Multipurpose scheme n°10 Existing infrastructure
Irrigation network and tourist area
Power plant name
Rino
Location
Rino di Sonico (Brescia) – “Parco dell’Adamello”, Italy
Commissioning year
1996
Multipurpose scheme definition
The primary function of this multipurpose scheme is irrigation, while the second is to produce electricity from the irrigation discharges, while creating a recreation area.
Site description
The multipurpose use of water in an Alpine Park (hydroelectric production, tourist attraction and irrigation) makes the Rino hydroelectric plant an interesting example of how to balance the exploitation of natural resources with considerable environmental constraints. The small basin permits transfer part of the daily production from the offpeak hours to the peak ones. This has been designed to be an attractive place for the tourist activities (angling, picnic, recreation). The plant was designed to exploit the variation of water levels in the basin, which is kept between precise limits in July and August so that it can be utilised for angling. Two horizontal-axis Pelton turbines are used. The tourist use of the basin has been improved by the construction of a recreation area nearby (wood, picnic sites, fountains, toilets block). The tail race of the hydroelectric plant supplies screened de-silted and regulated water to a sprinkler irrigation plant.
Recreation area around the basin
The penstock
A view of the power station
The inside of the power station with 2 Pelton turbines
Comments
The success of this project, being in a park environment, shows that carefully designed small hydro development is compatible with sensitive management of the environment and with other enterprises (such as agriculture and tourism). The aim of the project was not only to respect these activities but, when possible, to enhance them.
Nominal discharge
0,780 m3/s (average)
Gross head
446 m
Electrical output
2,800 kW
Electrical production
14,000,000 kWh/year, or the electricity consumption of circa 3,110 European households
Investment
3,945,000 € (in 1996)
Involved enterprises
Studio Frosio (IT): project engineering, Voith Siemens Hydro (DE): manufacturer
Operator
Franzoni Filati S.P.A (IT)
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