Vattenfall, ArcelorMittal, Rhodia and SNCF have joined forces officially by forming Force Hydro, a joint venture company, for bidding for concessions for hydropower development in France. The tender for new hydro developments in France is to be launched by the government in 2012 for a total of 5.3 GW of new capacity to be developed in the coming years.
3Power Energy Group has entered into a frame agreement with an investment group from Albania, for the acquisition of 75% of development concession rights for a 127.6 MW hydropower project on the the Shala River.
E.ON has been given the green light to expand the Waldeck 2 pumped storage power plant in Edertal/Hemfurth, Germany. The company will buid another underground power station cavern, witha a 300 MW pump turbine. The company announced plans to expand capacity at Waldeck 2 almost exactly a year ago.
RusHydro and Voith Hydro have signed an agreement for the modernization of the hydraulic turbines at the Miatlinskaya hydropower plant in Dagestan (Russian Federation). The power plant currently has 220 MW of installed capacity (two axial units, each with 113 MW of capacity).
The Crown Estate has opened Northern Ireland for tidal and offshore wind energy rounds. Developers are invited to bid for development leases for up to 800 MW of capacity in waters of the coast of Northern Ireland, pushing this region's offshore renewable energy industry forward.
Alstom is establishing the Global Hydro Technology Center in Brazil. The center will be located in Taubaté, where Alstom has its largest factory for hydro products in the world. The facility manufactures electromechanical equipment for all hydro projects in Brazil, but also exports to other countries.
Hydro Green Energy's proprietary turbine array solution.
Hydro Green Energy and Engevix Engenharia have signed an agreement for the joint pursuit of at least four new hydropower projects in the US. The collaboration agreement will combine both companies' strengths – Hydro Green Energy's RE development experience and Engevix' energy infrastructure engineering expertise. The projects will most likely be small to medium sized.
The Albanian government is planning to privatize four hydropower facilities, with hopes of raising between 100 and 150 million euros. The four projects are Ulza, Shkopet, Bistrica 1 and Bistrica 2, totalling in about 76.8 MW of installed capacity.
Mozambique is planning to expand power generating capacity at the Cahora Bassa hydropower project, currently with 2075 MW of installed capacity, to 3220 MW of capacity. The country, as well as the whole southern African region, is facing a rising demand for electricity.
Siemens has increased its ownership stake in the marine energy specialist Marine Current Turbines (MCT). The German company now owns 45% of MCT, and strengthens its activities in this renewable energy sector. Having split its former Renewable Energy Division into two separate divisions, one dealing with wind, and another with solar and hydro, Siemens Solar & Hydro, the company has decided to get more involved in the marine energy sector, as MCT progresses from a pioneer to one of the leading marine energy technology companies. Siemens originally invested in MCT in early 2010.
