Tuesday 29 November 2011
Rwanda Govt Leases Out Rukarara Hydro Project
Rwanda Govt Leases Out Several Small Hydro Power Project
http://pumpandgenerator.com/rwanda-govt-leases-out-several-small-hydro-power-project/
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http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-hydro-screw-industry-gets-a-much-needed-boost/
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Rwanda Govt Leases Out Several Small Hydro Power Project
Govt Leases Out Rukarara Hydro Project
The New Times (Kigali)
October 21, 2011The Rwanda cabinet has approved the lease of Rukarara Small Hydro Power Project to a local firm Digitech Solutions as part of the government’s plan to involve the private sector in energy generation.
The company will run the small hydropower plant located in Nyamagabe District, Southern Province, of Rwanda at a cost of US$23.5m.
The plant, which started operating at the beginning of this year, supplies 6 Mw of power to the national electricity grid.
According to the Minister of Finance, John Rwangombwa, the government made the decision to lease out the project as a way of involving the private sector in the strategic plan to generate 1,000Mw over the next seven years.
“The lease of Rukarara is a strategic decision. We have more hydro power plants which we want to lease out because we believe the private businesses have an upper hand in maintaining projects like this and making them more profitable than the state.
“We thought that a private company would run the plant more efficiently than the government, but the most important thing is that Digitech is a local firm which has a long term vision to generate about 255Mw (of power) over the next seven years,” Rwangombwa said.
He added that the government does not have enough resources to produce the targeted 1,000Mw hence encouraging local and international private firms to invest in the energy sector.
Rwangombwa also mentioned that as a new company with a keen investment plan, government wanted to kick-start Digitech by leasing to it the plant as a starting point towards investing in the energy project. He said the company would generate and sell power to the government.
He further noted that the lease would ensure that the plant is well managed and efficiently run.
Among other things, Rwangombwa said that the government, through the Ministry of Infrastructure, is sourcing out for more investors in micro-hydro projects.
Speaking to The New Times, the Chief Executive of Digitech Solutions Andrew Nyamvumba said that the firm is finalising negotiations for a 40-year lease with a possibility of completely buying it out from the government in 15 years.
“We are still negotiating specific purchase terms, but our plan is to invest an initial US$ 9 million to upgrade the plant which among other things will include connecting it to the national grid.
“Then we will be paying the government a lease fee of US$1.66m annually for 40 years with an option of buying out the government after 15 years, much as we would wish to acquire it in less than 15 years,” Nyamvumba stated.
He added that the energy produced by Rukarara is distributed on medium voltage, supplying only the Southern Province. Nyamvumba said the firm would work with the Energy, Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA) to connect the plant to the national grid.
Currently, the power generated from the plant is connected through a newly constructed eight kilometre single circuit 30 KV transmission line directly to an existing Medium Voltage line to the national network.
The plant, which boasts of three turbines, was under the management of Beijing Forever Technology Development Co. Ltd until July 2009 and was later handed to AECOM (formerly RSW International) from Canada from December 2009.
The project is one of the several micro-hydro projects started by the government to boost energy supply.
Others include Nyabarongo Hydro Electric Project which is currently under construction with a targeted output of 28 Mw.
It is expected to generate power by February 2013. Feasibility studies for Rusizi III HEP shared among Rwanda, DRC and Burundi, are complete. It is expected to be complete in 2016 with a capacity to produce 145 MW of power.
Rusumo expected to produce 61 MW, shared among Burundi, Tanzania and Rwanda, will be completed in 2015. A feasibility study has already been finalised.
Rwanda Govt Leases Out Several Small Hydro Power Project
http://pumpandgenerator.com/rwanda-govt-leases-out-several-small-hydro-power-project/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-hydro-screw-industry-gets-a-much-needed-boost/
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/sNDlVq
Hydro power most dominant source of energy in Canada
Hydropower most dominant source of energy in Canada’s power mix
Hydropower most dominant source of energy in Canada
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/hydropower-most-dominant-source-of-energy-in-canada/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-screw-pumps-turbines-and-generators-gets-royal-approval/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-hydro-screw-industry-gets-a-much-needed-boost/
Amplify’d from dabasiah.posterous.com
Hydropower most dominant source of energy in Canada’s power mix
Hydropower most dominant source of energy in Canada
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/hydropower-most-dominant-source-of-energy-in-canada/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-hydro-screw-industry-gets-a-much-needed-boost/
Hydropower most dominant source of energy in Canada’s power mix
Canada Power Market Outlook to 2030
Research and Markets has announced the addition of GlobalData’s new report “Canada Power Market Outlook to 2030 -Market Trends, Regulation and Competitive Landscape” to their offering.
“Canada Power Market Outlook to 2030 -Market Trends, Regulation and Competitive Landscape”
Canada’s economy has witnessed increasing growth in demand since 1990. Population growth, increasing use of electrical appliances, growth of the economy and weather patterns are some of the contributing factors to this increase. Both consumption and generation have increased in the country during the period 2000-2010.
Hydropower is the most dominant source of energy in the country. Canada’s power
market is subject to the ups and downs of the economy and the downturn in the economy in 2009 led to a considerable decrease in power generation in the country. The Canadian government supports the development of clean energy and invests in research and development, demonstrated by the new Clean Energy Fund. Canada aims to produce 14.3 terawatt hours (TWh) of new electricity from renewable energy sources. The electricity demand for Canada is expected to increase. In order to meet the demand, new capacities are expected to be added. Therefore, modernization of the transmission and distribution system will be required to accommodate new load, increase trade, deploy smart grid technology, and install smart meters for loss reduction and increase energy efficiency. This report gives detailed information on the Canadian power market and provides historical and forecast numbers for generation, capacity and consumption up to 2030. The research analyzes upcoming power projects, key import and export trends, regulatory frameworks and infrastructure for the market. This coupled with elaborate profiles of key market participants provides a comprehensive understanding of the market’s competitive scenario. Scope: Statistics for installed capacity, power generation and consumption from 2000 to 2010, forecast forward 19 years to 2030 Break-up by renewable technologies, thermal, nuclear and hydro Data on key current and upcoming projects Information on grid interconnectivity, distribution losses and power exports and imports Policy and regulatory framework governing the market, including a review of energy and renewable energy policies Detailed analysis of top market participant, including market share analysis and SWOT analysis for
Hydro-Qubec, Ontario Power Generation Inc., BC Hydro, TransAlta Corporation, Manitoba Hydro
Data sourced from proprietary databases and primary interviews with key participants across the value chain
Hydropower most dominant source of energy in Canada’s power mix
Hydropower most dominant source of energy in Canada
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/hydropower-most-dominant-source-of-energy-in-canada/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-hydro-screw-industry-gets-a-much-needed-boost/
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/rXljvM
Texas asks How to encourage more private-sector electricity power generation?
Texas encourage private-sector electricity power generation
http://pumpandgenerator.com/texas-encourage-private-sector-electricity-power-generation/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-screw-pumps-turbines-and-generators-gets-royal-approval/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-hydro-screw-industry-gets-a-much-needed-boost/
Amplify’d from dabasiah.posterous.com
Texas encourage private-sector electricity power generation
Texas asks How to encourage more private-sector electricity power generation?
Texas suffered one rolling blackout last winter and narrowly avoided another this summer.
The weather extremes might have exposed an Achilles’ heel to the Legislature’s decade-long embrace of a deregulated market approach to electricity generation: Investors are reluctant to invest in new power plants because they can’t make money despite rising demand that is testing the state’s electricity capacity.
Power generators are urging state officials to tweak the rules to raise wholesale prices, while consumers are arguing that they would face higher prices with no assurance that the new electricity generation would be built. They say let supply and demand work, but that butts heads in some instances with the overriding concern to keep the lights on.
Electricity customers for publicly owned generation, such as Austin Energy or electric cooperatives, would not be affected by jumps in wholesale prices in the deregulated markets that affect Houston, Dallas or parts of Williamson County, for example.
But all Central Texans have a stake in the debate because rolling blackouts — prompted by a shortage of electricity generation statewide — would be shared by the 23 million Texans served by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
“It is concerning that we could end up without adequate capacity,” Jackie Sargent, a vice president at Austin Energy, told a recent audience of industry figures. “Our customers will feel the pain even if Austin Energy has adequate resources.”
Today, the Public Utility Commission of Texas will meet and consider short-term responses even though the larger issue of encouraging construction of new electric power plants could take months, if not years, to play out.
The debate has simmered since August, when record temperatures and extreme drought almost prompted the need for rolling blackouts to keep the state’s largest power grid up and running. On a normal day, ERCOT has 5 to 10 percent operating reserves. In August, on its worst day, the reserves dipped to 3.8 percent, even with many industrial customers being paid to reduce their electricity consumption.
Brian Tulloh with TXU Energy, which buys power from electric generators to sell to consumers, said customers would not like a spike in wholesale prices or rolling blackouts.
“Blame will be painted with a broad brush,” Tulloh said at this month’s Gulf Coast Power Association conference.
Indeed, Gov. Rick Perry’s presidential competitors would cast any temporary power interruption as a blot on Perry’s claims to a Texas economic miracle, while Perry would blame clean air rules by the Environmental Protection Agency as the culprit for several of the state’s coal-fired generating units being idled.
Politics aside, the overarching issue is economics.
The collapse of natural gas prices, a fuel for generating electricity, impacts revenue that go to generators. During peak demand, wholesale electricity power prices can spike from $40 a megawatt to the cap of $3,000 per megawatt.
But generators say the spikes don’t last long enough to encourage the construction of “peakers,” which are gas-fired jet-engine generators that turn on in minutes but run only during the few hours of peak demand for electricity power.
A peaker can recoup its costs if it generates electricity at the $3,000 megawatt maximum for more than 60 hours each year, according to industry estimates. But it is rare for the price spikes to stay at the $3,000 maximum for more than a few minutes at a time.
And there is risk.
“If your plant is out in August, you may have missed the boat to recoup your investment for years,” said Karim Barbir with International Power GDF Suez, a worldwide generator of electricity.
Texas has a hybrid market for electricity power generation because of a political compromise by the Legislature.
Public electric power companies such as Austin Energy can still build a peaker or other new electric power generation and include the cost in its rates to its customers.
But in the larger deregulated areas around the state, ERCOT cannot order that more power plants be built. Rather, the council is relying on private companies, such as Luminant or NRG Energy Inc. , to invest in new plants when rising demand for electricity — and higher prices — justify the investments.
The state’s independent market monitor, Potomac Economics, said the deregulated market is working competitively now but warned of possible shortages beginning in 2014. The report blamed low natural gas prices, which hold down revenues, as well as ERCOT’s suppression of wholesale prices during emergencies, such as last summer’s record demand for electricity.
Texas encourage private-sector electricity power generation
http://pumpandgenerator.com/texas-encourage-private-sector-electricity-power-generation/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-hydro-screw-industry-gets-a-much-needed-boost/
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/rAJIeI
Rwanda Govt Leases Out Several Small Hydro Power Project
Rwanda Govt Leases Out Several Small Hydro Power Project
Govt Leases Out Rukarara Hydro Project
The New Times (Kigali)
October 21, 2011
The Rwanda cabinet has approved the lease of Rukarara Small Hydro Power Project to a local firm Digitech Solutions as part of the government’s plan to involve the private sector in energy generation.
The company will run the small hydropower plant located in Nyamagabe District, Southern Province, of Rwanda at a cost of US$23.5m.
The plant, which started operating at the beginning of this year, supplies 6 Mw of power to the national electricity grid.
According to the Minister of Finance, John Rwangombwa, the government made the decision to lease out the project as a way of involving the private sector in the strategic plan to generate 1,000Mw over the next seven years.
“The lease of Rukarara is a strategic decision. We have more hydro power plants which we want to lease out because we believe the private businesses have an upper hand in maintaining projects like this and making them more profitable than the state.
“We thought that a private company would run the plant more efficiently than the government, but the most important thing is that Digitech is a local firm which has a long term vision to generate about 255Mw (of power) over the next seven years,” Rwangombwa said.
He added that the government does not have enough resources to produce the targeted 1,000Mw hence encouraging local and international private firms to invest in the energy sector.
Rwangombwa also mentioned that as a new company with a keen investment plan, government wanted to kick-start Digitech by leasing to it the plant as a starting point towards investing in the energy project. He said the company would generate and sell power to the government.
He further noted that the lease would ensure that the plant is well managed and efficiently run.
Among other things, Rwangombwa said that the government, through the Ministry of Infrastructure, is sourcing out for more investors in micro-hydro projects.
Speaking to The New Times, the Chief Executive of Digitech Solutions Andrew Nyamvumba said that the firm is finalising negotiations for a 40-year lease with a possibility of completely buying it out from the government in 15 years.
“We are still negotiating specific purchase terms, but our plan is to invest an initial US$ 9 million to upgrade the plant which among other things will include connecting it to the national grid.
“Then we will be paying the government a lease fee of US$1.66m annually for 40 years with an option of buying out the government after 15 years, much as we would wish to acquire it in less than 15 years,” Nyamvumba stated.
He added that the energy produced by Rukarara is distributed on medium voltage, supplying only the Southern Province. Nyamvumba said the firm would work with the Energy, Water and Sanitation Authority (EWSA) to connect the plant to the national grid.
Currently, the power generated from the plant is connected through a newly constructed eight kilometre single circuit 30 KV transmission line directly to an existing Medium Voltage line to the national network.
The plant, which boasts of three turbines, was under the management of Beijing Forever Technology Development Co. Ltd until July 2009 and was later handed to AECOM (formerly RSW International) from Canada from December 2009.
The project is one of the several micro-hydro projects started by the government to boost energy supply.
Others include Nyabarongo Hydro Electric Project which is currently under construction with a targeted output of 28 Mw.
It is expected to generate power by February 2013. Feasibility studies for Rusizi III HEP shared among Rwanda, DRC and Burundi, are complete. It is expected to be complete in 2016 with a capacity to produce 145 MW of power.
Rusumo expected to produce 61 MW, shared among Burundi, Tanzania and Rwanda, will be completed in 2015. A feasibility study has already been finalised.
Rwanda Govt Leases Out Several Small Hydro Power Project
http://pumpandgenerator.com/rwanda-govt-leases-out-several-small-hydro-power-project/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-hydro-screw-industry-gets-a-much-needed-boost/
Monday 28 November 2011
Rwanda Govt Leases Out Several Small Hydro Power Project
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Texas encourage private-sector electricity power generation
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Texas encourage private-sector electricity power generation
Texas encourage private-sector electricity power generation
Texas asks How to encourage more private-sector electricity power generation?
Texas suffered one rolling blackout last winter and narrowly avoided another this summer.
The weather extremes might have exposed an Achilles’ heel to the Legislature’s decade-long embrace of a deregulated market approach to electricity generation: Investors are reluctant to invest in new power plants because they can’t make money despite rising demand that is testing the state’s electricity capacity.
Power generators are urging state officials to tweak the rules to raise wholesale prices, while consumers are arguing that they would face higher prices with no assurance that the new electricity generation would be built. They say let supply and demand work, but that butts heads in some instances with the overriding concern to keep the lights on.
Electricity customers for publicly owned generation, such as Austin Energy or electric cooperatives, would not be affected by jumps in wholesale prices in the deregulated markets that affect Houston, Dallas or parts of Williamson County, for example.
But all Central Texans have a stake in the debate because rolling blackouts — prompted by a shortage of electricity generation statewide — would be shared by the 23 million Texans served by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
“It is concerning that we could end up without adequate capacity,” Jackie Sargent, a vice president at Austin Energy, told a recent audience of industry figures. “Our customers will feel the pain even if Austin Energy has adequate resources.”
Today, the Public Utility Commission of Texas will meet and consider short-term responses even though the larger issue of encouraging construction of new electric power plants could take months, if not years, to play out.
The debate has simmered since August, when record temperatures and extreme drought almost prompted the need for rolling blackouts to keep the state’s largest power grid up and running. On a normal day, ERCOT has 5 to 10 percent operating reserves. In August, on its worst day, the reserves dipped to 3.8 percent, even with many industrial customers being paid to reduce their electricity consumption.
Brian Tulloh with TXU Energy, which buys power from electric generators to sell to consumers, said customers would not like a spike in wholesale prices or rolling blackouts.
“Blame will be painted with a broad brush,” Tulloh said at this month’s Gulf Coast Power Association conference.
Indeed, Gov. Rick Perry’s presidential competitors would cast any temporary power interruption as a blot on Perry’s claims to a Texas economic miracle, while Perry would blame clean air rules by the Environmental Protection Agency as the culprit for several of the state’s coal-fired generating units being idled.
Politics aside, the overarching issue is economics.
The collapse of natural gas prices, a fuel for generating electricity, impacts revenue that go to generators. During peak demand, wholesale electricity power prices can spike from $40 a megawatt to the cap of $3,000 per megawatt.
But generators say the spikes don’t last long enough to encourage the construction of “peakers,” which are gas-fired jet-engine generators that turn on in minutes but run only during the few hours of peak demand for electricity power.
A peaker can recoup its costs if it generates electricity at the $3,000 megawatt maximum for more than 60 hours each year, according to industry estimates. But it is rare for the price spikes to stay at the $3,000 maximum for more than a few minutes at a time.
And there is risk.
“If your plant is out in August, you may have missed the boat to recoup your investment for years,” said Karim Barbir with International Power GDF Suez, a worldwide generator of electricity.
Texas has a hybrid market for electricity power generation because of a political compromise by the Legislature.
Public electric power companies such as Austin Energy can still build a peaker or other new electric power generation and include the cost in its rates to its customers.
But in the larger deregulated areas around the state, ERCOT cannot order that more power plants be built. Rather, the council is relying on private companies, such as Luminant or NRG Energy Inc. , to invest in new plants when rising demand for electricity — and higher prices — justify the investments.
The state’s independent market monitor, Potomac Economics, said the deregulated market is working competitively now but warned of possible shortages beginning in 2014. The report blamed low natural gas prices, which hold down revenues, as well as ERCOT’s suppression of wholesale prices during emergencies, such as last summer’s record demand for electricity.
Texas encourage private-sector electricity power generation
Hydro power most dominant source of energy in Canada’s power mix
Hydropower most dominant source of energy in Canada’s power mix
Canada Power Market Outlook to 2030
Research and Markets has announced the addition of GlobalData’s new report “Canada Power Market Outlook to 2030 -Market Trends, Regulation and Competitive Landscape” to their offering.
“Canada Power Market Outlook to 2030 -Market Trends, Regulation and Competitive Landscape”
Canada’s economy has witnessed increasing growth in demand since 1990. Population growth, increasing use of electrical appliances, growth of the economy and weather patterns are some of the contributing factors to this increase. Both consumption and generation have increased in the country during the period 2000-2010.
Hydropower is the most dominant source of energy in the country. Canada’s power
market is subject to the ups and downs of the economy and the downturn in the economy in 2009 led to a considerable decrease in power generation in the country. The Canadian government supports the development of clean energy and invests in research and development, demonstrated by the new Clean Energy Fund. Canada aims to produce 14.3 terawatt hours (TWh) of new electricity from renewable energy sources. The electricity demand for Canada is expected to increase. In order to meet the demand, new capacities are expected to be added. Therefore, modernization of the transmission and distribution system will be required to accommodate new load, increase trade, deploy smart grid technology, and install smart meters for loss reduction and increase energy efficiency. This report gives detailed information on the Canadian power market and provides historical and forecast numbers for generation, capacity and consumption up to 2030. The research analyzes upcoming power projects, key import and export trends, regulatory frameworks and infrastructure for the market. This coupled with elaborate profiles of key market participants provides a comprehensive understanding of the market’s competitive scenario. Scope: Statistics for installed capacity, power generation and consumption from 2000 to 2010, forecast forward 19 years to 2030 Break-up by renewable technologies, thermal, nuclear and hydro Data on key current and upcoming projects Information on grid interconnectivity, distribution losses and power exports and imports Policy and regulatory framework governing the market, including a review of energy and renewable energy policies Detailed analysis of top market participant, including market share analysis and SWOT analysis for
Hydro-Qubec, Ontario Power Generation Inc., BC Hydro, TransAlta Corporation, Manitoba Hydro
Data sourced from proprietary databases and primary interviews with key participants across the value chain
Hydropower most dominant source of energy in Canada’s power mix
Hydropower most dominant source of energy in Canada
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/hydropower-most-dominant-source-of-energy-in-canada/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-hydro-screw-industry-gets-a-much-needed-boost/
Albania gets EBRD finances for two small hydropower plants
Albania gets EBRD finances for two small hydropower plants
EBRD finances two small hydro power plants in Albania
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/albania-gets-ebrd-finances-for-two-small-hydropower-plants/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-screw-pumps-turbines-and-generators-gets-royal-approval/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-hydro-screw-industry-gets-a-much-needed-boost/
Amplify’d from dabasiah.posterous.com
Albania gets EBRD finances for two small hydropower plants
EBRD finances two small hydro power plants in Albania
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a EUR3m loan to Energy Partners to finance the construction of two small hydropower plants in north-eastern part of Albania.
The hydropower plants – Cerruje 1 and Cerruje 2 – will be built by the company on the Benji River and will have a combined capacity of 5.1MW.
The facilities are expected to generate up to 14.7GWh of electricity per year and avoid over 9,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
These power plants are part of Energy Partners’ plan to develop five small hydropower units on the Benji river.
The EBRD financing is extended under the bank’s Western Balkans Sustainable Energy Direct Financing Facility.
Albania gets EBRD finances for two small hydropower plants
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/albania-gets-ebrd-finances-for-two-small-hydropower-plants/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-screw-pumps-turbines-and-generators-gets-royal-approval/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-hydro-screw-industry-gets-a-much-needed-boost/
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/uiKI2e
Hydropower most dominant source of energy in Canada’s power mix
Hydropower most dominant source of energy in Canada
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Hydropower most dominant source of energy in Canada
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Albania gets EBRD finances for two small hydropower plants
EBRD finances two small hydro power plants in Albania
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EBRD finances two small hydro power plants in Albania
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Albania gets EBRD finances for two small hydropower plants
Albania gets EBRD finances for two small hydropower plants
EBRD finances two small hydro power plants in Albania
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a EUR3m loan to Energy Partners to finance the construction of two small hydropower plants in north-eastern part of Albania.
The hydropower plants – Cerruje 1 and Cerruje 2 – will be built by the company on the Benji River and will have a combined capacity of 5.1MW.
The facilities are expected to generate up to 14.7GWh of electricity per year and avoid over 9,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
These power plants are part of Energy Partners’ plan to develop five small hydropower units on the Benji river.
The EBRD financing is extended under the bank’s Western Balkans Sustainable Energy Direct Financing Facility.
Albania gets EBRD finances for two small hydropower plants
Sunday 27 November 2011
EU hydropower only at half of its growth potential
EU hydropower only at half of its growth potential: Eurelectric
Hydropower in the EU has only reached half of its maximum potential growth, according to a new report by European power industry associationEurelectric.
“More than 50% of technological hydropower capacity can still be deployed in the EU,” said Ghislain Weisrock, public affairs officer at France’s GDF Suez, as he presented the report at a Eurelectric conference in Brussels Monday.
Weisrock, who is also a member of Eurelectric’s hydropower working group, said thatadditional hydropower output of up to 276 TWh/year is still technically feasible in the EU.
If Croatia, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey are included this jumps to 600 TWh/year, Weisrock said.
“Hydropower in the EU accounts for 69% of total renewable energy output,
making it one of the most important electricity sources in Europe,” Weisrock said, citing 2008 figures from the International Energy Agency.
The EU needs still more peaking capacity because of the rapid growth in intermittent wind and solar power production. “Hydropower provides the flexibility to stabilize electricity systems,” he said.
Hydropower faces many socio-economic challenges such as the impact of the EU water frameworkdirective
and also gaining public approval for new sites. But Weisrock said it remains the most attractive of the renewables, not just because it is a more mature technology but also because of its storage capability and cost.
Hydropower is the cheaper renewable energy power in most cases,
even than wind, but it needs long-term investment. Challenges for hydropower include the development of additional potential, the optimization of existing plants and the use of pumped storage facilities,” he said.
The EU’s water framework directive has had a large impact on hydropower — most of hydro’s potential to be developed is affected by ‘No-Go’ areas under the directive.
In its report Eurelectric also rejected attempts by transmission system operators to claim ownership of pumped storage plants, which are useful for balancing power grids. “Any rebundling attempt — as for instance has been the case in Spain or Italy — should be rejected; there is no legal ground or any justification for such a request,” the report said.
“TSOs have to dispatch — they don’t have to compete with generators. It creates distortions in the market when they are both buyers and sellers,” an Italian industry source told Platts.
According to European Commission data there will be an
8-9 TWh overall fall in total hydropower production by 2020, equal to 2.3-2.6% of total hydropower.
This is because of environmental limits required by the EU water framework directive, Oyvind Vessia, policy officer in the renewable unit of the EC’s energy department, told the conference. –Jane Morecroft, newsdesk@platts.com
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/eu-hydropower-only-at-half-of-its-growth-potential/ EU hydropower only at half of its growth potential
Hydro power offers Ways to power up India
Hydro power offers Ways to power up India’s future
By Arun Nigavekar Sep 27 2011
Tags: Op-ed
For emerging economies, or for that matter even for the stable and rich economies, progress is linked with enough supply of power. Today, hydropower, thermal power and nuclear power, in a mixed manner, are the major sources of energy globally. India has a power generation capacity of 135,006 mw at present, which is not sufficient for the second fastest growing economy in the world. Power shortages have been identified as a key infrastructure bottleneck.
Consider hydropower generation.
India is a peninsula containing so many rivers and water bodies. But, hydropower is mostly generated in south India because the Indo-Gangetic plain is a flat terrain, not very conducive for setting up the hydropower plants. In south India, it’s possible but rainfall in that region is seasonal and also rivers are non-perennial. The monsoons between June and September account for nearly 80 per cent of annual rainfall over the country and are vital for the economy, being the main source of water for agriculture and hydropower generation across the country.Nuclear power plants, said to be “the future of power” are good in some ways. But, there are various problems like non-availability of uranium, topography selection and environmental hazards, among others. If our plans for growth of nuclear power translate into action quickly because of the nation’s recent deals with nuclear energy rich nations like the US, UK, France and Russia, it would boost our power generation capacity.
Then, if we move our attention towards wind power, it is costly and seasonal winds also affect the performance in a huge manner. Solar power is a less developed option and has huge apparatus cost as well as cost of erection; also the success rate is very low. As of today, it is hydropower that is the major source of power generation. Hydropower projects based in south India account for 30 per cent or 11,400 mw of the country’s installed capacity of 38,000 mw of this power source. To make matters worse, of the country’s total installed capacity of 147,000 mw, only around 85,000 mw is operational at any given point of time. India’s track record in adding power generating capacity is poor: in the past five years the country has added 20,950 MW of capacity, against a target of 41,110 mw. The limited addition of new power producing capacity, fall in hydropower generation in south India and higher demand for electricity in summer have already resulted in a severe power shortage across the country. India plans to add 78,577 mw by 2012, but according to government’s own sources, it could miss this target by up to 60 per cent because of shortage of equipment and contractors, delays in technology alliances, lack of funds and natural calamities such as floods, among others.
The Indian electricity sector faces many other problems in trying to meet the ever-increasing demand-supply gap. Energy losses in India’s transmission and distribution sector exceed 30 per cent, which is one of the highest in the world. India’s power ministry estimates that about half of the electricity in the country is billed. The financial impact of technical and commercial losses has been estimated at 1.5 per cent of GDP. Upgrading out-of-date transmission and distribution systems coupled with the need to reduce electricity losses and theft is driving the deployment of smart grid technologies in India. The methods to address these concerns demand substantial investments in advanced metering to reduce AT&C (aggregate technical and commercial) losses, in automation to measure and control the flow of power to/from consumers on a near real-time basis and in improvement of the system reliability and moving to a smart grid to manage loads, congestion and shortfall in an intelligent manner.
The other concern is about getting trained manpower for operating the smart grid technologies, systems and related software. Our electrical engineering programmes do not cover these new facets of power management. The power industry in India is expected to undergo a paradigm change, fuelled by legislative and regulatory activities. It would require power instrumentation engineers that would design and produce these new equipments.
The real challenge in the power sector in India lies in managing the upgrading of the transmission, distribution and metering sector efficiently and creating manpower to handle these challenges. In response to these challenges, it is heartening to note that the ministry of power has set up the India Smart Grid Forum as a public-private partnership, bringing in utilities, industry and academia.
Indeed in future, distribution and managing of power is going to be a big business; a real challenge for the private sector, which desires to be in power industry and academic institutions to completely overhaul the curriculum and delivery of education in electrical and instrumentation engineering.
It is estimated that the global market potential for smart grid equipment manufacturers and solution providers will be between $15 billion and $31 billion annually by 2014, with the value split among three main business segments — customer applications; advanced metering infrastructure/smart meters and grid applications. India can certainly take a lead in this domain as it would enrich the economy and create new job opportunities.
(The writer is a former chairman of UGC and former VC of University of Pune)
Hydro power offers Ways to power up India
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/hydro-power-offers-ways-to-power-up-india/
Romney Weir Archimedean Screw hydro turbines
Romney weir is turning the screw on CO2. Two Archimedean Screw hydro turbines, rated at 150kW each
and designed by Mann Power Consulting Ltd.,are to be installed on the weir to generate clean, green electricity that will be used locally. With a total capacity of 300kW this will be one of the
largest Archimedean Screw hydro schemes installed to date in the UK and Ireland.
The largest single screw was recently installed at Shane’s Castle in Northern Ireland, rated at 214kW it is the largest ever manufactured Archimedean Screw hydro generator and was designed and supplied by Mann Power .
Romney Weir ‘A’ is in Windsor.
The weir was built in the 1960s and is used to control water levels between Old Windsor lock and Boveney lock.
The Romney Weir hydro scheme will utilize just two of the ten existing weir bays and have little effect on current weir operations.
Weirs were originally built to control water levels for navigation and flood risk purposes but can now take advantage of new technology to provide energy.
The project, which was granted planning permission in August 2008, will consist of two four meter diameter Archimedes screw type turbines occupying two bays in the Romney Weir and will generate 300 kilowatts per hour at peak times, enough to power 600 households.
It is estimated the turbines will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 790,000 kilos per year. This clean, green electricity will be used to power Windsor Castle.
Mann Power Consulting Ltd., the UK based Archimedean Screw specialists designed the equipment for the Romney Weir project. After various consultations it was decided that the most suitable turbine for the site was an Archimedean Screw.
The two 150kW Archimedean Screw turbines arrived on site in the early hours of Wednesday 7th September.
It is expected that the turbines will be installed and commissioned in the coming weeks.
Two 150kW Archimedean Screw turbines in the compound awaiting installation
The two turbines in the compound awaiting installation
The Archimedean Screw turbine provides a fish-friendly alternative to conventional turbines, ideally suited to low-head (1m-10m) sites, and sites with fish protection issues.
Extensive fish passage tests have conclusively demonstrated that the large water chambers and slow rotation of the Archimedean Screw allow fish of all sizes, and debris, safe passage through the turbine. As a result, the Environment Agency has agreed that no screening is required. Literally thousands of fish passages have been monitored and recorded using underwater cameras at the intake, inside the chamber of the Screw itself and at the outflow to assess the effect of the Screw on salmonids (including smolts and kelts), brown trout and eels. The trials looked at fish passage across a broad spectrum of sizes and turbine speeds, possibly the most impressive of which was the safe passage of a kelt measuring 98cm in length and weighing 7.6kg. In addition, behavioural and migrational patterns across the species have been shown to be entirely unaffected by the turbine.
Dave Mann commissioned the fish passage studies instrumental in persuading the Environment Agency to accept the technology. Mann Power have a proven track record of successful installation throughout the UK and Ireland. One of the first challenges presented to Mann Power when Dave Mann set up the consultancy firm in 2003 was to find a hydropower solution for a community project in North Yorkshire, situated in a low head site within a Site of Special Scientific Interest with particular stipulations for the protection of an endangered fish species. The result of extensive research into possible solutions culminated in the introduction of the Archimedean Screw turbine – already widely used in continental Europe – for the first time into the UK, and Mann Power have been at the forefront of supplying this equipment for hydro generation projects since 2004. Mann Power now supplies this equipment throughout the UK and Ireland, as well as providing expert consultancy services.
Dave Mann, a member of the British Hydropower Association Council, has been instrumental in the design, installation and commissioning of all but a few of all Archimedean screw power generation sites in the UK and Ireland to date with over twenty schemes fully operational and a further forty or so at various stages of development. Mann Power have commissioned several independent studies to verify the Archimedean Screw’s fish-friendly credentials and also its efficiency. Mann Power is established within the national hydropower industry as a leader in the field of designing bespoke hydro-generation installations, specializing in low head and ‘difficult’ sites which previously may have been considered unsuitable for such applications.
Eco Evolution are appointed agents in Ireland of Mann Power Consulting Ltd (UK) who specialize in the Archimedean Screw hydro turbine. We also design modern water wheels for electricity generation.
All photographs courtesy of Mann Power Consulting Ltd.
Romney Weir Archimedean Screw hydro turbines
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedean-screw-hydro-turbines/
DOE funds hydropower technology including Archimedes hydro screw
DOE funds 16 projects to advance hydropower technology including Archimedes hydro screw |
| Washington, D.C., September 7, 2011 — U.S. Department Energy Secretary Steven Chu and U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced nearly $17 million in funding over the next three years for research and development projects to advance hydropower technology.
The list of 16 projects in 11 different states can be found below:
Earth by Design, Bend, Oregon, $1,500,000 — This project will develop and test a new low-head modular hydropower technology in a canal in Oregon’s North Unit Irrigation District to produce cost-competitive electricity.
Hydro Green Energy, Houston, Texas, $1,500,000 — This project will develop, install and evaluate new low-head modular hydropower turbines at a constructed waterway in Austin, Texas.
Percheron Power, Kennewick, Washington, $1,495,427 jointly funded by DOE and DOI — This project will install the nation’s first Archimedes Hydrodynamic Screw hydropower system in Washington’s Potholes East Canal for evaluation. The system may eventually be deployed at low-head sites throughout the Columbia Basin Project and in other man-made waterways.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Sacramento, California, $1,494,750 — This project will develop a new small powerhouse to use the increased minimum flows at Slab Creek reservoir, using a novel approach to siting. The project will show how two smaller units can generate more electricity than one larger unit.
Hydro Green Energy, Houston, Texas, $300,000 — This project will design, build, test and validate a stackable, modular low-head hydropower turbine that can be used for water projects such as existing locks and dams that aren’t currently equipped to produce hydropower.
Near Space Systems, Colorado Springs, Colorado, $300,000 — This project will develop modular designs for new hydropower turbines to harness energy from outlet pipes, incorporating a novel generator design.
Natel Energy, Alameda, California, $300,000 — This project will develop and evaluate a new type of powertrain for the Schneider Linear hydroEngine, which is expected to decrease the cost of energy for low-head hydropower projects.
New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, $299,312 — This project will design, build, test and validate two prototype devices that will harvest the maximum amount of energy from low-head dams and drops in the waterway.
Walker Wellington, Kittery, Maine, $93,000 — This project will validate the design of a direct-drive, modular turbine-generator for manmade water structures with various head and flow conditions. The project will support commercialization of the generator.
Weisenberger Mills, Midway, Kentucky, $56,000 — This project will evaluate variable speed, permanent magnet generators for small low-head hydropower. The new technology could increase efficiency, allowing generators to obtain more energy from the same amount of water.
Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Sacramento, California, $4,961,138 — This project will reduce risk and subsequent costs by conducting geotechnical investigations of the mountain where the Iowa Hill Pumped Storage project’s water conveyance and powerhouse will be located, and by analyzing the value of energy and ancillary services it will provide.
Both tasks are critical in reducing financial uncertainty of the 400 MW pumped storage project that will support integration of variable renewable energy resources such as wind and solar in California.
Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois, $1,875,000 — This project will model, simulate and analyze operations of an advanced pumped storage hydropower facility in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council. The project will provide a comprehensive study of the technical and market operations, economics, and contribution to power system stability of pumped storage hydropower.
Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, California/Brookfield, New York, $1,500,000 — This project will deploy and test the fish-friendly Alden Turbine in New York to generate electricity while allowing safe fish passage. The project proposes a three-year installation and test plan to verify model test data and fish survival predictions.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington, $299,906 — This project will re-design the Sensor Fish, a data collection device that measures movement, acceleration, rotation, and pressure changes on the device as it passes through a hydropower turbine, providing more accurate information on the forces that a fish may encounter.
The new device, which is expected to be smaller and cheaper than previous devices, could be deployed through a wide range of model and prototype turbine testing, allowing for improved designs safer for fish passage.
Regents of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, $250,000 — This project will develop a modeling tool to advance the development and implementation of aerating turbines at hydropower facilities to improve water quality. The project will combine a physical test bed with new analytical models for investigating how hydropower turbine blade shape and operation affect oxygen transfer and aeration.
Natel Energy, Alameda, California/Madras, Oregon, $746,042 jointly funded by DOE and DOI — This project will deploy and test a scaled-up version of the modular Schneider Linear hydroEngine at a Bureau of Reclamation facility in Oregon, validating the commercial performance and economic feasibility of the device in low-head constructed waterway.
DOE funds hydropower technology including Archimedes hydro screw http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/hydropower-technology-including-archimedes-hydro-screw/ |
Hydropower generation to boost US economy and create jobs
Hydropower generation to boost US economy and create jobs
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/hydropower-generation-to-boost-us-economy-and-create-jobs/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-screw-pumps-turbines-and-generators-gets-royal-approval/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-hydro-screw-industry-gets-a-much-needed-boost/
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Hydropower generation to boost US economy and create jobs
Senate urged to include new commitment to hydro in jobs legislation
22 September 2011
Hydropower companies in the US have urged President Obama and Senate leaders to promote expanded
hydropower generation in legislation designed to boost the economy and create jobs.
In a statement released yesterday, Kevin Frank, President and CEO of Voith Hydro, and Marc Gerken, President and CEO of American Municipal Power (AMP), have called for the passage of the Hydropower Improvement Act, which has already passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with strong bipartisan support.
“Hydropower is our nation’s most efficient form of energy generation and has tremendous job-growth potential,” Frank said.
“The Hydropower Improvement Act would go a long way to help us meet hydropower’s potential
by streamlining the regulatory process and improving research and development at the Department of Energy. In the process, we will create good-paying jobs across the country. I urge President Obama and the Senate to pass this legislation as quickly as possible.”
Sponsored by Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK), the Hydropower Improvement Act would provide regulatory improvements to support project development by encouraging a more efficient licensing process for non-powered dams and closed-loop pumped storage projects and better interagency coordination for small hydro projects. The bill would also create a grant program to support efficiency improvements and capacity additions at existing hydropower facilities and require the Department of Energy to create a research and development program for the purposes of increasing the US’ use of hydropower, among other provisions.
“AMP is undertaking the largest development of new run-of-the-river hydropower in the country,
with four projects under construction on the Ohio River,” Gerken said. “These projects are bringing much needed jobs and investment
We consider hydropower the highest value renewable energy resource due to its day-ahead forecasting benefits and availability factor, which is 2 to 3 times that of wind or solar.
Improving the efficiency of the permitting processes, as called for in the Hydropower Improvement Act, will encourage more job creation and greater project economics for both AMP and the hydropower industry at large.”
Letters of support for the Hydropower Improvement Act were sent to the White House and Majority and Minority Leaders Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell.
Recently, Voith Hydro partnered with AMP to build four hydropower generators along the Ohio River. Each project will create 200-400 new construction jobs. As a result of these projects and others, Voith Hydro was able to create 126 new jobs in the last three years, during a time in which many companies were forced to downsize.
Hydropower is available in every part of the US, employing approximately 300,000 workers nationwide and providing 30M US households with clean energy. Though hydropower currently accounts for over 7% of the US’ entire energy portfolio, and approximately 65% of its renewable energy generation, there is still more potential.
Currently, only 3% of the over 80,000 dams in the US produce power. A 2009 study found that with the right policies in place, the country can create 1.4 million cumulative jobs by 2025 by maximizing these non-powered dams and existing hydropower infrastructure and developing pumped storage and new marine and hydrokinetic technologies. In the process, 60,000MW of electricity could be added to the nation’s electric grid.
International Water Power and Dam Construction ©2011
Published by Global Trade Media, a trading division of Progressive Media Group Ltd.
Hydropower generation to boost US economy and create jobs
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/hydropower-generation-to-boost-us-economy-and-create-jobs/
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/u94ztX
EU hydropower only at half of its growth potential
EU hydropower only at half of its growth potential
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/eu-hydropower-only-at-half-of-its-growth-potential/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-screw-pumps-turbines-and-generators-gets-royal-approval/
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/archimedes-hydro-screw-industry-gets-a-much-needed-boost/
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EU hydropower only at half of its growth potential: Eurelectric
Hydropower in the EU has only reached half of its maximum potential growth, according to a new report by European power industry associationEurelectric.
“More than 50% of technological hydropower capacity can still be deployed in the EU,” said Ghislain Weisrock, public affairs officer at France’s GDF Suez, as he presented the report at a Eurelectric conference in Brussels Monday.
Weisrock, who is also a member of Eurelectric’s hydropower working group, said thatadditional hydropower output of up to 276 TWh/year is still technically feasible in the EU.
If Croatia, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey are included this jumps to 600 TWh/year, Weisrock said.
“Hydropower in the EU accounts for 69% of total renewable energy output,
making it one of the most important electricity sources in Europe,” Weisrock said, citing 2008 figures from the International Energy Agency.
The EU needs still more peaking capacity because of the rapid growth in intermittent wind and solar power production. “Hydropower provides the flexibility to stabilize electricity systems,” he said.
Hydropower faces many socio-economic challenges such as the impact of the EU water frameworkdirective
and also gaining public approval for new sites. But Weisrock said it remains the most attractive of the renewables, not just because it is a more mature technology but also because of its storage capability and cost.
Hydropower is the cheaper renewable energy power in most cases,
even than wind, but it needs long-term investment. Challenges for hydropower include the development of additional potential, the optimization of existing plants and the use of pumped storage facilities,” he said.
The EU’s water framework directive has had a large impact on hydropower — most of hydro’s potential to be developed is affected by ‘No-Go’ areas under the directive.
In its report Eurelectric also rejected attempts by transmission system operators to claim ownership of pumped storage plants, which are useful for balancing power grids. “Any rebundling attempt — as for instance has been the case in Spain or Italy — should be rejected; there is no legal ground or any justification for such a request,” the report said.
“TSOs have to dispatch — they don’t have to compete with generators. It creates distortions in the market when they are both buyers and sellers,” an Italian industry source told Platts.
According to European Commission data there will be an
8-9 TWh overall fall in total hydropower production by 2020, equal to 2.3-2.6% of total hydropower.
This is because of environmental limits required by the EU water framework directive, Oyvind Vessia, policy officer in the renewable unit of the EC’s energy department, told the conference. –Jane Morecroft, newsdesk@platts.com
EU hydropower only at half of its growth potential
http://www.archimedeshydroscrew.com/eu-hydropower-only-at-half-of-its-growth-potential/
See this Amp at http://bit.ly/vZmQus
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