificate of Compliance,which is valid until March 2017.Aboitiz said the plant has an eco-nomic life of 48 years. SN AboitizPower-Benguet Inc also owns andoperates the 105 MW Ambuklaoplant, in Benguet.

Aboitiz Power Corporation hasannounced that it has also secured aCertificate of Registration to exploredevelopment of the 45 MW NalatangB scheme, also in Benguet. The com-pany said pre-development work forthe project will begin soon, andadded that Nalatang B is expected tobe commissioned in early 2019.

The registration step was clearedby the Department of Energy, class-

ing Aboitiz as the Renewable EnergyDeveloper to take over developmentof the project.

Nalatang B was originally to bedeveloped by PNOC RenewablesCorporation, but it assigned itsauthorization, subject to governmentapproval, which has now beenreceived, to Aboitiz.

The Aboitiz Power group has anumber of subsidiaries, and throughone of them in the generation sector(Aboitiz Renewables, Inc) hasmajority control of a Philippines-Norwegian joint venture calledManila-Oslo Renewable EnterpriseInc (MORE) of which Norway’s SNPower is also a shareholder. TheMORE business has majority controlof SN Aboitiz Power-Benguet, Inc.

Rehabilitation contract signed for Stejaru Bicaz in RomaniaRomania’s state-owned hydropowerproducer Hidroelectrica has awarded a€78.75 million contract to a consor-tium comprising Litostroj Power ofSlovenia and Romania’s Romelectroto refurbish the 210 MW Stejaru Bicazstorage plant on the river Bistrita, inthe northeastern region of Moldavia.The contract, which was signed on 8May, is to be financed by Hidro -electrica, and will involve the supplyof six Francis units, with a combinedcapacity of 220 MW, related auxiliarysystems and hydro-mechanical equip-ment. Upgrading of the electricalequipment and systems, the instru-

mentation and control system andSCADA will also be carried out.

CKD Blansko Engi neering of theCzech Republic, a subsidiary ofLitostroj Power, will be responsiblefor the hydraulic and mechanicaldesign and testing of the new tur-bines, and supervision of their instal-lation and commissioning. LitostrojPower’s share of the contract is worth€20 million. Litostroj Power special-izes in the design and manufacture ofturbines and hydro-mechanical equip-ment.

Local consultancy, engineering andproject management companies inc -

luding SSH Hidroserv, Energo montaj,Electroservice RB, General DesignTech, Institute for Studies and PowerEngineering (ISPE), and Energo -construct, have been subcontracted toassist with the project.

The scheme, which is expected totake seven years to complete, isdesigned to extend the plant’s lifetimeby at least 30 years, while increasingthe availability, efficiency and safetyof the country’s oldest but most effi-cient hydropower plant. The plant,which was commissioned in 1962,currently supplies an average of 435GWh/year to the national grid.

18 Hydropower & Dams Issue Four, 2015

Platinum Power advances IPPs across AfricaWith nearly 1000 MW of hydropowercapacity under development, Plati -num Power is set to become one ofAfrica’s largest privately ownedhydroelectric producers. Based inCasablanca, the subsidiary of the USprivate equity group BrookstonePartners was set up to develop,finance, construct and operate utility-scale renewable energy projects inAfrica, and has quickly built up a pro-ject pipeline totalling nearly 2000MW, Nabil Saimi, Executive Directorfor Development, told Hydro power &Dams in an interview on 19 June.

Its current project pipeline, in west-ern, central and northern Africa, is pre-dominantly hydro and wind, but thisdoes not reflect the investment strate-gy of the group, which is focused ondeveloping natural resources with themost potential for least-cost powerproduction, exp lained Saimi. “We are‘technology agnostic’, so we do nothave a preference for one form ofrenewable energy over another. Weare an independent electricity produc-er so we are trying to respond to thedemands of the country based on itsindigenous renewable resources. Ourprojects need to be self-sustainableand make economic sense for both usand the customer, as we do no want tobenefit from feed-in tariffs or othersubsidy systems, so our decisions onwhere to invest require in each casethat the project be the least-cost pro-duction unit.”

In Morocco, the company has aportfolio of 16 hydropower projectswith a combined capacity of 320MW, in the middle Atlas region, fiveof which, totalling 110 MW withaverage annual output of 240 GWh,have been awarded IndependentPower Producer (IPP) status. Theprojects are to be developed on amerchant basis, with power to be soldto local industrial consumers. Theprojects will be among the first pri-vately owned and operated hydro -power plants since the opening up ofthe country’s renewable energy mar-ket to private investors in 2009.Producing power at a competitiverate will be paramount for success, asthese projects will be competing with

the rates of the dominant state-ownedutility ONEE, noted Saimi. The fivemost advanced storage projects arealso designed to reduce sedimenta-tion at existing downstream dams.The 18 MW Boutferda scheme atBeni Mellal, on the river El Abid, andthe 15 MW Tillouguit Amont and the23 MW Tillouguit Aval at Azilal onthe river Ahansal, are all upstreamfrom the Bin Elouidane dam. The 12MW Taskdert and 30 MW Imezdilfenschemes at Khenifra on the riverOum Errabii are to be sited upstreamfrom the El Hansali dam.

In contrast to Morocco, PlatinumPower is developing storage hydroprojects in Côte d’Ivoire andCameroon on a classical IPP basis,under long-term Build, Own, Operateand Transfer (BOOT) concessions. Itsigned, in May, framework PowerPurchase Agreements (PPAs) with theGovernment for two storage projectsin the west of Côte d’Ivoire. The 100MW Gao scheme, on the river Bafing,and the 110 MW Tayaboui project onthe river Sassandra will be developedon the basis of 25-year BOOT conces-sions. Under an agreement with theGov ern ment this January, the compa-ny undertook to build three plants at atotal cost of up to CFA 450 billion(US$ 767.3 million), but the Kouli -koro project has since been droppedas a result of environmental impactissues, said Saimi; this will be re -placed with a new unnamed project.Technical and environmental studiesare underway, with the aim of startingconstruction on both projects, in par-allel, in the last quarter of next year.Construction work is expected to takeabout five years.

In Cameroon, Platinum Power isalso carrying out a feasibility studyfor a two-plant and dam cascade onthe Nyong, the country’s secondlargest river. The so-called MakayComplex will have an installedcapacity of around 400 MW and pro-jected average annual output of 1.6TWh. Power would be sold to thenational power utility ENEO, alsounder a long-term PPA.

Given the expected cost of this pro-ject, which has been estimated at

around US$ 1 billion, Platinum Powerwill be looking for equity partners,said Saimi. It will, however, remainthe majority shareholder for this pro-ject and all the others that it is current-ly developing. “We are in this for thelong-term; we are not looking for ashort-term return. We are committedto building and operating the assetsthroughout their economic lifetime,”he explained. The company’s intent toretain majority ownership is verymuch in line with its business model,which is to work in close partnershipwith host country governments and/orstate-run utilities to develop economi-cally sustainable projects that, whilenaturally generating a return oninvestment on the basis of an agreedInternal Rate of Return (IRR), provideclean and affordable power to con-sumers. This is exemplified by itswillingness to involve the host gov-ernment in the financing and structur-ing of its IPP projects. “It is an open-book model. We are completely trans-parent with the governments. Theyparticipate in all stages of projectdevelopment from the drafting of theterms of reference to the tenderingprocess,” he said, adding that all itsprojects would be in full compliancewith international safety and environ-mental standards, in particular, IFC’sPerformance Standards for Environ -mental and Social Impact Studies.

Backed by Brookstone Partners andwith the expected support of IFIs,Platinum Power expects to movequickly on its project pipeline, on acontinent where project developmentis historically slow. “We are ready totake on the risks of development. Weundertake and finance all the requiredstudies. All we ask is for the countrysponsor to provide the permits andadministrative support. This allowsus to start actual production within ashort time,” he concluded.

The company is in the process ofcreating a subsidiary in Abidjan tomanage its projects in the Côted’Ivoire and West Africa, and plans toset up an office in Yaoundé to overseeits activities in Cameroon and CentralAfrica, and one in Dubai to handlebusiness development in East Africa.

Name Location River Installed capacity (MW) Expected production (GWh/y)

Morocco

Boutferda Beni Mellal El Abid 18 40Tillouguit Amont Alizal Ahansal 15 28Tillouguit Aval Alizal Ahansal 23 42

Taskdert Khenifra Oum Errabii 12 40Imezdilfen Khenifra Oum Errabii 30 82

Côte d’Ivoire

Gao Biankouma Bafing 100 335Tayaboui Duekué Sassandra 110 384

Cameroon Makay Nyong-et-Kelle Nyong 400 1600

20 Hydropower & Dams Issue Four, 2015

Peru inaugurated the Runatullo II andRunatullo III projects on 29 May. Theschemes will strengthen the energysecurity of the country, and benefit 85 000 families in the Mantaro Valley.

The President, Ollanta HumalaTasso, officially opened the two 20MW hydroelectric projects.

Contracts for these plants wereawarded the third international auc-tion for the supply of electricity to thenational grid with renewable energyre sources. The Runatullo II plant usesa flow rate of 7 m³/s on the Runatulloriver, with a gross head of 318.5 m, togenerate 19.1 MW. The water is con-veyed through a 606 m tunnel, fol-

lowed by a 1520 m channel, then a1918 m tunnel, and finally a penstock566 m long.

The powerhouse is located on thesurface and is equipped with two 10MW Pelton turbines. The power sta-tion will produce approximately 80GWh/year.

The Runatullo III power station is inMariscal Castillo-Comas district, inthe province of Con cepcion, at an alti-tude of el. 2802 m. This planthas adam and two Pelton turbines with avertical axis and two generators, eachrated at 12 MVA. The total output ofthe plant will be approximately 120GWh/year.

The penstock at the Runatullo III schemein Peru.

Pioneering community scheme launched in ScotlandA pioneering community hydropowerproject on the Isle of Mull, off the westcoast of Scotland, began producingpower for the national grid on 2 June.The 400 kW Garmony hydro projecton the Allt Achadh Na Moine water-course in the Garmony Forest wasdeveloped by Green Energy Mull(GEM), an industrial and providentsociety operating as a community ben-efit company, formed by SustainableMull & Iona, and the Mull & IonaCommunity Trust. All net profits fromelectricity sales and feed-in tariffs,

which are estimated at up to £2.4 mil-lion over the first 20 years of the life ofthe project, are to be invested entirelywithin the communities of Mull andIona.

The project, which has been devel-oped at a cost of around £1.3 million,was co-financed through a communityshare offer, which has raised £481 000 to date, and £893 000 inloans: £500 000 from the UK’sCharity Bank, that lends exclusively tosocial sector organizations, and £443 000 from the Renewable EnergyInvestment Fund (REIF), which isadministered by Scottish Enterprise onbehalf of the Scottish Government.

The run-of-river scheme is expectedto generate about 1000 MWh/year,while reducing the island’s carbonfootprint by 450 tonnes of CO2.Construction work on the projectbegan in April 2014. It comprises aprimary intake structure on the AlltAchadh Na Moine, a minor diversionintake structure on the tributary AlltBeinn nam Meann, a powerhouse, aburied pipeline connecting the intakesto the powerhouse, and an open tail-

race channel and screened dischargestructure. The 400 kW turbine wassupplied by Slovenia’s Tinck In -zeniring. Kestral Controls in Glas gow,which acts as the main agent in theUK for Tinck, supplied the controlgear and was responsible for installa-tion and commissioning of the controlgear and turbine. Civil works werecarried out by the local civil engineer-ing company TSL Contractors, whilethe grid connection work was under-taken by Integrated Utility Servicesand the local utility Scottish &Southern Electricity (SSE). The feasi-bility study was carried out by UK-based consultancy Mott MacDonaldand the scheme wasdesigned byCampbell of Doune.

Planning permission was awardedby the Argyll and Bute Council inMay 2012, along with a water extrac-tion licence by SEPA, and in April2013 SSE granted the project develop-ers an export licence to enable the gen-erated electricity to be sold to theNational Grid. A 40-year lease agree-ment was signed in late 2013 with theForestry Commission Scotland (FCS).

Azura wave energy device launched in HawaiiNorthwest Energy Innovations (NWEI)has announced the launch of theAzura wave energy device for a year-long grid-connected pilot test pro-gramme in Hawaii.

The Azura device has been installedat the US Navy’s wave energy test site(WETS) near Kaneohe Bay, Oahu.

The deployment contractor for theHawaii test programme is SeaEngineering. Data collection is beingundertaken by the University ofHawaii, which will report the resultsto NWEI as well as the navy and theDepartment of Energy (DoE), whichare supporting the test project.

NWEI said the latest phase in R&Dfor Azura is a continuation of workundertaken almost three years agowhen a prototype was deployed atNorthwest National Marine Renew -able Energy Center’s test site off the

coast of Oregon. The prototype testphase also involved DoE support.

The device is being developed byNWEI along with Callaghan In -novation and Energy Hydraulics.NWEI has a global exclusive technol-ogy licence from Callaghan, whichfirst developed the concept in NewZealand.

Recent initiatives by DoE to providefurther support to wave/marine R&Dinclude US$ 10.5 million of funding(also shared with hydrokinetic deviceR&D) for survivability and reliability-related testing; and, a wave energyprize competition to double the numberof devices under testing over two years.

Peru inaugurates Runatullo II and III

The Azura system,installed at the USNavy’s test site inOahu, Hawaii.

The powerhouse atthe 400 kWGarmoney scheme.

22 Hydropower & Dams Issue Four, 2015

BHA Annual Summer Forum asks “What next for hydropower?”Simon Hamlyn, CEO of the BHAopened the BHA’s Summer Forumand Exhibition in Telford, UK, byreferring to the numerous challengesfaced by the British industry overrecent months. However, in keepingwith the forward-looking theme ofthis year’s Forum, rather than focus-ing on previous issues, he questionedwhat impact the new ConservativeGovernment would have on renew-ables development in the UK. He

also took the opportunity to thankthose involved with the work of theBHA, particularly its members, fortheir ongoing support.

There were four sessions during theday covering a range of aspects of thehydropower industry. Paper topicsranged from the development ofdomestic micro hydro schemes tomodelling prognostics for large hydroplants.

Community hydro development wasonce again an important theme at thisevent, with numerous papers directlyor indirectly addressing the emer-gence of locally owned schemes and aless-centralized energy network.

As well as case studies presenta-tions about projects planned or under-way in the UK, the BHA eventsinclude talks by speakers activeabroad, who provide a wider contextto the progress or difficulties faced byUK hydro professionals. The transferof knowledge between countries canonly be of benefit to all involved.

Environmental concerns continueto play a significant role in how, andwhich, projects are developed, and asavailable sites offer more challeng-ing conditions and increased limita-tions, the UK hydropower industryshowcases its innovation and adapt-ability. Papers were presented fromthose involved in regulating renew-able development to ensure thatschemes are appropriate to the site,as well as those tasked with navigat-ing the often complex and stringentdirectives.

A technical exhibition with partici-pation from companies active in thehydro industry in the UK and abroadoffered networking opportunities fordelegates as well as time for furtherdiscussions on topics raised during thesessions.

The conference programme incor-porated topical and important papers,and the event will be covered inmore detail in the next issue ofHydropower & Dams.

Simon Hamlyn,CEO of the BHA,welcomingdelegates to theAnnual SummerForum.

India’s Bharat Heavy Electricals(BHEL) announced on 11 June thesuccessful commissioning of thefourth and final 82.5 MW unit at the330 MW Srinagar hydropower planton the river Alaknanda, in the north-eastern Indian state of Uttarakhand.The company said that it had commis-sioned all four units within 60 days.The owner-operator, GVK, announcedon 12 April the synchronization of thefirst unit with the grid on 10 April,with the expectation that the remain-ing three units would be commis-sioned in stages up to full operation bythe end of June (see H&D Issue Three,2015).

BHEL supplied, installed and com-missioned the project’s electro-mechan-

ical equipment, comprising four Francisturbines, generators, static excitationsystem, the generator, unit and stationtransformers, the main inlet valve, digi-tal governors, a SCADA control andmonitoring system and associated aux-iliaries, as well as the 400 kV switch-yard and balance of plant.

The project, which is GVK’s firsthydro plant, was originally scheduledto be commissioned in mid-2013.However, in June of that year, theAlaknanda, a tributary of the Ganga,swollen by several days of torrentialrain, caused temporary embankmentsin front of the sluice gates to collapse,and breached the powerhouse, buryingthe first three units, which were readyfor operation, under mud and silt.

The project comprises a 90 m-high,248 m-long concrete gravity diversiondam with 12 spillway bays, a power-house with four 82.5 MW verticalFrancis turbines, two 1 km-long head-race tunnels, a 3.05 km-long concrete-lined power channel and four 114 m-long penstocks.

The project will use the net head ofaround 66 m between the diversiondam and the powerhouse to generateelectricity. Output is to be supplied tothe Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation,under a long-term pow er purchaseagreement signed with the state ofUttar Pradesh, with 12 per cent of theplant’s output to be supplied free ofcharge to the State Government ofUttarakhand.

Srinagar begins full commercial service

Eranove wins Kenié concession, MaliEranove Group has won a 30-yearconcession to build and operate the42 MW Kenié hydropower project inMali, which would increase thecountry’s installed generation capac-ity by about 10 per cent.

The Kenié project is located inBaguineda on the Niger river, east ofBamako. Construction is scheduledto start in 2016 for completion by2020. The plant might be able to gen-erate more than 170 GWh of electric-ity, according to initial studies, saidEranove, which is pursuing the pro-ject on a finance, develop, build andoperate basis.

Early hydropower studies on theKenié site were conducted by WorldBank subsidiary IFC InfraVenturesin co-operation with Mali’s Ministryof Energy and Water. The studies ledto procurement on a competitive ten-der basis for the concession contract.

Eranove is to establish and operate

the Kenié scheme through a majori-ty-controlled subsidiary, Kenie Ener -gie Renouvelable. The new companyhas other shareholders, includingIFC InfraVentures.

Eranove said the concession is “animportant step forward” for thegroup, which works in the water andelectricity sectors across Africa.Eranove is majority controlled (57per cent) by Emerging CapitalPartners, and the next largest share-holder (19 per cent) is French infra-structure group Bouygues.

The Eranove Group operates sixother hydro plants in Africa with acombined capacity of 604 MW, all inCote d’Ivoire.

The concessionagreement ceremonyfor the 42 MW Keniéscheme in Mali.Photo: Eranove.