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Category: Hydro

Alstom wins EUR 18 million hydropower project in India

May 17th, 2010 | Posted in Hydro

Rangeet River meets Teesta River near the Sikkim/West Bengal border.

Alstom announced the company has been awarded the contract to develop a hydropower project in Sikkim, India. The Jorethang Loop Hydroelectric Project will be based in the city of Jorethang, on the bank of the river Rangeet, which flows into the larger river Teesta. The power plant to be developed on the river will be able to output 96 MW of clean power. The development contract has been awarded by Dans Energy Private Limited.

Under the contract, Alstom will supply, install, test and commission electromechanical equipment for two 48 MW power generators. India has a lot of hydropower potential, estimated at about 34 GW. The dominating source of energy are still coal and other fossil fuels, but the country is increasing its portfolio of renewable and clean energy sources.

[source: Alstom, image: Alpine Star Holidays]

First Pakistani hydropower project meets financial close

May 14th, 2010 | Posted in Hydro

The New Bong Escape Hydroelectric Project is the first hydropower project in Pakistan to reach financial close. The project, started in 2005, reached financial close in December 2009, while construction is still going on, supervised by Mott MacDonald , appointed as Lender's Engineer for a consortium of lenders (Asian Development Bank, Habib Bank Limited, Islamic Development Bank, National Bank of Pakistan, International Finance Corporation and Proparco).

The New Bong Escape will have 84 MW of installed power generating capacity, and will be completed in 2013. It represents an investment of about USD 200 million. Once completed the project will help Pakistan increase its power generating capacity portfolio, and answer the growing energy demand, as the country progresses on its way to further development. The project is sponsored by Laraib Energy Limited.

[source: Mott MacDonald]

EDF commissions 1.07 GW hydropower plant in Laos

May 13th, 2010 | Posted in Hydro

EDF announced it has officially commissioned the 1070 MW Nam Theun 2 hydropower plant in Laos. The project has been awarded to EDF by Nam Theun Power Company (NTPC). It features four 250 MW power generators, delivering power to Thailand, and two 37 MW power generators delivering power to Laos. Even though Laos is getting only 5% of the power plant's output, the 74 MW of power represents about 20% of the total power demand in that country.

EDF will be participating in the operations of the power plant under the 25-year agreement signed with the government of Laos. After this period has expired, Laos will be taking over the project in its entirety. Construction of the Nam Theun 2 project began in 2005, employing some 9000 people at the peak of the construction activities. More than 80% of these workers were from Laos. The project was financially backed by the World Bank, Asiatic Development Bank, the European Investment Bank and the French Development Agency.

[source: EDF]

Nearshore waves almost as good as offshore waves for wave energy power generation

May 11th, 2010 | Posted in Hydro

According to Dr Matthew Folley (Queen's University, Belfast), nearshore waves offer almost as much power generation potential as offshore waves. This conclusion comes from comparative calculations done by Dr Folley, whose research results have been published in the New Scientist a couple of days ago. Apparently, nearshore waves which are about 0.5 to 2 km away from shore carry 80-90% of usable wave energy further out. Offshore waves carry about 18.5 kW per meter-slice, compared to about 16.5 kW per meter-slice for nearshore waves.

The reasons offshore waves have been a long-time favorite when assessing wave energy projects was due to offshore storms pushing average figures higher, and the fact that offshore waves seem to come from different directions, allowing power generation in one, and cancelling it in another direction at an offshore wave power plant. Nearshore waves have shown a strong tendency to travel towards the shore (basically in a single direction), making power generation much more stable and more efficient.

Read the entire article about the nearshore wave research findings at the New Scientist.

[source: Aquamarine Power]

China Hydroelectric acquires 19 MW hydropower project in China

May 7th, 2010 | Posted in Hydro

China Hydroelectric Corporation, a Chinese developer and operator of small and medium hydropower projects, has announced the acquisition of the 19 MW Husahe Project, located in the Yunnan province in China. The price of the acquisition was USD 15 million.

CHC will soon acquire more hydropower projects, as announced earlier, the soonest of which will be the 44 MW Xiaopengzu Project, also in Yunnan. China has abundant small hydropower resources, estimated at about 128 GW. Small hydropower has seen a significant rise in the last decade globally, as the introduction of all possible renewable energy resources became more important with the rising global climate problem.

[source: CHC]

Vattenfall and Uppsala University collaborating on hydropower generator research

May 6th, 2010 | Posted in Hydro

Vattenfall R&D and Uppsala University are going to be jointly researching mutual electromechanical interaction between hydropower generators and the power grid. The research project involves the development of mathematical models for numerical studies, but also construction of experimental equipment and on-site measurements.

At the moment, the research team is preparing measurements for a black-start test which is to take place later this year. Several large hydropower machines and the power grid are going to be monitored using Phasor Measurement Units (PMU). The idea behind this experiment is to synchronize measurements of voltage, magnetic flux, shaft speed and torque with the goal to get a clearer picture about some of effects of electrical transients on the machines.

[source: Vattenfall]

100 year old hydropower plant in the US to get makeover and double capacity

May 4th, 2010 | Posted in Hydro

Holtwood hydroelectric power plant (generators).

Holtwood hydropower plant has been generating clean energy for 100 years now. It is located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, USA, one the Susquehanna River. PPL Generation, part of PPL Corporation, is investing into a makeover and extension project at the power plant that will more than double the amount of currently installed capacity. The investment is expected to provide a significant stimulus for the local economy, and bring jobs to the local communities.

At the 100 year celebration ceremony, PPL broke grounds for the extension project which will bring another 125 MW of power generating capacity to the area, and supply another 100,000 average homes with clean electricity. The extension project represents a USD 434 million investment, and will increase the power plant's output from 108 MW to 233 MW of power capacity. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has extended the power plant's operating license to 2030. Initial construction activities will start in January 2011, while completion of the whole project is expected in spring 2013.

[source: PPL Generation, image: PPL Holtwood]

Verbund proceeds with Ashta hydropower project in Albania

April 21st, 2010 | Posted in Hydro

Back in June 2009, we published news about the ground-breaking at the site for the Ashta hydropower project in Albania, to be developed by Verbund (Austria). The most recent development, as announced by the company, is the signing of a syndicate contract between Verbund and EVN, marking the official start of the implementation of the hydropower development plant for Ashta.

The power plant is to be completed in 2012, and will have more than 50 MW of installed power generating capacity, using Verbund's Hydromatrix technology. The project represents an investment of about EUR 200 million, and is expected to be able to generate enough clean electricity to supply about 100,000 average households in the country. It is to be located on the River Drin.

[source: Verbund]

GDF Suez awarded 662 MW for development in Peru

April 20th, 2010 | Posted in Hydro

GDF Suez was recently awarded rights for development of 662 MW of power generating capacity in Peru. Having won in four bidding processes, the company's subsidiary in Peru, EnerSur, secured rights for the development of hydropower and thermal power plants. The total investment for all the awarded capacity is estimated at about EUR 1.5 billion.

One of the projects is interesting for this site, being a renewable energy project, and that is the Quitaracsa I hydropower project. It is to be located about 500 km to the northeast of the country's capital Lima, in the Ancash region. It will have an estimated power capacity of 112 MW, and will be connected to the national power grid once completed.

Peru is experiencing growth in energy demand, as the country progresses into a more developed future. Projects such as these are part of a larger effort to increase the energy supply base in the country.

GDF Suez is not a newbie in the Peruvian energy market, having already completed a couple of energy projects in the country before, one of which is another hydropower project, the Yuncan. The company is also involved in gas transportation in the country.

[source: GDF Suez]

First global performance standards for wave and tidal pushed by EMEC

April 19th, 2010 | Posted in Hydro

The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), based in Orkney, Scotland, has announced the first global performance standards for wave and tidal energy devices. The draft standards have been developed, and the global electrical standards body, International Electrotechnical Commission, will scrutinise EMEC's proposal over the next month. The draft standards include measures for device performance, wave and tidal site resource assessment, and a certification scheme for devices.

The new standards are actually a part of a much wider suite of marine energy standards developed by the EMEC over the past six years. They include measures for performance, reliability, survivability of devices, wave and tidal resource assessment, and the previously mentioned certification scheme. Additionally, the proposal also covers design and manufacture, environmental appraisal and health and safety practice. More than 4000 copies of the proposal have been distributed worldwide to various users such as industry, academia, test centers, institutes, and national governments. The preparation of the draft version involved some 150 industry individuals, providing professional commentary and edited by the British Standards Institution.

With the growth of the marine enrgy industry, it is necessary to create an environment that will servce as a backbone for further growth and development. Having an acceptable set of standards and recommendations for marine energy technology will ensure the industry can mature and spread to become a significant part of the global renewable energy family.

[source: EMEC]