zek HYDRO 2018

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zek HYDRO 2018

2018 INTERNATIONAL HYDRO

FUTURE TECHNOLOGY

HYDRO HYDRO

YOUR GLOBAL PARTNE R FOR HYDRO SOLUTIONS “FROM WATER-TO-WIRE“ Hacking as a threat to hydro power plants Chilean plant relies on Austrian know-how Japanese small hydro power plant on the grid Hydro power enables grid stabilisation in Bhutan customer’s needs and requirements.

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for new, turnkey hydropower plants of all sizes to the refurbishing and overhaul of existing installations to comprehensive automation solutions.

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Morocco turns to HP for more energy independence photo credits: GLOBAL Hydro Energy

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HYDRO

GOOD REASONS FOR HOLDING ON TO HYDROPOWER

W

ind and solar energy – good; hydropower – excellent: that is the upshot of a report presented by researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, who conducted the first-ever standardised comparative study of Switzerland’s major energy production methods in terms of their energy balance. The energy production methods covered by the study included natural gas, geothermal energy, nuclear power, photovoltaics, hard coal, wind energy, and hydropower. Factored into the analyses are the yield factor and the cumulated, non-renewable aggregate demand – i.e., the share required for energy production and for the construction and disposal of the facility. The latter reflects the ratio of energy generated to energy invested over the entire life cycle of a facility. Both parameters taken together enable profound conclusions concerning the total energy balance of the respective methods. One interesting result is the fact that wind energy and photovoltaics have shown an increase in performance in recent years. Thanks to their growing prevalence and the corresponding learning curve, the total energy balance of both of these renewable forms energy has risen significantly. Photovoltaics, for example, did not start out too strongly, but has come a long way since 2008 and is now outperforming natural gas fired power plants. Where fossil and nuclear are concerned, their fuel source brings down the parameter for non-renewable aggregate energy demand. Not surprisingly, these forms of energy come off worse with respect to their total energy balance. Among these forms of energy, nuclear has the highest yield factor, followed by hard coal-fired power stations.

Overall, however, both of them rank far behind wind power. That said, the one form of energy the Swiss researchers found to be outstanding in terms of total energy balance is hydropower. It clearly outdid all the others in the study, with run-of-river facilities ranking above storage power plants. This is because they were shown to have the lowest non-renewable aggregate energy demand and by far the highest yield factor.

But that is not all. In another part of their study, the Swiss scientists took a closer look at common ways of storing power. Their main focus was the so-called ESOI index, short for “Energy Stored on [Energy] Invested”. This indicates the ratio of lifetime energy stored to energy invested on producing the storage medium. Lead-acid batteries did particularly poorly in this category, with a measured ESOI factor of only 1. This means they only store as much energy over their life cycle as is invested on their production. On average, the ESOI of lithium-ion batteries is better by a factor of 7 and can be raised to values as high as 23 with the latest power-to-gas methods. With an ESOI of 186, however, hydropower takes the pole position in terms of energy storage technology. So once again, hydropower is far ahead of its competitors. Now, what are we to conclude from this study? It’s obvious: countries with a high share of hydropower in their energy mix have good reasons to feel reassured about their confidence in hydropower. As such, they should not belittle or over-economise on hydropower, but make sure they hold on to and expand this essential pillar of their energy supply. Viewed from an European perspective, the goal must be to give full support to the none-too-strong hydropower lobby on an EU level. Hydropower with its storage technology has a lot to offer, especially with respect to future scenarios based on latest plans to promote intelligently self-regulated, small-sized power grids throughout Europe over the next 12 to 15 years. In view of the growing share of wind and solar energy within the grid, hydropower will continue to play a major role as a regulating factor. In summary, the Swiss study is great news for hydropower. Set off against the expected decline in fossil and nuclear power, it is in a good position to maintain its ground well into the future.

I wish all our valued readers an enjoyable and informative time reading the latest edition of zek HYDRO.

Best regards,

Roland Gruber Editor-in-Chief

May 2018

03

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PP RAPUNI 3 & 4 (AL)

23 PP MARAÑÓN (CHL)

36 PP STEINEN (GER)

41 PP CHUMEY (BT)

Short Cuts 08 Short news out of the world of Hydropower SHORT CUTS

03 Editorial 06 Table of Content 08 Masthead

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May 2018

19 Current status of the trilogue meetings and the potential impact [ EREF STATEMENT ]

32 New crane track for Enns power station Staning [ AUSTRIA ]

20 Technology from Lower Austria proves effective in Albania [ ALBANIA ]

34 Siemens Small Hydro: market leadership in Albania [ ALBANIA ]

23 Marañón power plant relies on Austrian know-how [ CHILE ]

36 Run-of-river power plant more efficient after modernisation drive [ GERMANY ]

26 Eixendorf II movable eco-power plant connected to the grid [ GERMANY ]

40 Renexpo Interhydro: Europe‘s meeting point for small hydro [ EVENT ]

30 Morocco turns to hydropower for more energy independence [ MOROCCO ]

41 Tyrolean turbine manufacturers ensure grid stabilisation [ BHUTAN ] 44 How the Austrian generator specialist drives innovations [ AUSTRIA ]

PP

HYDRO

PP OBERVERMUNT (AT)

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PP XEKATAM (LAO)

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STOCKER JAPAN (JP)

47 Pumped storage power plant Ober vermuntwerk II nearing completion [ AUSTRIA ]

62 Underwater construction work in

the Gepatsch reservoir in Tyrol [ AUSTRIA ]

50 Industry specialist guarantees maximum system availability [ TRASH RACK CLEANING ]

66 Power Station in the Glarus region relying on GRP pipes [ SWITZERLAND ]

52 La Viña power station provides operating reserve power [ CHILE ]

68 Viennahydro 2018 highlights the topics of the future [ EVENT ]

54 Austrian turbine manufacturer delivers first project in Laos [ LAOS ]

71 Styrian power plant on verge of recommissioning after upgrade [ AUSTRIA ]

56 When pipe connection becomes a matter of economic survival [ PIPE TECHNOLOGY ]

74 Convincing Austrian technology for Japanese hydropower plant [ JAPAN ]

59 Trash rack cleaning technology operates on the innovation track [ TRASH RACK CLEANING ]

76 Hackers find all the leaks at hydro power stations [ IT SECURITY ]

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IT SECURITY (AT)

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zek HYDRO 2018

Schubert Opener Amiblu U2 Troyer U3 Andritz Hydro U4 Auma 10 BHM-Ing. 33 Bilfinger VAM 49 Braun 51 Electrify Europe 18 Elin 13 Geotrade-Superlit 73 Geppert 43 Global Hydro Energy 78 Global Hydro Latin America 16 Gugler Waterturbines 25 Hitzinger 45 HSI-Hydro 29 Kössler 9 Künz 14 Muhr 65 Ossberger 53 Renexpo 8 Siemens 15 Stocker Technik 75 TRM 58 Wild Metal 61 WKV 11

May 2018

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photo credits: Illwerke AG

RELLSWERK PROVES ITS WORTH AFTER ONLY A FEW MONTHS OF OPERATION Rellswerk in Vandans, the latest pumped storage power plant by Vorarlberg-based Illwerke AG, has been on the grid since the middle of last year. The facility functions as an important part of the Obere Ill-Lünersee complex by contributing a significant share of the peak energy and regulating power generated at the Lünerseewerk. The operators invested around € 38 million in the project, which was implemented with considerable effort over the last three years. Rellswerk is equipped with a modern reversible pump turbine, which is designed for an output of 15 MW in pumped mode and 12 MW in turbine mode. The power station pumps around 17 million m3 of water into the Lünersee every year. Facilities like the Lünerseewerk play an important role in mitigating and compensating for fluctuations in the grid that are caused by the volatility of wind and solar energy.

The Sherpas auf Nangi visited the Austrian hydropower specialist EFG Maschinenbau, where they received an extensive training at the new machines.

photo credits: Voith Hydro

SHERPAS RELY ON AUSTRIAN HYDROPOWER TECHNOLOGY One of the most successful Austrian development aid projects in recent years involves providing a Nepalese village in the Himalayas with hydropower. For more than three decades the Sherpas from Nangi in the Himalaya area have been relying on the knowhow and technology provided by Austrian hydropower specialists such as EFG Maschinenbau, which is headquartered in the Austrian province of Carinthia. In the village of Nangi, a small outpost on the road to Mount Everest, a 1-Megawatt hydropower plant with two machine units by the Carinthian specialists has been operating reliably for the past 18 years or so. A third machine unit especially designed for the altitude and the rough conditions was added this spring. In preparation of the expansion, the members of staff responsible for the power station received extensive training at turbine manufacturer EFG’s facilities in Feldkirchen last summer. The training sessions also provided a welcome opportunity for mutually interesting cultural exchange.

photo credits: zek

HYDRO

The core component of the Rellswerk facility, a modern three-phase turbine, was provided by Voith Hydro.

RENEXPO

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INTERHYDRO

European hydropower Trade fair and Conference

29th - 30th November 2018 Messezentrum Salzburg www.renexpo-hydro.eu

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May 2018

HYDRO

Preserving better value through cutting-edge technologies Kössler turns water into power Power plant operators have for generations valued a hydropower plant by the high energy output, low running costs and a reduced ecological footprint. Thanks to our continuous investment in research and development, our constant striving

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HYDRO

photo credits: GCE

The new Codalonga power station produces clean energy for approx. 500 homes.

GREEN CITY ENERGY EXPANDS POWER PLANT PORTFOLIO IN ITALY The new Codalonga power station in the Venetian Dolomites was completed in what is considered a record-breaking construction period of just 5 months. The plant belongs to the portfolio of the German TÜV-certified energy transition business Green City Energy and has been producing clean energy for approximately 500 homes since November 2017. The plant was designed and equipped to produce 450 kW with a modern Tschurtschenthaler-built 4-jet Pelton turbine. The Codalonga plant is a high-pressure hydropower station that harnesses the energy of the eponymous river, Torrente Codalonga. The new green power facility has now been producing electricity efficiently for around a year, aiming to feed 1.7GWh/year into the public 20-kV grid to supply around 500 homes with electricity. The Italian Eco-­power Law ensures the power produced earns € 0.219 /kWh.

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photo credits: Fraunhofer

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Researchers try to use the extreme elasticity of ultra-thin elastomer membranes in order to produce electricity.

CLEAN ELECTRICITY PRODUCED WITH ELASTOMER FILMS The Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC is pursuing an innovative approach to regenerative electricity generation using hydroelectric power in the DEGREEN project. The researchers are exploiting the extreme elasticity of ultra-thin elastomer membranes that can work like capacitors. The silicon films are coated on both sides with a conducive elastic layer, and with a protective insulating coating. When installed in shallow, slow-flowing bodies of water, the alternation between stretching and relaxation transforms the mechanical energy of motion into electricity. Flowing water expands the elastic film. In an expanded state the film is charged by applying a high voltage. Subsequently, the elastomer is mechanically relaxed into its original state. At 4000 volts, 100 milliwatts per film can be achieved, regardless of the degree of expansion. The elastomer generators are particularly well-suited to small rivers; and work with water speeds as low as 0.5m/s and depths of just 0.5m.

May 2018

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HYDRO

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photo credits: Voith Hydro

The Scottish small-scale Hydro Power station Mucomir was successfully commissioned in autumn 2017.

Austrian water-power specialists at Kössler added another small-scale power plant way up north to their list of references.

photo credits: ICOLD

photo credits: Kössler

photo credits: SBB

The secondary technology for SBB-power plant Massaboden has been renewed.

In July the Austrian National Committee on Large Dams invites to the 26th ICOLD World Congress in combination with the 86th ICOLD Annual Meeting and the ATCOLD Hydro Engineering Symposium, to be held in Vienna.

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May 2018

SCOTTISH MUCOMIR HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANT BACK ONLINE The Voith technology company has completed the modernisation of the small-scale Mucomir hydro power plant. It was successfully commissioned and went back online in the autumn of 2017. As well as being more economically efficient, the plant now meets the highest environmental standards. The plant is operated by SSE, one of the UK’s largest producers of energy drawn from renewable resources.

Voith was responsible for the reconstruction, installation and commissioning of the turbine, installation of the monitoring system, power switches, hydraulic power unit and for rehabilitation of the generator.

Modernisation has meant the small Mucomir power station can now meet very high environmental standards. The specialised design of the new turbine rotor reduces the problems for fish and eases their passage through the turbine. The Mucomir facility has been in operation since 1962 and belongs to the Great Glen power station group.

HIGH-TECH CONTROL SYSTEM FOR SWISS RAIL POWER PLANT The control systems at the Massaboden hydroelectric power plant in the Valais municipality of Bitsch had become outdated. Recently, to guarantee reliable and efficient operation of the traditional Swiss Rail (SBB) power station up to and beyond 2030, the expiry year of the current operating licence, the entire secondary technology infrastructure has been completely updated. The electrical technology specialists at Rittmeyer installed an ultra-modern process control system, the very latest control infrastructure for the two machine sets and renewed the entire control technology around the plant, all within approximately one year. By using the very latest technology it is now possible to ensure the plant meets all the current standards for IT security and availability. The remote-control capacities were enhanced in particular. The project was successfully completed in May of last year.

OLD SWEDISH POWER PLANT RE-EQUIPPED FOR THE NEW AGE Recently, the 7 Francis turbines installed at the Langed hydropower station, built over 100 years ago, were replaced by 2 large Kössler Kaplan turbines. The plant was completely technically updated in cooperation with specialists from Voith Hydro Västeras. The power plant has been operated by Vattenfall for decades, and today it is considered the most powerful of over 40 small-scale hydroelectric stations under the ownership of Vattenfall. The plant operators specified the revitalisation and partial replacement of the weir, the replacement of the main structural components of the engine room and the installation of completely new electrically-driven machinery. Modernisation work was completed in the spring of 2016. The two 4MW turbines have managed to raise their total capacity to 35GWh, without any changes to head or flow rate.

That equates to an increase in power production of almost 20 %.

26TH ICOLD WORLD CONGRESS IN VIENNA & MORE From 1st July to 7th July 2018 the Austrian National Committee on Large Dams invites to the 26th ICOLD World Congress in combination with the 86th ICOLD Annual Meeting and the ATCOLD Hydro Engineering Symposium, to be held in Vienna. In the course of 86th ICOLD Annual Meeting all Technical Committees have the opportunity for detailed discussions. On 1st of July the entire day is available to meet and prepare technical bulletins on the state of the art on dam engineering. The ATCOLD Hydro Engineering Symposium will pave the way for presentations and discussions on specific issues of hydraulic structures serving for energy from renewable resources, irrigation, drinking water supply and flood protection. Hydro Engineering requires a wide range of knowledge and expertise. The ICOLD World Congress provides the unique opportunity to present and discuss Dam Engineering questions in a worldwide perspective.

photo credits: Uwe Drewes / pixelio.de

HYDRO

photo credits: Tennet

The exchange of energy between Germany and Norway via “NordLink” is set to commence from 2020.

There is still plenty of potential for the expansion of small-scale hydropower in India.

INDIA RAISES EXPANSION TARGETS FOR SMALL-SCALE HYDROPOWER By 2022, the Indian Government wants to bolster its capacities for generating renewable energies up to 175 GW. To get closer to this target, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy announced at the end of last year that there would be greater support for hydropower projects with an output of less than 50 MW. Officially the target set was increased from 5 GW to a current level of 6 GW. The funding which is about to run out is set to be readjusted. The Indian classification under the umbrella term of hydropower is as follows: small-scale hydropower: 2-25 MW, mini-scale hydropower: 100 kW-2 MW and micro-scale hydropower: anything below this. The estimated potential for small-scale hydropower is around 20,000 MW, with most potential being identified in the Himalayan region. But the irrigation channels in other regions of the country could also be utilised by small-scale hydropower plants.

STOPPING-OUT CEREMONY FOR DIRECT CURRENT CONNECTION The topping-out ceremony in October 2017 for the “NordLink” converter buildings at the construction site in Wilster (Schleswig-Holstein) heralded another important milestone on the German side for the joint German-Norwegian project. The interconnector will be used to exchange Norwegian hydropower and German wind power and will directly connect the electricity markets in German and Norway together for the first time. NordLink is set to be one of the longest systems for high voltage direct current transmission in the world. The DC system will have a total length of 623 kilometres and be divided up into several sections.

In the converter stations, the direct current that is transmitted will subsequently be converted into three-phase current and connected to the Norwegian and German high-voltage grid. The project is scheduled to be completed in 2020.

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May 2018

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HYDRO

Japanese researchers combine coastal protection with power generation.

photo credits: OIST

photo credits: Joerg Trampert / pixelio.de

According to data from the German Meteorological Service, up to mid-November 2017 southern Germany recorded around 1860 hours of sunshine and therefore 136 hours more than in the whole of the previous year (the figure in 2016 was 1724).

JAPANESE RESEARCHERS PRESENT COAST TURBINES On the one hand to prevent erosion and on the other to generate energy: This was the thinking behind “The Wave Energy Converter (WEC)” project which was initiated at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST). Like a number of other countries, Japan can cite what are known as tetrapods, which are structures located along the coasts or off coral reefs that represent an effective measure in combating erosion caused by the constant impact of the waves. To ensure that the energy of the waves can also be utilised, the researchers from the OIST are now combining the tetrapods with modern turbines. The Japanese researchers are convinced that this will enable not only effective protection of the coastline but also a high energy yield. They reckon that around 10 GW of power could be obtained from using this combined technology along 1 per cent of the Japanese coastline.

NEW RECORD FOR GREEN ELECTRICITY IN GERMANY According to calculations by the energy provider E.ON, in 2017 renewable energies generated more power than ever before. “From the beginning of January through to mid-November, all solar, wind and hydroelectric power plant installations in Germany produced 131 billion kWh of electricity, which was more than in the whole of 2016,” explains Robert Hienz, CEO at E.ON. “This energy could be used to supply all households in Germany, some 40 million of them, entirely with green electricity,” adds Hienz. By comparison: in 2016 the onshore and offshore wind farms, photovoltaic installations and hydropower plants generated a total of 129 billion kWh; in 2015 the figure was 125.6 billion kWh. The increase in green electricity is probably attributable firstly to storms Xavier or Herwart in the autumn. Secondly in particular in southern Germany, where the majority of the around 1.6 million solar installations are located, the sun shone much more often than it did in the previous year.

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May 2018

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May 2018

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HYDRO

ANDRITZ RECEIVES HYDROPOWER REFURBISHMENT CONTRACT IN CANADA ” International technology group ANDRITZ has received a contract from SaskPower, the leading utility company in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, to refurbish the E.B. Campbell hydroelectric power station on the Saskatchewan River. The contract value amounts to over 90 million euros. ANDRITZ will refurbish six of the eight units at the power station, which was originally commissioned in 1963. The other two units were already refurbished by ANDRITZ eight years ago. The scope of work includes model testing and the replacement of six Francis turbine generator sets, including auxiliaries as well as mechanical and electrical balance of plant. The Francis runners will have a diameter of 4 meters and generate 35 MW each at a rated head of 32 m. The first unit will be dismantled in August 2019 and put back into operation in July 2020. The remaining five units will follow at a rate of one per year until 2025.

photo credits: SaskPower

ANDRITZ will refurbish the E.B. Campbell hydroelectric power station from SaskPower.

photo credits: Wikimedia / Bùi Thụy Đào Nguyên

The northern Indian State Himachal Pradesh is extremely rich in its hydroelectricity resources.

The Hòa Bình Dam on the Black River is the largest hydroelectric dam in Vietnam, and also the largest in South East Asia.

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May 2018

VIETNAM‘S LARGEST HYDROPOWER PLANT TO GET $377 MIL BOOST Vietnam is planning to splash out 377 million US$ on the country‘s largest hydropower plant in Hoa Binh Province for an expansion project under a decision recently signed by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, reports the online issue of „e.vnexpress“ in the middle of april. The plan will add two new power units in order to increase output capacity for the national power grid. Vietnam Electricity Corporation will pay for 30 percent of the project, while the other 70 percent will come from commercial loans. Power shortages are a perennial headache in the country. Southern Vietnam will likely experience a shortfall of power in 2018 and 2019, the Saigon Times quoted Deputy Prime Minister Dung as saying last year. In a bid to boost Vietnam’s power supply, the government has asked local producers to step up their effort to develop renewable energy. photo credits: Ministry of Industry and Trade

photo credits: flickr/Dainis Matisons

HIMACHAL PRADESH GOVERNMENT APPROVES AMENDMENTS IN HYDRO-POLICY The Himachal Pradesh government in the north of India has approved amendments in the hydro power policy with a view to reviving 737 stalled projects of 5,500 MW capacity and attracting investors for new projects, reports the online edition of the „Economic Times“ in early May. The state cabinet in its meeting decided to make it mandatory for State Electricity Board to purchase power produced by hydro projects with capacity up to 10 MW. The cabinet gave approval to the proposal that the generic tariff applicable in case of Hydro Power Projects (HEPs) up to 25 MW will be from the date of the commissioning and not from the date of implementation agreement, a release said. It was also approved that wheeling charges/ open access charges will not be levied for HEPs up to 25 MW capacity, enabling them to sell power on competitive rates outside the state also.

Hoa Binh Hydropower Plant was constructed from 1979 to 1994 with eight machines that provide 1,920 MW which constitutes 1/3 of productivity in the country.

HYDRO

photo credits: Uwe Kunze_pixelio.de

As Europe’s largest producer of electricity obtained from hydropower, Norway offers outstanding economic terms and conditions for international companies with a high energy demand.

photo credits: Atlantis Resources Ltd.

A turbine is submerged in the sea.

Following a successful system test, the 25-year operating phase began.

SCOTTISH TIDAL POWER PLANT REACHES MILESTONE The world’s largest tidal power plant is currently being constructed off the north coast of Scotland. Phase 1A was successfully completed just a few months ago. Four turbines, which produce electricity from the power of the waves with a nominal power output of 6 MW, started operating and produced over 800 MWh in September 2017 alone.

This figure is regarded as a milestone in the tidal energy industry. The contract for this mega-project was awarded to Atlantis Resources Ltd. as global developers of projects in the field of renewable energies. The project is being implemented in the Pentland Firth, a strait in the north of Scotland which is renowned for its particularly strong tidal currents. In this major project, a total of 57 underwater turbines with a total capacity of up to 398 MW will be installed. This is set to cover 20% of the demand for electricity in the United Kingdom in the ­future. The costs are around 489.39 million euros.

HYDROPOWER IS AN IMPORTANT LINCHPIN OF NORWAY’S ECONOMY “Innovation Norway” is the Norwegian Government’s most important tool for innovation and development of domestic companies and industry. In a recent press release, Innovation Norway emphasises once again the excellent economic prospects that the Scandinavian country offers to companies with a high energy demand. This is demonstrated at present by more than 6,000 non-Norwegian companies that currently create 25% of all the added value in the whole country, reports “businessportal-norwegen.com”. Energy-intensive industries in particular benefit hugely from the extremely cheap electricity prices. In September 2017, the price for industrial use was on average 3 cents per kWh. These cheap terms and conditions can be attributed primarily to the generation of electricity from hydropower.

With a total output of around 31.5 GW, which is provided by 1,550 plants in total, Norway is the largest hydropower producer in Europe.

photo credits: EEP

The bidders’ scope of works shall be to gather additional site investigation information as required, design, construct, supply, install, test and commission, own and operate Didessa hydroelectric power project.

photo credits: SBB/ Beni Basler

SBB’s own Etzel plant installation. To cover the increasing demand for energy, the railway company is planning to invest around half a billion Swiss francs in maintaining and expanding its hydroelectric power plants.

SWISS FEDERAL RAILWAY (SBB) INVESTS 500 MILLION CHF IN HYDROPOWER SBB wants to invest around 500 million CHF in hydropower projects in order to drive forward the company’s expansion, reports the online edition of the “Aargauer Zeitung” newspaper. SBB set itself the target back in 2015 of saving around x GWh of electricity by 2025. Around half of the savings have already been achieved, says Beat Deuber, Head of Energy at SBB Infrastructure. However, these savings are not enough to cover the company‘s additional consumption in the future.

As the largest consumer of electricity in Switzerland, in the years ahead SBB wants to invest around half a billion Swiss francs in expanding and revitalising its hydroelectric power plants. When it comes to implementing these new plants, SBB hopes that the Swiss cantons and local authorities will show goodwill in the concession negotiations.

ETHIOPIA SEEKS TO DEVELOP DIDESSA HYDROELECTRIC POWER PROJECT State-owned utility Ethiopia Electric Power (EEP) is pleased to invite private potential project developers qualified to finance, design, procure, construct, commission, operate and transfer the Didessa hydroelectric power project. The plant is estimated to have an installed capacity of 550 MW, with annual gross energy generation capacity of 5,580 GWhr, on BOT contract modality. EEP will enter into a longterm Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the successful bidders for the entire capacity and electrical output of the projects. EEP now invites tenders from bidders, which could be Joint Ventures / Consortium / Association Foreign Companies who demonstrate to have technical experience and financial capacity in similar hydropower development, on PPA and BOT contract modality.

May 2018

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To ensure that Afghanistan‘s electricity supply operates sustainably and efficiently in the long term, the German government is assisting Afghanistan with building decentralised electricity generation facilities based on renewable energy.

photo credits: Wadsam

Generator at the pumped storage power plant Vianden in Luxembourg.

photo credits: Voith

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AFGHANISTAN-HYDROPOWER PLANT IN FEYZABAD BENEFITS 60,000 PEOPLE Constructions on the hydropower plant in Feyzabad will now resume after clarifying geological circumstances, reports Wadsam, the afghan business portal. The hydropower plant will provide electricity to Feyzabad‘s entire population – in total about 60,000 people. The Afghan-German Cooperation funds the construction via KfW Development Bank at a total cost of AFN 3.7 billion. Constructions started in 2015 and shall be finished by December 2020. The hydropower plant in Feyzabad will ensure that residents no longer have to rely on expensive and environmentally harmful diesel generators.

Work to expand the municipal grid in the city of Feyzabad was completed recently. Once the new power plant is completed and connected to the municipal grid, up to 60,000 of Feyzabad‘s residents will benefit from electricity generated from renewable energy sources.

Korea Water Resource Corporation (K-Water) and JSC Partnership Fund, with support from the Georgian Government, are developing the 280 MW Nenskra hydropower project.

photo credits: Partnership Fund

VOITH MODERNIZES HIGH-PERFORMANCE MACHINE IN PUMPED STORAGE POWER PLANT Voith has won the order to modernize a motor-generator in the Vianden pumped storage plant in Luxembourg. The project covers the design, calculation, construction, delivery and assembly of one of the two most powerful machines in the facility. In addition to the increase in capacity, the new motor-generator will also be able to respond faster to changes in the load requirements from the power grid when it goes back into operation. The choice and design of the components will also ensure longer service cycles. The work on the machine is scheduled to be completed by 2021.

The Vianden power plant, which is located right on the border between Germany and Luxembourg, feeds directly into the German electricity grid. This means that it is used as a flexible electricity storage system and to regulate the grid as part of the transition process to renewable energies. The plant is owned by Societé Electrique de l’Our S.A., and is marketed and operated by RWE Generation. As part of the upgrade, the motor-generator, which was installed in 1976, will be replaced by a new synchronous motor-generator from Voith that will increase the capacity of the generating set by around seven percent to 217 MW. The pump turbine remains unchanged. In addition, the new machine will be fitted with a modern starting frequency converter. “This replaces the direct start-up of the machine via start-up current limiting reactors and a complex damper winding for the generator rotor. With the new starting frequency converter the machine can respond even faster to load fluctuations in the power grid,” says Stefan Linhart, Project Manager at Voith Hydro in Germany. These kinds of fluctuations are typical for power grids that are increasingly being supplied by renewable energies.

NENSKRA HYDROPOWER PLANT The Nenskra hydropower plant is planned to be developed on the Nenskra and Nakra Rivers in the Svaneti region of Georgia, reports the hydro power-plant. With an installed capacity of 280 MW, it will be Georgia’ s biggest strategic hydropower plant upon completion.

Estimated to cost approximately $1.08 bn, the project is expected to produce 1,219 GWh of energy a year, including 259.2 GWh of guaranteed supply in the winter months. Pre-feasibility study of the project was completed in March 2010 and the feasibility study finished in 2011. Construction of the hydropower plant commenced in September 2015 while operations are expected to begin in 2020. The plant is expected to be fully completed in 2021. The Nenskra hydropower project is being developed on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model with a concession period of 36 years, following which the ownership of the project will be transferred to the government.

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The Clean Energy Package currently discussed by the EU institutions (Commission, Parliament and Council) has as its main aims to create a European internal energy market which is based on energy efficiency and renewable energy and in which small and medium sized enterprises, energy cooperatives and energy citizens play a stronger role as energy producers.

T

he envisaged transformation of Europe’s energy system foresees a switch from fossil fuel and nuclear based, national, central energy systems towards a decentralised and European wide system with renewable energy and energy efficiency as centre piece.

Intraday and common balancing markets, complemented by storage, inter-connectors between EU Member States and regional cooperation will provide new opportunities for operation schemes and business cases for hydropower plants.

Properly designed, the Clean Energy Package can unlock EU’s global leadership in green technologies and be a key instrument for the envisaged sustainable energy transition of Europe in terms of social, ecological and economic development.

The “jumbo” package provides a set of legislative proposals on energy efficiency, renewables, governance and a new market design. The Renewable Energy Directive addresses the ambition level of 2030 renewable energy targets and includes definitions of self-consumption, prosumer, energy communities and cooperatives as well as provisions on national support schemes. In the absence of binding national renewables targets, the Governance Regulation seeks a framework for investment security and proposals to calculate the indicative 2030 national renewable energy targets. The proposals on market design are critical for the treatment of small-scale renewable energy installations. Notably, they include the key provisions on priority dispatch and access for renewables, balancing responsibility as well as the definition and threshold for small-scale renewable energy plants. They also tackle the phase-out of subsidies for conventional plants.

Comparing the positions of the three European institutions, the European Parliament is the most ambitious in terms of promoting renewables, followed by the European Commission, which has recently become more ambitious as well. Though supportive of the goals of

photo credits: Tim Reckmann / pixelio.de

CURRENT STATUS OF THE TRILOGUE MEETINGS AND THE POTENTIAL IMPACT ON THE EUROPEAN ELECTRICITY MARKET

the Paris agreement, the Council is still reluctant to fully endorse an EU energy system transformation towards renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Though the climate and energy package sets out roughly the right direction for the path towards renewables, it fails to ensure the speed and depth of the transformation. The proposed renewable energy and energy efficiency targets are far too modest, particularly given the falling technology costs and availability of new renewables technologies, thus jeopardising the progress achieved in previous years.

The EU energy framework needs to be better aligned with its long-term climate commitments. To maintain at least the current path of transition and to provide a stable investment climate, a share of minimum 35% renewable energy is needed by 2030.

The European Parliament provided a strong Governance proposal which to some extent compensates for the loss of national binding renewable energy targets for 2030. Nevertheless, these positive developments are not yet guaranteed as these foreseen measures can be undermined by legislation for the new market design for which the trilogue negotiations will start in June.

For example, priority access and dispatch for renewables needs to be guaranteed as long as there is no fundamental change in the power market and its fossil and nuclear-based structure. Without priority access and priority dispatch obligation, there will be a roll-back and a perverted merit order, where the old capacities or must run capacities from coal, nuclear and heavy oil will be dispatched first and renewables in the end, despite lower costs for many of the RES technologies.

For the envisaged transformation towards an EU-wide energy system based on renewable

energy and energy efficiency, hydropower can play and important role with regard to storage and a stable and balanced grid in a decentralised energy system. Providing the right political and financial investment framework through the new legislation on market design would tap into the benefits and potential of hydropower plants as well as pumped hydropower storage.

It is now time for Governments and European decision-makers to make good on promises to make the EU the global number 1 in renewables and to honour the commitments of the Paris agreement.

Dirk Hendricks Senior Policy Advisor EREF

EREF a federation of national renewable energy associations from EU Member States represents all renewable energy sectors at EU institutions. Its objective is to promote the interests of independent power, fuel and heat production from renewable sources and to establish non-discriminatory access to the European energy market.

EREF strives to create, maintain and further develop stable and reliable framework conditions for renewable energy sources.

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Foto: zek

photo credits: Kössler

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The hydroelectric power plant Rapuni 3 & 4 was realized by the Orthodox Autocephalous of Albania. It is deservedly considered one of the most elaborately designed small-scale hydroelectric power plants in Albania's recent history.

HYDROELECTRIC POWER TECHNOLOGY FROM LOWER AUSTRIA PROVES EFFECTIVE IN CENTRAL ALBANIA Between 2014 and 2016, the new hydroelectric power plant Rapuni 3 & 4 was built in the Central Albanian province of Elbasan with significant effort. The project was undertaken by the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania to strengthen its economic independence. The power plant is the lowest level and also the newest component of a cascade plant, which consists of three power plants on the Rapuni river. As for the two upstream plants, Kössler, the hydroelectric power specialist from Lower Austria, also supplied the equipment for the Rapuni 3 & 4 hydro power station. The three horizontal Francis turbines of Austrian origin are designed for to generate an output of 9.9 MW and will achieve an annual output capacity of roughly 44 GWh. On August 2, 2016, the new plant was formally inaugurated in the presence of the highest-ranking dignitaries of the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania.

A

rchbishop Anastasios' tireless pursuit of peace and social projects have made him known far beyond the Balkans.

The archbishop of Tirana, Durrës, and All Albania - which is his official title - is also known for having an affinity for science, and also being aware of the significance of the church as an economic factor. In an interview with the World Council of Churches, the almost 90-year-old noted recently: "Our construction plans have made the church an important factor in the economic development of Albania. We are among the most serious investors in Albania and also create jobs."

Aware of this responsibility, the archbishop was also a driving force behind the hydroelectric power station project Rapuni 3 & 4, which was implemented by the Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania in close collaboration with the local government of the Elbasan region and in accordance with the Albanian energy strategy. Of course, the dignitary did not miss the inauguration ceremony of August 2, 2016. In his ceremonious speech, he noted: "This power plant is the result of our vision of more economic inde-

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pendence, in order to be able to continue our good social work."

AN ELABORATE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT Indeed, the Rapuni 3 & 4 station is one of Albania's most expansive small-scale hydroelectric power projects. Roughly 412,000 m3 soil were moved, whereas nearly 62,000 m3 and 6,600 tons of steel were used for construction. The water capacity and penstock are particularly extraordinary for a small-scale hydroelectric station: A 10 m high dam was erected, creating a reservoir with a capacity of roughly 60,000 m3. Furthermore, a roughly 5 m wide and 2.3 km long tunnel was dug from the rock to channel water from the Qarrishtë river. Thus, the power plant is fed by water from the Rapuni river on the one hand, downstream water from the upstream plant Rapuni 2, and another water catchment facility on the Qarrishtë river. The transverse structure at the Diversion Dam consists of a total of four radial weirs of 12 m each. It is connected to an embankment dam of roughly 177 m. One of the four radial weirs has a hinged gate that regulates water extraction in a

fully automated manner. For the plant's operation, a total of 27 m3/s can be extracted from both bodies of water.

This feed water is channelled to the surge tank through a 3.6 km long concrete tunnel, of which 2.3 m are solid rock. The surge tank is connected to the 86 m long pressure pipeline made of steel, which has a diameter of DN 2,800, through which the feed water is channelled to the power house. In order to control the transient conditions and the risks connected to such a long pressure pipeline, the responsible authorities decided to build a surge tank - which is also a very unusual component of a small-scale power plant. However: the extraordinary effort reflects the plant's significance for its operators and the region.

CALCULATIONS AS PROOF OF COMPETENCY From the earliest stages on, calculations regarding the pressure shock and surge tank were considered to be of highest importance. They were also a strong deciding factor that made the planners trust in the competence of the Austrian hydroelectric power specialist Kössler. "The primary criteria of the project inclu-

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ded the rather complex pipeline system and the resulting threshold values regarding the pressure shock under consideration of the surge tank. In this regard, Kössler made extensive calculations and simulations using the SIMSEN system, in order to determine the actual pressure conditions across the entire pipeline system. The load dump analyses conducted upon commissioning all remained within the previously simulated range, the maximum pressure shock values were lower than anticipated," says Kössler's Head of Sales, Dipl.

-Ing (FH) Alexander Melchus, M.Sc. and adds: "Kössler also contributed significantly to the calculations regarding the surge tank.

All fluctuations during load dump were also previously simulated and the system had been adjusted accordingly. These calculations provided an important advantage for the project,

as we were able to offer the client extensive security in the implementation."

A FLOW-OPTIMIZED DESIGN Another point in which Kössler was able to incorporate their know-how was in the design of the distribution pipeline. Outside of the power house, the water flow is distributed to the turbines via three channels. In order to achieve a distribution of the water with the best-possible loss reduction, the Kössler engineers designed a flow-optimized design for the distribution pipeline - based on finite-element analysis (FE method). With this numeric procedure, computer simulations and analyses of the strength and warping conditions of bodies with complex shapes are created.

The result was a distribution pipeline design that guarantees optimal intake and weighs a

grand total of 100 tons. According to Head of Sales Alexander Melchus, the Kössler engineers can also draw on the extensive opportunities within the Voith corporate group, if special calculations are eneeded. A true advantage.

Another factor that spoke for the industry experts from Lower Austria, was the fact that the two upstream plants Rapuni 1 and Rapuni 2, which are operated by a different investor and also contain machinery by Kössler.

Since 2011, the Francis turbines have been successfully in use here. The positive experience also played a role in the machine selection on the part of the persons responsible.

Also: the name Rapuni 3 & 4 does not mean - as could be assumed - that it is a two-level plant. The name remained in place after the combination of two separate concessions.

Rather, this is a single-level diversion power

Technical Data • Country: Albania • Net head 1mach.: 41.53 m • Net head 3mach.: 38.23 m • Flow rate: 3 x 9.0 m3/s • Turbines: horizontal Francis turbines • Manufacturer: Kössler • Nominal Output: 3,406 kW each • runner speed: 429 rpm • Generators: synchronous Three structurally identical Francis turbines by Kössler provide an average annual production of roughly 44 GWh.

• Total output: approx. 9.33 MW • Total average capacity: 43.84 GWh

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photo credits: Global Christian Forum

HYDRO

Archbishop Anastasios, who is almost 90 years old today, is considered a central driving force of the

plant with a power house, with three machine units.

AN EFFICIENT MACHINE TRIO The machine trio, which will provide clean power to the grid for many years, was selected in alignment with the high quality standards of the plant as a whole. In particular, horizontal Francis turbines by Kรถssler were selected, which are coupled with a synchronous Koncar generator via a rotating shaft. Each of the turbines has an runner diameter of 1.21 m power and one reliable synchronous generator with a nominal speed of 429 rpm. The machines are designed for a flow rate of 9 m3/s and for a net net head of approx. 41.5 m during single-machine operation. Each of the Francis turbines, which are constructed similarly, achieve ratings of approx. 3.4 MW. The bottleneck output in case of a full load and with all three machines working at full capacity is roughly 9.4 MW. In total, the three modern machine units will produce 44 GWh power per normal year and feed into the public 110 kV power grid of Albania.

A COMPREHENSIVE HYDROPOWER PACKAGE Kรถssler was involved in the initial planning and conceptual designs for Rapuni 3 & 4 as early as late 2013. For good reason: The contract on the installation of the power plant was signed in the summer of the following year. In addition to turbines and generators, as well as the design of the distribution pipeline, Kรถssler's entire scope of delivery also included three shut-off valves DN 1,800, hydraulic control units for the individual machine units, as well as the so-called E-BoP. This is an umbrella term for generator protection, automation & operation, the SCADA system, support equipment and level measu-

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rement probes, to name some of the most important components.

Both the delivery as well as the installation were effortless and completed in a timely manner. "Access to the powerhouse in Librazhd was excellent. Although the entire construction project was complex and quite elaborate, installation worked well and the collaboration of the individual companies went particularly smoothly. The Greek construction firm Aktor S.A. did a very good job and realized all parts of the contract work in high-quality construction," says Alexander Melchus. The dry and wet tests and subsequent final commissioning were completed immaculately. "The only drawback was the low water supply at the time of commissioning, which required hours of damming before the various test could be conducted," says the Head of Sales at Kรถssler. In October 2015, the powerhouse was handed over to the owner and operator.

The new hydroelectric power plant Rapuni 3 & 4 was inaugurated on August 2, 2016.

STRENGTHENED SOCIAL PROJECTS On August 2, 2016, the big day had come for the new power plant Rapuni 3 & 4, which was handed off in an inauguration ceremony.

The leading representatives of the Orthodox Autocephalous church of Albania, led by Archbishop Anastasios, were present and unanimously exited about the successful implementation of the power plant project. "This investment will contribute to strengthening the economic independence of the Orthodox Autocephalous church of Albania. It will strengthen the funds from which educational initiatives and social work have been financed in the past. In addition, the revenue will contribute to future projects that support children and youth, as well as those in need," reads an official statement on the church website.

In addition, the responsible parties highlighted in the context of the inauguration that the plant will reinforce the region's reliability of supply and that important economic impulses were created. With respect to combating climate change, the plant will save roughly 37,000 tons of harmful carbon dioxide.

However, not only the operators from the clergy consider the project to be an all-round success. The contractor, hydroelectric power specialist Kรถssler from St. Georgen in Lower Austria, also assigns special value to the project. Alexander Melchus notes in this context: "Rapuni 3 & 4 has proven to be an outstanding reference, since Albania's rather small hydroelectric power sector is well connected and the operators know each other and exchange information accordingly. We were able to secure additional new projects since completing this project. Many of our new clients visited Rapuni 3 & 4 previously and were impressed by the quality and design. This was also reflected in new contracts - we are able to observe a positive trend in Albania."

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photo credits: GUGLER

The Austrian company GUGLER Water Turbines GmbH provided all of the electromechanical power plant equipment for the new plant constructed high in the mountains of Peru.

MARAÑÓN POWER PLANT RELIES ON AUSTRIAN KNOW-HOW FOR ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION After around four years of construction, the Marañón hydroelectric power plant situated on the river of the same name in the Peruvian Andes region was connected to the grid in the summer of 2017. This new construction project was commissioned by the Peruvian company Celepsa, which specialises in producing electricity from renewable sources. All of the electromechanical equipment for the power plant was supplied by the Austrian hydropower specialist GUGLER Water Turbines GmbH. When the plant started operating, this heralded the successful completion of another project in South America for the internationally renowned turbine manufacturers. GUGLER provided, as part of a complete package, three Francis spiral turbines including generators which were designed to be both highly efficient and easy to maintain, as well as all the electrical engineering and control technology. At full load, the machines combine to deliver a nominal output of almost 20 MW, in a standard year the plant can generate almost 420 GWh of green energy. Due to the remote location of the project at an altitude of around 3,500 metres above sea level, the project’s logistical requirements in particular proved to be extremely challenging.

W

ith an average water flow of around 15,000 m³/s, the Río Marañón, which flows for a total of 1,905 km through Peru, is the larger of the Amazon’s two source rivers. Before the waterway flows into the Amazon Basin, it passes through both high-mountainous and semi-desert valleys as well as sections of tropical and subtropical rainforest. The energetic potential of the Marañón is used to operate a large number of hydropower plants with a considerable capacity. One of the most recent projects to be completed was delivered over a construction period of around four years in the Huánuco region in the Central Peruvian Andes. The project was financed and implemented by the Peruvian energy supplier Celepsa S.A., a subsidiary of the “Unión Andina de Cementos S.A.A” (UNACEM) group.

AUSTRIAN KNOW-HOW IN DEMAND Celepsa previously provided all the engineering for UNACEM’s Carpapata III power

plant, which was also completed in Peru back in 2016. The hydropower specialist GUGLER Water Turbines GmbH was previously able to demonstrate its expertise by providing all the electromechanic equipment for this

project in the Junín region. This excellent experience meant that the Austrians were once again asked to provide the technical equipment for the Marañón project. In this context, GUGLER project manager Roland

As the largest of the Amazon’s two source rivers, the Marañón harbours enormous potential when it comes to hydropower.

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Francis spiral turbine on its way to its intended destination. The journey by truck took around two weeks due to the remote location.

GUGLER project manager Roland Fleischmann (3rd from left) and Martin Modispachler (4th from left) from “Hydro Power Andina” with local skilled workers during installation.

Fleischmann emphasises the excellent working relationship with the clients again, which made it possible to conclude the project successfully and swiftly at the same time.

CONSTRUCTION SITE 3,500 M ABOVE SEA LEVEL To provide the legal framework, the operators established the company Hidroeléctrica Marañón S.R.L. Once the official administrative procedure had been completed, the project was finally able to enter the construction phase in the late summer of 2013. The remote location of the project region at an altitude of 3,500 m above sea level placed great logistical demands on the companies carrying out the work. The power plant‘s diversion principle required the construction of a weir, sand trap, penstock and power house. In addition, a 39 km overground high-voltage power line needed to be constructed for power transmission.

To dam the Marañón, the operators relied on inflatable rubber dams with two weir sections.

After discharge, the works water is only guided through a fine trash rack and on in a closed concrete channel to the sand trap. To allow the sediments to settle in the three de-sanding basins, the flow speed of the water

is reduced by expanding the cross section upstream of the sand trap. This is followed by another concrete channel which ultimately opens into an upper basin. The basin acts as an intermediate reservoir for regulating the water level prior to the start of the penstock, which is around 500 m long and leads to the power house.

HEAVY LOADS REQUIRE BRIDGE REINFORCEMENT As with the Carpapata III project, the operators opted for Francis turbines with a horizontal shaft for generating power. However, the higher extraction water quantity means that three machine units are employed at the Marañón power plant. Both the turbines and the generators were transported by sea to the Peruvian capital of Lima in June 2017. Whereas the turbines left the European mainland from the port of Livorno, the generators made by the Spanish manufacturer Indar were shipped from Bilbao. Once they arrived in Peru and the customs formalities were dealt with, the power plant components continued their journey by road. The journey in trucks took around two weeks. To ensure that the extremely heavy equipment could be transported

safely - one generator weighs around 45 t several bridges on the route to the construction site had to be reinforced. The assembly team on the ground was organised by the GUGLER representative in Peru, Martin Modispacher, who provided the local experts on the ground through his own company “Hydro Power Andina”. The assembly work was undertaken over a period of around three months under expert guidance, with cooperation between two experienced GUGLER engineers and the local workers.

HIGH LEVEL OF EFFICIENCY GUARANTEED According to Roland Fleischmann, at its peak the Marañón in the project region flows at a rate of around 500 m³/s, but in dry periods the amount of water is still sufficient to operate two turbines. Over the course of a year, the plant, which is optimised for full-load operation, achieves a plant factor (utilisation rate) of 80%. When there is a maximum supply of water, the Francis turbines with completely identical designs can each achieve a nominal output of 6561.3 kW. An extraction water quantity of 8.66 m³/s and a net drop of 84.5 m is available for each turbine. During peak

Technical Data • Flow Rate: 3 x 8.66 m3/s • Head: 84.5 m • Turbine: 3 x Francis-Spiral • Runner Speed: 3 x 450 rpm • Runner Diameter: 3 x 1,115 mm • Nominal Output: 3 x 6,561 kW • Manufacturer: GUGLER Water Turbines GmbH • Generator: 3 x Synchronous • Nominal Output: 3 x 8,000 kVA An extraction water quantity of 8.66 m3/s and a net drop of 84.5 m is available for each turbine.

Together the machines have a nominal capacity of almost 20 MW.

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• Manufacturer: Indar • Total avarage capacity: ca. 420 GWh/a

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The electrical and control engineering was provided by the company Schubert Elektroanlagen GmbH from Lower Austria.

loads, the turbines can thus achieve a maximum total output of almost 20 MW. The synchronous generators, which are coupled together directly in the horizontal direction, are designed for a rated apparent power of 8,000 kVA. The generators utilise a closed water circuit with heat exchangers installed underwater for cooling. Fleischmann emphasises that the technical design of the machines has been adapted precisely to reflect the hydraulic conditions at the location of the plant: “The turbines have been ideally matched to the flow conditions. This means that the plant enables efficient production of electricity both at full load and under partial-load operation and achieves a high level of efficiency all year round.” In addition, great importance was at-

The locally manufactured distribution pipeline at the powerhouse was also designed by GUGLER.

tached during the design to ensuring that the turbine is easy to maintain.

PLANT PRODUCES ALMOST 420 GWH PER YEAR As was the case with the Carpapata III project, the electrical and control engineering equipment was also procured from the Lower Austrian company Schubert Elektroanlagen GmbH for the Marañón plant. The overall package comprised the electrical switchgear, control and protection systems, turbine regulators, the SCADA system and transformers.

The power plant can be monitored and remotely controlled in its entirety through an online connection. Disruptions to the grid or elevated temperatures for individual components are registered automatically and in most

cases can be rectified remotely. The intelligent control technology ensures fully automatic and highly efficient electricity production.

The individual turbines are connected or disconnected depending on how much water is available. “Since the plant was completed last year, it has operated more or less constantly at full load, and the output has always been above 80%,” says Fleischmann. The commissioning of the plant was delayed by several months until the summer of 2017 because laying the power line proved to be very complicated. In total, around 85.6 million US dollars were spent on delivering the project.

In a standard year, the plant can provide an average of 419.1 GWh of green electricity to the Peruvian energy grid.

• Operator know-how • Worldwide experience • Upgrading and modernization • Financing and AfterSales-Service • Water-to-wire solutions • Highest quality and efficiency • Experience from over 1000 projects

Kaplan Turbines Pelton Turbines Francis Turbines up to 20MW

info@gugler.com www.gugler.com

Liquid Energy - Solid Engineering

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photo credits: Bayerische Landeskraftwerke

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Bayerische Landeskraftwerke GmbH is pursuing the aim of making better use of performance potential.

With this in mind, the movable hydropower plant was integrated into the existing concrete auxiliary dam.

BUILT IN RECORD TIME – EIXENDORF II MOVABLE ECO-POWER PLANT CONNECTED TO GRID Bayerische Landeskraftwerke GmbH recently commissioned the flagship project Eixendorf II in Bavaria, Germany. This involved installing, in addition to the existing power plant at Eixendorf reservoir, on the existing concrete auxiliary dam for Eixendorf Lake, the movable power plant type from the German hydropower specialist HSI with fish-friendly power plant technology. Following a design and pre-project planning phase lasting around five years, the eco-power plant, which was controversial in some areas, was fully installed in January of last year after just five months of construction, and was able to start trial operation in March. It now supplies green electricity to around 800 people. The costs of this project amounted to approximately 1.8 million euros.

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overhaul almost five years ago, today it delivers a standard capacity of 3.8 million kWh per year. As the head of Eixendorf Lake was regularly exposed when the water level was low, the muddy bottom of the lake created a

considerable nuisance with unpleasant odours in the immediate surroundings. The lake’s value as a place of recreation was heavily constrained as a result. This was why in 1987 a 60-metre-long concrete weir was photo credits: www.oberpfalz-luftbild.de

E

ixendorf Lake nestles gently in the beautiful Schwarzach Valley and is a popular haunt with anglers and nature lovers. The reservoir is renowned well beyond the local region for its abundance of predatory fish and is also very popular with cyclists and campers. The River Schwarzach has been dammed there since 1975. At the time, the flooding caused by the creation of the reservoir swallowed up the adjacent villages of Eixendorf, Höllmühle, Obermühle, Seebarnhammer and even a section of the former Bodenwöhr-Rötz railway line. The dam was required for reasons of flood protection and water regulation. The plan was also to make it possible to utilise the hydroenergetic power, and it was in this context that the Eixendorf Dam power plant project was implemented. Following an

A bird’s-eye view of the Eixendorf Dam recreation area.

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THE CONCEPT OF THE MOVABLE HYDROPOWER PLANT:

flap with fish passage TURBINE LOWERED

HEAD WATER

draa tube

runner rotaaon axis

TAILRACE

generator The plant is deployed between the head water and the lower water, and water flows over the top of it. The fact that the plant is mounted on a pivot point means it can pivot. It therefore serves as a weir opening during flooding. Debris and sediment can be flushed through under the plant. Another aspect is the fish-friendly design, with the round arch screen with a gap width of 18 mm representing a safe barrier for fish and other aquatic organisms.

constructed as a regulating auxiliary dam, resulting in a level difference of 5 m between the auxiliary dam and reservoir. This ensures that the water level stays at the same level all year round and the sludgy sediments from the nutrient-rich River Schwarzach settle upstream of the auxiliary dam.

OLD WEIR AS NEW ENERGY SOURCE With its “Ecological hydropower” business segment, Bayerische Landeskraftwerke GmbH has devoted itself to utilising hydropower in a sustainable and ecological way.

Under the premise of better exploiting existing power potential, a new, special hydropower plant has now been integrated into the auxiliary dam.

“The 5-metre height difference can now be utilised to produce energy at the new Eixendorf II eco-power plant,” explains qualified engineer Jochen Zehender, project manager from Bayerische Landeskraftwerke GmbH – a fully owned subsidiary of the Free State of Bavaria based in Nuremberg. The backg-

steel casing

trash rack (semi-circular)

trash rack cleaner

round to this is the 10-point plan of the Bavarian State Government to mark the energy revolution which instructed Bayerische Landeskraftwerke GmbH to implement hydropower plants which are particularly environmentally sustainable.

“For us the ecological aspect is very clearly the focus of our projects, and we are very keen to find the best solutions for all parties involved,” says Zehender. As was the case with the Eixendorf Dam power plant, the priority for Eixendorf II is flood protection and nature conservation. This means that the generation of power at the eco-power plant is based on the water regulation measures and dictated by the amount of water in the River Schwarzach.

NEW POWER PLANT CONCEPT “When it came to choosing the right technology, there were not many manufacturers to consider. The movable hydropower plant type from HSI Hydro Engineering GmbH features engineering that is designed for the

inlet fish passage

plant room

graphic: Bayerische Landeskraftwerke

ROTATION AXIS

TURBINE RAISED

situation at our location. This means the concept per se is ideally suited to retrofitting on existing horizontal structures,” explains Zehender. The movable hydropower plant was developed by the hydropower specialist HSI Hydro Engineering GmbH in collaboration with the expert in special electrical machines Krebs & Aulich GmbH specifically for locations with low drops and a fluctuating water level, and has been patented since 2002. An integral part of the concept is not to use components such as gears or converters in order to prevent any negative effects on the level of efficiency. This ensures that the level of efficiency can be kept high both in the partial load range and in the full load range, and when water levels fluctuate greatly. The twin-regulated Kaplan bulb turbine with a diameter of 1 m was configured in a “Bulb” design. The directly coupled synchronous generator is permanently magnetically excited. With an extraction water quantity of 4.5 m³/s and the drop of 5 m, the plant delivers a power output of appro-

operaaon building

circular trash rack flap

tailrace

fish slide passage

exit-and-entry structures

power plant module head water booom outlet

booom outlet

May 2018

graphic: Bayerische Landeskraftwerke

power plant module

27

Grafik: Kössler

photo credits: Bayerische Landeskraftwerke

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The auxiliary dam was completely emptied via the existing bottom outlet, and work on the concrete auxiliary dam could then begin. A new concept was developed for mounting the lifting cylinders.

The auxiliary dam was completely emptied via the existing bottom outlet, and work on the concrete auxiliary dam could then begin. A new concept was developed for mounting the lifting cylinders.

ximately 190 kW. With these conditions, the plant delivers an annual average output of around 0.8 million kWh. POWER PLANT WITH LIFTING FUNCTION The power plant components were mounted in the steel frame by HSI at the factory and thoroughly tested. At the construction site, the all-in-one power plant module, which had a hefty weight of 22.5 tonnes and was supplied ready for operation, was lifted into its final intended location by mobile crane.

The installation work was completed via plug & play in around two days. To prevent the module from floating up, the construction company then filled its hollow cavities with 15 m³ of special concrete. This gives the power plant module a total weight of around 66 t. The module for Eixendorf II with a length of 10 m and measuring 2.5 m in height and width is currently the smallest of all 19 modules that have been deployed to date. Another important aspect of the movable hydropower plant from HSI is the

Technical Data • Operator: Bayerische Landeskraftwerke GmbH • Lokal Operator: Wasserwirtschaftsamt Weiden • Technic: Movable Hydropower Plant • Manufacturer: HSI Hydro Engineering GmbH • Turbine: Kaplan-Bulbturbine • Generator: Permanent Magnet Generator • Flow Rate: 4,5 m³/s • Head: about 5 m • Output: 190 kW • Total Average Capacity: 0,8 Mio. kWh • Investment: 1,8 Mio. Euro • Commissioning: 2017

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May 2018

screen system which was developed specifically for it: A round arch screen with a gap width of just 18 mm, which shields the turbine in a semi-circular arch upstream of the generator housing, ensures that fish and other aquatic organisms are protected. The automatically traversing screen cleaner is deployed twice a day and, in combination with the regulating weir gate, it safeguards the optimum transfer of floating debris from the head water to the lower water. However, this is not sufficient during flooding events.

The solution at once illustrates the particular quality of a movable hydropower plant: Mounted on a fixed pivot point at the height of the generator, the entire power plant unit can be hydraulically raised up. In this way, sediment and debris can continue to be transported on under the plant even during a major flood, which proves to be a great advantage for rivers which carry a significant amount of debris.

DESIGNED FOR ECOLOGICAL SITUATIONS What makes the structural concept of the movable power plant so special is the fact that – in contrast to almost all conventional hydropower plants – this plant can be integrated directly into an existing weir system.

Separate infeed and discharge channels, bypass channels and surrounding structures, such as gravel traps, screens or machine buildings, are not required. This means that the level of intervention in the existing periphery/weir system is kept to a minimum and there is a significant improvement to the overall ecological situation. With this design, water permanently flows over the power plant components. This is one of the most important criteria when it comes to the risks of flooding at the location. This aspect was particularly evident during the recent oncein-a-century flood in 2015 when the level rose to around 5 m above the level of water

in the auxiliary dam. It was not least for this reason that the power plant building with all the control units was positioned on a nearby elevation – so on safe terrain. The new power plant control system was quickly integrated into the existing one, thus ensuring an optimum balance between water regulation and energy generation.

FISH-FRIENDLY TURBINE TECHNOLOGY When it comes to deciding on the best possible turbine technology to create an ecological hydropower plant, the plant’s suitability for fish is regarded as the central criterion.

Bayerische Landeskraftwerke GmbH deliberately opted for the fish-friendly turbine technology from HSI Hydro Engineering GmbH. “For us criteria such as the turbine, the close-meshed trashrack, the permanent fish bypass via a slot in the back-up flap of the power plant module, but also the low level of structural impact on the natural surroundings were the decisive factors,” explains Jochen Zehender in summary. Fish monitoring in order to evaluate the fish-friendly measures is already in full swing. This involves around 30 budding scientists examining around 30,000 fish, eight species of fish per power plant, on different dates. The monitoring has been scheduled to take place over a total of three years. What can be concluded from the investigations conducted so far is that the fish bypass located on the side of the back-up flap should be shifted into the middle and thus modified. In addition, the dam operator is currently examining various possibilities for a future fish ladder in the form of a vertical slot pass. The planning approval procedure for this is currently ongoing at the Schwandorf Administrative District Office. In the discharge area of the turbine, a large-scale surrogate spawning ground has been heaped up. A base substrate with different granulations was introduced

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In addition to the fish-friendly turbine technology, other measures for improving the ecology of Eixendorf Lake were also implemented. Examples include the surrogate spawning ground, which was created directly in the discharge area of the plant, and the fish monitoring scheduled for a period of three years.

for the different species of fish. “The spaw­ ning ground is a stroke of luck for the fish,” explains project manager Zehender. The surrogate spawning ground is in principle a sandbank located exactly in the discharge area of the turbine. This means that the spawning ground will be flushed through and available for the fish for a long period of time.

OPERATOR EMBRACES THE ENERGY REVOLUTION With the commissioning of the Eixendorf II eco-power plant, Bayerische Landeskraftwerke GmbH now operates 23 hydropower

plants and generates an average of 55.8 million kWh per annum. This amount of power is enough to supply roughly 55,000 people with CO2-free energy. The local supervision is undertaken by the Bavarian water resource management authorities, which also operate the state dam facilities. Three eco-power plant projects with corresponding technology began operating back in 2016 and 2017 – two of them with regional partners. The water rights consent process is currently ongoing at three more power plant projects on the Regen, Saalach and Amper Rivers; the power plant

on the Wertach is still in the planning phase.

In addition to the construction of new hydropower plants, Bayerische Landeskraftwerke GmbH also demonstrates its commitment to exhausting the existing potential for performance with extensive upgrades of existing power plants.

In October 2014, Bayerische Landeskraftwerke GmbH was presented with the “Shaper of the Energy Revolution 2014” award by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs in recognition of its innovative approaches in the ecological utilisation of hydropower.

Comprehensive hydropower solutions from one reliable source VERTICAL KAPLAN TURBINE

TUBULAR KAPLAN TURBINE PIT-turbine and Bulb-turbine

Runner diameter from 0.50 to 3.0 m Output from 50 to 1000 kW with belt drive Output up to 5000 kW with gearbox or direct coupled generator Heads up to 25 m Flow rates from 0.5 to 40 m³/s

Runner diameter from 0.63 to 2.40 m Output from 50 to 1000 kW with belt drive Output up to 5000 kW with gearbox or bulb generator Heads up to 12 m Flow rates from 1.5 to 50 m³/s

SOLUTIONS WITH VERY HIGH EFFICIENCY HSI developed, designed and installed the first movable hydropower system in the world

May 2018

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Located on the river Issen in the Taroudant Province and close to the existing Abdelmoumen reservoir, the new hydro power project is situated approximately 140 km southwest of Marrakesh.

photo credits: Vinci Constructions

Foto: EWA

Foto: zek

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MOROCCO TURNS TO HYDROPOWER FOR MORE ENERGY INDEPENDENCE Around 140 km to the South of the Moroccan metropolis of Marrakesh, one of North Africa’s most advanced and most powerful pumped storage power plant is in the making. Pumped storage Power Plant Abdelmoumen with a total output of 350 MW will be erected near the existing Abdelmoumen dam on the Issen River. Overall responsibility for the project lies with an EPC consortium consisting of globally operating building contractor Vinci Construction and renowned hydropower specialist ANDRITZ Hydro. Vinci Construction will take care of the essential construction work while ANDRITZ Hydro will provide the facility’s electromechanical equipment. This includes two reversible pump turbines and motor generators that are designed for a nominal head of 550 m. Once in operation, the pumped storage power plant will contribute significantly to achieving the goals set by Morocco’s energy strategy.

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May 2018

Leading global construction company Vinci Construction and ANDRlTZ Hydro have forged an EPC consortium (Engi­ neering, der Vortriebsmaschine im deProcurement Einsatz and Construction) for the Bohrund Sicherungsbetrieb. sign, construction, manufacturing and commissioning of the 350 MW Abdelmoumen project. L:Office Nationale de l'Electricite et de l'Eau potable (ONEE) awarded the cont-

ract to the consortium based on its technically and commercially competitive offer, alter a thorough evaluation. Located on the river lssen in the Taroudant Province and close to the existing Abdelmoumen reservoir, the project is situated approximately 140 km south­west of Marrakesh. Construction will start early in 2018 and is due to be complephoto: zek

I

n a bid to reduce its dependence on foreign imported hydrocarbons, Morocco has set itself the ambitious objective of increasing the share of renewable energy to 42% of the country's total power generation through 2020. The Abdelmoumen Pumped Storage Power Plant (PSPP) is a crucial element in meeting this goal.

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Penstock

Powerhouse

Earthwork

Access road

graphics: Vinci Constructions

Switchyard

Design sketch of the future power station The new pumped storage power plant will contribute significantly to achieving the goals set by Morocco's energy strategy. It will be put into operation in 2020.

ted 48 months later. PSPP Abdelmoumen will be used to compensate for natural variations in the production of wind and solar power. This role will place specific technical demands on the project. For example, a high number of start and stop cycles in both pump and turbine mode may be required on any given day, while the need to react quickly and switch from one mode to another is needed to respond to rapid drops or increases in wind speed.

COVERING PEAK-LOAD DEMANDS With two 175 MW pump turbines robustly designed to accommodate 20 rapid mode changes per day, PSPP Abdelmoumen will

tion, supervision and commissioning of the reversible pump­turbines, motor-generators, and electrical power systems.

Combining their expertise, Vinci Construction and ANDRlTZ Hydro are jointly realizing the technically challenging 3 km steellined waterway. This consists of a 2 km-long penstock, more than 700 m of tunnels made of sections of between 3.5 m and 5 m in diameter, and three shafts up to 60 m high.

HIGH EFFICIENCY GUARANTEED To provide a reliable base for the design of the pump turbines broad research and model testing activities have been accomplished by ANDRlTZ Hydro's test laboratory. Operating under the outstanding high net head of about 555 m, the designs assure the two pump turbines are able to meet both the high efficiency and reliability requirements for years to come.

PSPP Abdelmoumen is the first EPC consortium collaboration between Vinci Construction and ANDRITZ Hydro. Both partners look forward to the successful completion of the project and are confident it will open the way to further future collaboration.

ANDRITZ Hydro is pleased to support Morocco in the development of its abundant, sustainable and renewable energy resources to achieve the state's ambitious goals for the future. [© ANDRITZ HYDRO GmbH]

cover peak-load energy demands and provide rapid response power to regulate the Moroccan grid.

In addition to the works inherent to the PSPP Abdelmoumen - such as reservoirs, waterway, plant and substation - the project also includes the creation or rehabilitation of many access roads, and the installation of supplementary pumping equipment. All of this while respecting the environment and the surrounding population.

Vinci Construction is acting as the consortium leader and will execute all the important civil engineering elements of the project.

ANDRlTZ Hydro's scope of supply comprises design, manufacturing, delivery, installa-

The mountainous area of Taroudant Province in Morocco.

Technical Data

photo credits: Viault / Wikipedia

• Type: Pumped storage power plant • Country: Morocco • Head: 555 m • Turbines: Pump Turbines • Manufacturer: ANDRITZ Hydro • Scope: 2 x 175 MW • Runner diameter: 3,200 mm • Speed: 600 rpm • Total output: 350 MW • Penstock length: approx. 2 km • Expected Commissioning: 2020

May 2018

31

To install and remove the massive steel girders, a two-sided auxiliary structure with hoist and counterweight was erected on the existing portal crane (in the right of the picture). Impression during disassembly of the old crane track in late summer 2017.

photo credits: BHM/Kandler

HYDRO

NEW CRANE TRACK FOR ENNS POWER STATION STANING During a construction phase lasting around 6 months, Enns Power Station Staning on the border between Upper and Lower Austria was equipped with a new crane track for the portal crane above the weir system in the spring. The renewal of the crane track corresponding to the state of the art turned out to be extremely complex owing to the lack of a weir bridge. A particular challenge involved handling the material and crane track supports, for which the existing portal crane was adapted with a special auxiliary structure, while using a load-lifting helicopter at the same time. The overall concept was developed jointly by the client with BHM INGENIEURE - Engineering & Consulting GmbH, the latter responsible for general planning.

T

he River Power Station Staning was constructed in the years 1941 to 1946 on the Enns river forming the border between Upper and Lower Austria. Five weir fields and a machine house extend over a length of more than 150 m. From 1983 to 1985, replacement of the impellers in the three Kaplan turbines plus renewal of the generators at the same time resulted in significantly improved efficiency. At a total flow rate of 345 m³/s and a drop height of 14.3 m, the machines installed vertically have since achieved a maximum output of 43.2 MW. The power station owned by Ennskraftwerke AG generates around 203 GWh of electricity during a normal year. To establish the best possible working conditions for future overall work, the operator commissioned a renewal of the around 36-year-old crane track system at the end of 2016.

SYSTEM MODERNISED The old crane system, consisting of steel girders located on the weir pillars above and below the water, was installed in 1981 as part of a measure to raise the water level. ‘Owing to signs of aging in the supports of the steel girders along with the outmoded structural design, we opted to provide a new crane track’,

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May 2018

declares Project Manager at Ennskraftwerke AG, Gerhard Zarfl. The portal crane itself was left in its original state, apart from an adaptaTransporting old and fresh concrete by air proved to be ideal during the practical implementation.

tion during the conversion phase. Because the crane is only assigned the function of installing the inspection covers on the side above water, a complete renewal of the crane system would not have been expedient economically, continues Zarfl. ‘A modern structure for transporting and installing all cover parts and typically also used in the machine area, is not feasible owing to the existing facility concept at the Staning Power Station.’

CONCEPTS REFINED The concept development together with the client and overall planning for the conversion were realised by the Linz branch of BHM INGENIEURE – Engineering & Consulting GmbH, which has already implemented several hydroelectric projects successfully for Ennskraftwerke AG. ‘The concept developed when the order was awarded in November 2016 involved using pontoons to “float” the new concrete supports along the waterway.

This concept had to be rejected during the course of the tender for reasons of cost’, states BHM Project Manager Rudolf Kandler. Finally, an alternative concept was adopted in the spring of 2017, in which the construction work could be carried out with the existing infrastructure. In this solution, the portal cra-

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View of the new crane track from underwater.

Overall enGineerinG & cO n s u lt i n G s e r v i c e s

Industry

Power Plants

Roads & Railways Special Topics Public Clients ne was to be used by a corresponding adaptation for removing and installing the steel girders. The original concept of transporting the concrete via a pump line was also rejected.

Instead, the decision was taken in favour of the solution proposed by the construction company BAYER Bauwerksinstandsetzung GmbH, to transport the old and fresh concrete entirely by air using a load-lifting helicopter.

PROJECT IMPLEMENTED IN 6 MONTHS The project entered its implementation phase in July 2017 with establishment of the construction site and conversion of the portal crane. A projecting auxiliary structure was erected on both sides of the crane for this. While a hoist served for lifting the steel girders weighing several tonnes on one side, a coun-

Assembly of a new steel girder upstream.

terweight acted as a load balance on the opposite side. Kandler stresses how the steelwork concept could be developed ready for implementation after the calculations of Linz-based civil engineer DI Matthias Parzer. Likewise, Bilfinger VAM Anlagentechnik GmbH from Upper Austria was able to prove its merit during practical implementation of the overall steel construction work. The disassembly of the disused steel girders on a weir field basis began on the Upper Austria side of the power station. Disassembly of the disused crane track was followed by removal of the old concrete base and subsequent concreting of the new support consoles on the weir pillars.

‘Transporting old and fresh concrete by helicopter worked really well during the project.

We were able to realise the corresponding construction sections both rapidly and comparatively cheaply’, states Kandler. Like the dismantling of the old ones, the new girders could be reinstalled from the orographic left bank of the Enns.

ALL SET FOR THE NEXT OVERHAUL The actual power station operation remained extensively unaffected by the renewal measures. When working on the weir fields, the weir gates were locked or blocked corresponding to the construction progress and the high water level at the plant lowered, above all for scaffolding work. After a construction phase lasting around 6 months, the renewal of the crane track could almost be completed in December 2017. Remaining work that still needs to be done, such as finalising the corrosion protection, will be carried out when the weather gets warmer in the spring. Kandler and Zarfl reiterate that the new construction of the crane track has led to a significant improvement for operation of the portal crane restored to its original state. Optimal preconditions for future overhauls of the power station are therefore in place.

Hydro Power Thermal Power Biomass Special services

BHM INGENIEURE Engineering & Consulting GmbH Europaplatz 4, 4020 Linz, Austria Telephone +43 732 34 55 44-0 office.linz@bhm-ing.com

feldkirch • linz • Graz vienna • schaan • PraGue

ZEK_D+E_58x262_4C.indd 1

May 2018 3311:03:48 05.02.2018

Constructing the power house in the middle of the Korça region’s jagged mountain landscape.

photo credits: Siemens

Foto: zek

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State of the art hydro power technology in the new power house.

Foto: EWA

Using a Siemens power transformer, the generated electric energy is fed to the Albanian energy grid via a 35 kV switchgear.

SIEMENS SMALL HYDRO: MARKET LEADERSHIP IN ALBANIA Siemens can look back on decades of experience in the energy sector and can point to an installed based comprising hundreds of small hydro facilities all over the world. The company is well known for its technological competence, its profound knowledge in the field of power plant construction and refurbishment, and its excellent service provision. As a system provider, Siemens is also the ideal choice for turnkey solutions, which the company is able to provide as a consequence of its portfolio that covers the entire energy value generation chain. Operators primarily benefit from increased profitability and availability of their facilities, typically coupled with a reduction of their operating costs. As a product, services and solutions provider with regional companies around the globe, Siemens is capable of offering both efficient and on-site customer services. Commissioned to work on the power plants Llenge 1 and 3, the company is further enlarging its market share in Albania, a country known for its abundant water resources.

A

lbania is the the world’s leading country in terms of hydropower utilization.

90 percent of the Balkan state’s energy requirement is provided by hydropower – a share unmatched in any other country of the world. No wonder, then, that Albania is vigorously committed to utilising its huge hydropower potential. One of the leading enablers of hydropower is Siemens Small Hydro in Salzburg, which recently proved its knowhow with the implementation of the Llenge chain of power plants in the southern province of Korça. Korça province, which is situated around 300 km to the southeast of the country’s capital, of Tirana is known for its mountainous terrain, where major rivers of the country's southern and central regions have their source. As a consequence, the region

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May 2018

provides excellent conditions for hydropower utilizatsation.

The Llenge chain of power stations comprises the Llenge 1 & 3 facilities. Each is equipped with a horizontal five-jet Pelton turbine and a synchronous generator, providing 2300 kVA and 2000 kVA, respectively. Both stations will in future supply renewable hydroelectric power to hundreds of Albanian households. At the same time, they will contribute to the stability and supply security of the national grid.

HEPP-LLENGE Einsatz 1 & 3 der Vortriebsmaschine im Bohrund Sicherungsbetrieb.

Siemens Small Hydro in Salzburg had been commissioned to provide the entire range of electromechanical equipment for both power plants. This constitutes another milestone for

Siemens as a competent and experienced partner for small hydro turn-key solutions.

Furthermore, customer relations are highly valued at Siemens, which enabled the company to partner up with the experienced Slovenian turbine manufacturer Siapro at a very early planning stage. The result: An economically and technologically sound and seamless concept, ranging from the turbine to the connection to the 35 kV grid – in other words, a true “water-to-wire” project. As a result, Siemens was tasked with the design of the turbines and the power house, with the cable run optimization and also provided financial consulting prior to the contract even being signed. In the end, the customer received a full-service package covering the entire electromechanical equipment.

HYDRO

Working in tandem with the directly coupled synchronous generators, the units achieve a combined output of 4.3 MVA.

This hydropower project included the installation of the latest-generation control components by Siemens.

STATE-OF-THE-ART CONTROL ENGINEERING The two turbines generate 4300 kVA of electrical power by means of directly coupled synchronous generators, which is subsequently fed into the national grid by means of a Siemens power transformer via a 35 kV switchgear.

Furthermore, a state of the art solution is responsible for the turbine regulation: The Siemens SIPOCON-H turbine governor, which is based on the Simatic S7-1500 product family. The customer specifically opted for this solution, as it represents the most advanced and economic control technology Siemens has to offer.

ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY Getting to the Korça power stations proved to be an exciting, interesting, outright adventurous and economic endeavor. Whenever they returned from a journey to the Albanian con-

GOOD COOPERATION WELL WORTH ITS WHILE In the spirit of the European ideal, the mechanical and electrical work, amongst others, was carried out with the support of a locally hired workforce and Austrians and Albanians collaborated smoothly across their various assigned disciplines. Upon handover, the customer was delighted with both the result and the underlying professional project management. “I was particularly impressed by the high level of professionalism displayed by all involved parties,” states project manager Andreas Lienbacher. As a result of the customer’s positive feedback and the excellent cooperation across cultural boundaries, Siemens has already been awarded a follow-up contract. Two further projects in the neighboring valley are already in the implementation stage.

struction site, the engineers from the Competence Center in Salzburg had a lot to talk about. Going by car from the airport in Tirana takes around three hours as one trundles past fields, steep, rocky cliffs and Albania’s two largest cities, Tirana and Elbasan. The last turn of the trip leads to the tributary valley, with the Llenge chain of power stations situated at the far end. The final 40 kilometers to the head of the valley require another two hours of driving at an average speed of 20 k.p.h.. Along the route, the off-road vehicle has to cross over numerous river branches on a road that has been blasted out of the rock.

Following a total of five hours, you finally reach your destination: The hydropower station Llenge 1, smack in the middle of Albania’s southern mountain range. As a result of the prevailing geological conditions, excavation work and a series of landslide-preventing measures also had to be done.

The contract for the Llenge 1 & Llenge 3 project comprised the following main components and services: • 5-jet vertical Pelton turbine, including housing • Synchronous generator • Shut-off devices – ball valve / by-pass valve • Hydraulic equipment • Power transformer • Auxiliary transformer • Turbine governor • Generator and grid protection • Control technology • 35 kV switchgear • 35 kV transfer system • Engineering and planning • Construction and on-site installation • Commissioning • On-site training of operating staff

photo credits: Google Maps

Getting to the power plant sites involves a long, strenuous ride in an off-road vehicle.

May 2018

35

HYDRO

RUN-OF-RIVER POWER PLANT IN BLACK FOREST MORE EFFICIENT THAN EVER AFTER MODERNISATION DRIVE After 33 years of constant use, the time had come for a comprehensive overhaul of Steinen power plant in the southern Black Forest. With the aim of making full use of the plant’s potential performance capacity and improving it if possible as well as guaranteeing operational reliability for the next 20 years, the operator – Energiedienst AG in Rheinfelden – arranged for comprehensive modernisation and remediation work to be carried out to the catchment and in the power house.

For the mechanical overhaul to the turbines the experienced hydropower plant operators relied on the knowhow of the company Troyer AG from South Tyrol; for the upgrade of the electrical equipment it relied on the company Andritz Hydro from Ravensburg. It did not even take five months for the refurbishment teams from the traditional hydropower specialists to get the turbines and the control technology back into shape. The two fully refurbished pieces of machinery were put back into operation in mid-March of this year.

photo credits: Troyer AG

The two machine units at Steinen power plant in the Black Forest, whose electromechanical equipment was recently refurbished and modernised, perform as good as new.

T

he southern Baden/Swiss energy provider Energiedienst AG has been operating Steinen power plant on the River Wiese in the community of the same name in the southern Black Forest since 1984. Specifically, this is a canal power plant which has a dam weir, a head-race canal, a penstock and a power house. The weir consists of a gate weir and a double sluice which acts as a bottom outlet and sluice gate. The head-race canal is roughly 150 m long and 6 m wide. Up to 13.1 m3/s, according to the certified flow rate, are directed via the head-race canal towards the power house.

The ecological modernisation of the catchment area took place in 2007. A fish ladder which is constantly fed with 350 l/s was constructed in the form of a vertical slot pass.

Another 50 l/s are dispensed to the fish bypass. This means that today the power plant presents absolutely no barriers to fish.

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May 2018

PLANT NO LONGER UP TO SCRATCH However, when it came to energy efficiency, the power plant had been shown in recent years to be no longer quite up to scratch. It was recently no longer possible to make full use of the plant's performance capacity. This was why Energiedienst AG instigated a modernisation project which firstly included measures in the outside area of the plant and on the hydraulic steel engineering equipment, and secondly comprised the modernisation of the existing control system and electrical engineering, and the refurbishment of the two turbines. While the company Andritz Hydro was responsible for supplying new generators and

replacing the control technology and electrical engineering, the contract to overhaul the machinery was awarded to the South Tyrolean hydropower company Troyer AG. In the power house in Steinen, two Kaplan bulb turbines of the Escher-Wyss make are installed and each drive a synchronous generator with a rated speed of 365 rpm. With a net head of 7.5 m and a flow rate of 6.55 m3/s each, the turbines are designed for a total installed capacity of 810 kW. The turbines are actually bevel gear turbines. With this type of turbine, the force is transmitted between the turbine and generator via a planetary gear.

The runner blades were already showing signs of wear. They were comprehensively refurbished.

OPTIMUM INTERFACE COORDINATION The implementation of the entire modernisation project proved to be extremely complex.

What was all the more remarkable was that the operators did not bring in an external engineering firm, but instead relied on their own expertise. In particular the project manager, Philip Stauß from Energiedienst Holding AG, had plenty of challenges to contend with.

The requirement was firstly to coordinate things in the best possible way with the col-

Foto: zek

HYDRO

leagues who operate the plant on a daily basis, and secondly to draw up the concept and the specifications for overhauling the machine technology and replacing the control technology and electrical engineering in detail. Given that the two major strands of the construction project were awarded to two different companies, great attention was paid to ensuring optimum interface coordination.

“The interface coordination worked very well with the company Troyer and the company

Andritz,” explains project manager Philip Stauß, who adds: “Specifically, the interface involved also incorporating the renewal and expansion of the sensor technology which was assigned to the company Troyer - so specifically the monitoring of turbine bearings via temperature and vibration sensors, as well as the renewal of the position feedback from the runner and guide vane - into the new control engineering and process control technology.”

Particularly with regard to the desire to improve the level of plant availability and increase the total capacity of the power plant - according to Philip Stauß - renewing the plant control technology was a very important aspect.

“The old control system still featured relay technology - and displayed corresponding weaknesses and shortcomings. In addition, it was now almost impossible to get spare parts for this system. Today the possibilities for regulating the plant with different amounts of water are on an entirely different level,” says the project manager from Energiedienst Holding AG. Along with the new control system, a fibre optic cable was installed to enable communication between the new machine control system and the remote control systems for the external facilities on the screens and on the catchment. This means that various plant-optimising programs, for example the turbine flushing programs, can be utilised in a new way. The measures which have been implemented also enable remote maintenance to take place.

The two Kaplan bulb turbines were taken apart, checked, refurbished and brought right up to date at the factory of Troyer AG.

May 2018

37

Prof. Dr. is the ho of Vienn

HYDRO

CORROSION ALREADY ADVANCED The works done on the two Kaplan turbines were also extensive. Once the team from the company Troyer AG had dismantled the units at the beginning of October last year, they were transported to the hydropower specialist’s factory in Sterzing in South Tyrol, where they then underwent rigorous inspection and testing. The reasons why the level of performance was no longer optimum were then also quickly discovered. “Although two inspections from previous years had revealed that the guide vane, runners and gears were still in good condition, the units already had increased water leaks, and even oil leaks. The level of corrosion was also already advanced in some places,” explains the head of the Service department at the company Troyer AG, Josef Santoni. He reflects on a challenging refurbishment project which demanded all the skills and expertise of the team at Troyer AG, not just due to tight time constraints. “What also made the whole thing more difficult was the fact that the technical documentation available for the turbines was unsatisfactory. It was a good job that we boast very great experience here,” says Santoni.

NEW BEARING MONITORING SYSTEM INSTALLED The importance of meaningful technical documentation and plans for professional turbine refurbishment is apparent if you look at the works required to achieve this in detail: In the case of the two Kaplan bulb turbines at Steinen power plant, the first item on the agenda was to change the turbine bearings on both turbines. As a consequence, the bearings were equipped with a new, modern bearing monitoring system which supplies informati-

The two turbines were sandblasted and recoated.

on about the temperature and any vibrations.

On both machines, the position monitoring of the runner and guide vane position was replaced. In addition, the internal hydraulic hoses were replaced with solid piping, along with the shaft seals on machines 1 and 2. It also became apparent following a detailed inspection that all the protective sleeves needed to be retightened. “The assignment also included inspecting and maintaining the external bearing for the guide vane adjustment. It was also necessary to test and modify the brake for turbine 2. Following a detailed inspection, we also had to replace the wearing parts and seal parts on the guide vane adjustment section. One specification from the customer was that the hydraulic systems for adjusting

photo credits: Energiedienst

Pulling together: project manager Philip Stauß from Energiedienst Holding AG, Adrian Bohn from Andritz Hydro and Josef Santoni from Troyer AG (from left).

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the guide vane and runner, and the adjustment mechanism together with the positioning and feedback should undergo particularly rigorous testing. All tests that were carried out were of course recorded in writing and full documentation was drawn up,” says Josef Santoni. Ultimately, important information in respect of maintenance recommendations was also included in the documentation.

NEW OIL FEED-THROUGH INSTALLED An important point concerned the technical overhaul and expansion of the hydraulic units. Detailed testing revealed that a complete replacement of the hydraulic units would prove to be a better alternative to a general overhaul. In addition, a new oil feed-through was to be fitted for the runner adjustment for turbine 2. “A new oil feed-through was installed on machine 1 back in 2014, with the oil feed casing being renewed at this time. In this way, we now implemented this change on machine 2 as well,” explains the head of the Service team at the company Troyer AG. The works on the turbine bearing sets proved to be complex. Shafts and gears were subjected to non-destructive crack testing before the specialists from the company Troyer AG could set about adjusting the required bearing clearances. This work requires know-how and a sure touch in equal measure.

REFURBISHING THE RUNNER BLADES The greatest attention was of course paid to inspecting the runner blades. Contrary to the original assumptions, they displayed significant signs of wear. There was a need to take action here. The runner blades in question consequently had to be welded. In addition,

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The runner blades were refurbished individually at the factory in Sterzing.

the runner jacket was also refurbished by the service specialists from the company Troyer AG. Both turbines were generally sandblasted and recoated prior to delivery.

A technical renewal was consequently employed for the feedback of the position monitoring of the guide vane and runner. The mechanism had already displayed weaknesses in the last few years, with the interaction between the runner and guide vane often tending to deviate from the preset correlation curve. Santoni: “The feedback had previously been provided via accompanying metal ribbons. This is no longer state of the art today. That was why we fitted a new sensor system for feeding back the

positions of the guide vane and runner. The data was subsequently fed into the control system, and precise coordination with the control system supplier that had been commissioned was required. The actual monitoring is done on the adjustment cylinders.”

FLEXIBILITY AS A GREAT ASSET The time finally came towards the end of January this year: The completely refurbished and modernised Kaplan bulb turbines were ready to be delivered back to the Steinen power plant in the southern Black Forest. The installation work could begin. It took the service team from the company Troyer around a month to

carry out the intensive installation work and the dry and wet tests which followed. The recommissioning was successfully carried out under the stewardship of the company Andritz Hydro, and the coordination with the company Troyer AG on site worked very well, according to the project manager from Energiedienst AG. Both turbines began operating again on 13 March of this year.

For Josef Santoni and his team, this represented the successful conclusion to a challenging project. He views the secret to the smooth handling of this modernisation project as being in particular the concerted cooperation amongst his whole team: “What undoubtedly makes us stand out is the fact that on the one hand we have experience and know-how, but on the other are also extremely flexible. The latter proves to be absolutely crucial particularly for refurbishment projects. Another factor is that, as a water-to-wire company, we have access to specialists from every hydropower sector, whether a particular problem involves mechanical engineering, electrics or automation. The excellent team spirit which we prize so highly is of course also very helpful,” says Josef Santoni.

The level of satisfaction at Energiedienst AG with the two renovated machine units proves this point. The operator’s objectives were therefore achieved in full. The plant’s potential performance capacity was restored and significantly improved together with the new control engineering and process control technology from the company Andritz Hydro. In addition, the functionality and thus availability of the plant can now be guaranteed and the risk of a fault can be minimised over the long term.

Steinen power plant has been used by Energiedienst AG since 1984. Following the modernisation of the mechanical equipment that has now taken place, the power plant is again geared up to operate as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

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Foto: EWA

Foto: zek

photo credits: Renexpo

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2'500 visitors are expected at this year's Renexpo® Interhydro in Salzburg.

RENEXPO® INTERHYDRO - EUROPE’S MEETING POINT FOR HYDROPOWER

With a production of more than 342 TWh – around 35.5 % of the electricity generated from renewable energy sources – hydropower makes a significant contribution to achieving the EU target of 34 % of electricity generation from renewable energy sources by 2020, referring to the actual figures of VGB PowerTech e.V.. So, hydropower is not only a reliable, climate-­ friendly and very efficient renewable energy source, but also the frontrunner in Europe in the generation of electricity from renewable energy sources, playing a promising and multifunctional role as an enabler of the energy transition.

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n November 29th and 30th, RENEXPO® INTERHYDRO, Europe´s meeting point for hydropower, will focus on the general conditions and current trends in hydropower, as well as economic efficiency and ecological aspects. The trade fair and conference in Salzburg will again offer a unique platform for presentations and knowledge exchange as well the chance to create new contacts

FOCUS ON TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS At RENEXPO® INTERHYDRO conference, topics include technical innovations and current challenges in the industry as well as energy storage and water-ecological aspects, economic viability, direct marketing and e-mobility. There is also the opportunity to take part in an excursion to the hydroelectric power station Lehen.

The "3rd European Hydropower Association Meeting" as well as the "2nd Eastern European Hydropower Forum" and the 2nd Workshop "Small Hydropower in Africa" will advance the European and worldwide networking at the event.

The RENEXPO® INTERHYDRO addresses those active in the hydropower, from trade and industry, authorities and municipalities, politics and science, as well as universities and academic institutions from all over the world.

Over 125 exhibitors, 500 congress attendees, and 2,500 visitors are expected.

photo: zek

Further information can be found at: http://www.renexpo-hydro.eu/en/home-en/

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After around two years of construction, in February 2018 the Austrian turbine manufacturer Geppert GmbH successfully completed the Chumey revitalisation project in the Kingdom of Bhutan.

As well as delivering and installing the electrohydraulic equipment at the power plant, the Tyroleans also oversaw the organisation of the structural and civil engineering work. Owing to the lack of technical infrastructure in the south Asian country, the project had to be implemented in challenging conditions.

The construction of the new plant, which is capable of operating independently, enabled a vast improvement to be made to the local power supply. The almost daily power outages are now staved off in fractions of a second by the power plant. In the fully upgraded power plant control centre, three horizontal Francis spiral turbines with a combined bottleneck capacity of more than 1.7 MW are used to generate power.

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ith its mountainous topography and significant average rainfall, the Kingdom of Bhutan in south Asia offers ideal conditions for generating electricity by means of hydropower. The export of energy produced by means of hydropower to the neighbouring countries of India and Bangladesh represents a significant source of income for the economy in Bhutan. By contrast, the supply of energy to the country’s own 750,000 inhabitants can only be described as very unsatisfactory, with power outages a daily occurrence in some regions. To improve the situation, an Austrian development aid project was initiated back in 1995. At the time, the Tyrolean turbine manufacturer Geppert GmbH supplied two Pelton turbines with an output of 4.5 MW for constructing a hydropower plant in the town of Rangjung in the east of the country.

PLANT OUT OF OPERATION SINCE 2013 “The operator of the power plant in Rangjung, the Chumey Bhutan Power Corporation (BPC), recalled the name Geppert with fond memories and again turned to us when it came to bidding for the Chumey project,” explains Geppert project manager Matthias Saurwein.

photo credits: Geppert

TYROLEAN TURBINE MANUFACTURERS ENSURE GRID STABILISATION IN THE KINGDOM OF BHUTAN The Tyrolean turbine specialist Geppert GmbH supplied all of the electrohydraulic equipment for the comprehensive rehabilitation of the Chumey power plant in the Kingdom of Bhutan.

Specifically, the Chumey project involved the complete revitalisation of a diversion power plant that was constructed back in 1988 in the Bumtang district in the north of the country.

Various technical defects meant the plant had already been out of operation for several years.

After two Francis turbines were taken out of operation in 2012, the following year the power plant provisionally shut down after sustaining further damage to machinery. Due to the extensive list of defects, the operating company subsequently decided that the plant required a complete upgrade.

COMPREHENSIVE REHABILITATION As part of the transformation, the intention as well as replacing the machines was also to renew the sand trap including the associated hydraulic steel equipment. The construction and assembly work was also organised by Geppert in collaboration with local companies. The new sand trap was created in the form of two separate basins with a solid concrete design. The sand trap’s flushing and infeed guards, which are equipped with AUMA electric actuators, were manufactured by the company GMT-Wintersteller GmbH, which is also from Austria. “A major challenge when it came to implementing the project was that there were no technical records or plans for the plant. This meant that from the start of the project it was necessary to conduct a comprehensive survey of the existing

infrastructure. The existing power house and the sand trap were also resurveyed. In addition, the 114 m long steel penstock with a dimension of DN1400 was subjected to a pressure test and the existing Tyrolean weir was refurbished,” explains Matthias Saurwein, who spent a total of 12 weeks in the country working on assembly and commissioning.

ENGINEERING ON THE MOVE FOR TWO MONTHS The complicated transportation of all the power plant equipment was handled in its entirety by Geppert. From the company’s head office in Concreting the flushing channel.

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Francis spiral turbine with horizontal shaft ready to be shipped to Bhutan. Each of the three units was designed for an extraction water quantity of 2,310 l/s and can achieve a bottleneck capacity of 579 kW.

Hall in Tyrol, the equipment was first moved by truck to the port of Rijeka in Croatia. Following a sea voyage lasting several weeks, the cargo arrived at the port of Kolkata in India. After completing the customs formalities lasting around two weeks, the journey continued by road again. However, it was necessary to make another stop at the border with Bhutan. As the laws in the kingdom only permit the services of domestic carriers, the consignment had to be transferred again. Finally, the equipment completed the last stretch along gravel roads and mountain passes up to the construction site at Decorated powerhouse at the grand opening

an altitude of around 2,900 m above sea level.

Saurwein stresses that, as the infrastructure was known to be poor in Bhutan, great importance had to be placed on ensuring optimum preparation for the project. “Whereas in central Europe a missing component is usually delivered to the construction site in just a few hours, in Bhutan forgetting components or tools that are commonplace here at home can mean a delay to a project of up to a month. Seemingly simple components such as screws with metric thread are unobtainable in south Asia. This was why all plant components and the whole hydraulic cir-

cuit were designed in three dimensions and an exact packing list was drawn up in advance of the project. This definitely paid off as not a single component was forgotten.”

PLANT WITH REDUCED SENSORS Geppert opted for an extremely robust design when it came to configuring the three identically constructed Francis spiral turbines with a horizontal shaft. To minimise the plant’s susceptibility to errors and at the same time make it easier to maintain, the number of sensors was deliberately reduced. This makes it possible to operate the gauge-controlled plant automatically with comparatively few electrical signals.

Overall a net drop of 28 m and an extraction water quantity of 2,310 l/s is available for each turbine. When the full amount of water is available during the monsoon season with its high level of rainfall, a bottleneck output of 579 kW can be achieved for each turbine. Three synchronous generators from the manufacturer Hitzinger, which are coupled to the turbine shafts directly in the horizontal direction, are employed as energy converters. The air-cooled generators rotate like the turbines at 600 rpm and are designed for a rated apparent power of 720 kVA. With the upgrade to the power plant technology, it was also possible to achieve a significant increase in the maximum power with the same extraction water quantity. Whereas the old machines managed a maximum of 1,500 kW, the flow-optimised turbines deliver a total bottleneck capacity of 1,737 kW. To ensure that the operators can carry out any future maintenance work themselves, the machines were also supplied with a whole series of spare parts and tools.

POWER PLANT MAINTAINS POWER SUPPLY In addition to the hydraulic equipment, Geppert also provided all the electrical and control engineering equipment as part of a complete package. Among other things, this included the supply and professional installation of turbine

Technical Data • Flow Rate: 3 x 2,310 l/s • Head: 28 m • Turbine: 3 x Francis-Spiral • Runner Speed: 3 x 600 rpm • Runner Diameter: 3 x 670 mm • Nominal Output: 3 x 579 kW • Manufacturer: Geppert GmbH • Generator: 3 x Synchronous • Nominal Output: 3 x 720 kVA • Manufacturer: Hitzinger • Total avarage capacity: ca. 6,81 GWh/a

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Grand ceremony to mark the official opening of the power plant.

Tshewang Yeshi ( project manager client BPCL), project manager Matthias Saurwein alongside the former managing director Wilfried Geppert and fitter Matthias Marthe, Guru Tshering (PBCL client). (from left)

regulators, the medium-voltage installation and the transformers. Although the power plant was fundamentally designed for mains parallel operation, the plant’s ability to operate independently also gives it an important role in maintaining the local power supply. With the power outages, which according to Saurwein occur almost daily, the power plant control system automatically switches and thus staves off the power failure - without the end consumers noticing - in the surrounding districts. This means that local power supply interruptions lasting for up to six hours are now a thing of the past. Thanks to an online connection, the power plant can be monitored remotely and the operating mode can be adjusted if necessary.

COMMISSIONING IN FEBRUARY 2018 Due to the complexity of the project, the additional logistical outlay and the lack of infrastructure, it took almost exactly two years to imple-

ment it. Work began back in February 2016 and the fully modernised plant was finally able to start regular operation in February 2018. The completion of the power plant was marked in fitting style with a grand ceremony and the blessing by Buddhist monks. Wilfried Geppert, the former managing director who now acts an an advisor, was also actively involved in the commissioning process, which took around six weeks at the start of the year. He oversaw the commissioning of the very first Geppert project in Bhutan back in the 1990s and now, more than 20 years later, he was able to gain an impression of the developments that have taken place in the country. Project manager Saurwein delivers a positive verdict after the completion of the commissioning: “Despite the challenging circumstances, the implementation of the Chumey plant was an extremely interesting and varied project. We are delighted that our technical solutions have delivered a lasting improvement to the local power supply.”

www.geppert.at www.facebook.com/geppert.hydropower

MORE HYDROELECTRIC GENERATION ELECTROMECHANICAL EQUIPMENT FOR HYDROPOWER PLANTS FROM WATER TO WIRE Geppert GmbH Geppertstraße 6 6060 Hall in Tirol Austria

T +43 5223 57788 F +43 5223 57788 2 office@geppert.at www.geppert.at

AUSTRIA

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photo credits: Hitzinger

Hitzinger puts a lot of emphasis in R&D. Innovations such as a newly designed terminal box show how this generator manufacturer based in Linz takes impulses coming in from the market and converts them into practical solutions.

HOW THE AUSTRIAN GENERATOR SPECIALIST DRIVES INNOVATIONS No other generators are found in as many installations in Central Europe’s small-scale hydroelectric power plants as those made by the long-established Upper Austrian manufacturer, Hitzinger. And with good reason: Well-known qualities such as high efficiency and durability aside, this company’s engineers regularly excel with improvements and innovations. Last autumn, the industry specialists from this Linz-based manufacturer used the “Renexpo Interhydro” congress and trade show that is gaining in visitor frequency to showcase their latest new designs. Among those are an optimised terminal box, temperature controlled motor-driven vent flaps and new multi-pole machines with forced ventilation.

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s much as many operators are keen to effectively get the excess heat from the generators out of the power houses in summer, as much is the warm air from within the generator welcome on chilly winter days. It is essential, after all, to prevent freezing over at certain locations and of course to keep the staff from freezing. A very simple method to provide a continuous heat supply is to open the emergency flaps in the housing of the air to water heat exchanger. This is why many operators keep their generators running with open flaps all winter. In view

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of a minimised dust influx into the machine, this is less than ideal, though. After receiving a request to solve this issue, the Hitzinger engineers decided to deliver a simple solution.

It features an electrically controlled arm that fully automatically opens or closes the generator’s emergency flaps depending on the temperature.

With this solution, the Hitzinger engineers have again delivered proof that they are willing and able to react swiftly to market ideas and requirements with practical as well as cost-efficient solutions.

USER-FRIENDLINESS IS IMPERATIVE A similar case is that of another recently implemented innovation: Hitzinger staff had listened closely when the occasional operator as well as turbine manufacturers’ electrical engineers had expressed their desire for better accessibility of the terminals and connectors of vertical-axle generators. This demand was recently met with the concept of a new terminal box design. It is characterised above all by improved usability, high visibility of all components and better accessibility. “This new terminal box is not standard equipment

rpm rates. While in the past few years mainly permanent magnet generators (PMGs) were called for by innovative operators due to their high efficiency by design, recently demand for slow-running synchronous generators has been on the rise. Especially machines with power ratings that only slightly lag behind these of comparable PMGs at attractive costs are currently meeting increased demand. “This is mainly prompted by the fact that a rising number of grid operators require stringent feed-in criteria. This means that a generator now needs not only to be able to provide but also to receive reactive power”, says Daniel Huber. “As a conventional PMG cannot fulfil these requirements without complex compensation equipment, attenti-

on is again more focused on modern, slow-running synchronous generators.” Currently, Daniel Huber has a high number of requests for turbines with rpm ratings below 200 on his desk. Designs to solve this kind of requirement usually come with low speed multi-pole machines (instead of high speed machines with gear boxes). These, however, require more space and inflict higher costs.

This is why Hitzinger engineers have come up with a simple yet very smart idea: They designed comparatively compact high-pole machines with a low rpm rating that owe their small design to a minor technical innovation: forced ventilation. This is taken care of by several small fans in the generator’s air supply that can be activated individually, depending on the temperature. As high temperatures cause a massive drop in efficiency, this can be used to maintain high power levels.

Compared to a machine without forced ventilation, this new version achieves a 20 to 30 percent increase in power.

PRODUCTION SIMPLIFICATION For a number of years, Hitzinger has been working on another adaptation to a growing market demand for more powerful generaA simple solution for tors. While only a few years ago, about 2 a relatively common Besser als neu: Der MVA marked the end of the line, two or requirement: Actuated by rundum sanierte Leitapparat. three years ago a new milestone was set to an electric linear drive, a mechanical arm opens celebrate 4 MVA. Meanwhile, the industry and closes the generaspecialists based in Linz are offering generator’s emergency flaps tors rated at a nominal power of 6 MVA. depending on the ambient They have finally made the transition from temperature. small to mid-sized hydroelectricity. This wider variety of power classes, however, comes with greater challenges for the production workflows. “For a long time, frame size 110 was our maximum. To extend our product range all the way to 6 MVA at 1,000 rpm, we converted to frame size 136. This forced us photo: zek

ALTERNATIVE FOR PMG REQUIRED It is not only minor design innovations such as terminal boxes or motor-driven flaps that Hitzinger engineers have been working on.

They similarly tackle much more profound adaptations of the portfolio to changing market requirements. As retrofitting older low-pressure installations occurs more and more frequently, the hydroelectricity market increasingly demands machines with low

Novel design terminal box

Foto: EFG

yet but can be supplied upon request. It was good to see customers’ favourable reactions to the presentation of this new design at the Renexpo Interhydro show”, says Dr. Daniel Huber, Business Unit Manager Generators at Hitzinger.

Foto: EFG

All connections have better accessibility in the newly designed terminal box.

Foto: EWA

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photo credits: zek

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Slip ring design for shaft grounding: A common design made obsolete thanks to the specific design of Hitzinger generators. (top) Sleeve bearing generators like the one at the Jerzens hydroelectric plant (right) require an additional lubrication unit for the oil cooler.

to employ different production standards such as using other sheet metal dimensions, etc. or other tools. Our aim was to offer cost-effective generators at the higher power level as well, for instance with slower running machines that do not need to be built to the 136-type manufacturing standards. For this reason, we have added an intermediate frame size 124 to facilitate simplification. We can manufacture this frame size employing the same methods we also use for size 110 models”, Daniel Huber explains how the Upper Austrian engineers managed to fulfil individual customer demands and requirements in this design aspect as well.

FOCUS ON ROLLER BEARINGS Another focal point for the Hitzinger R&D department lies on the shaft bearings. In roVisitors were numerous at the Hitzinger presentation booth during the last Renexpo Interhydro show.

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tary machines, they quite understandably receive particularly high levels of attention.

Hitzinger shows a strong tendency to move from sleeve bearings to modern roller bearings that facilitate substantial gains in efficiency. Rolling friction has a much lower resistance than sliding friction, after all. What mainly contributes to the competitive edge of roller bearings is the fact that they do not require an external lubrication unit and the associated installations. This can make a difference amounting to some 10,000 to 20,000 Euros. “Using new materials, today’s roller bearings are absolutely apt to handle heavy loads and they have become very easy to replace. Most turbine manufacturers can now­adays do that for their customers“, the Hitzinger engineer adds. In this context, he also points out an interesting feature of Hit-

zinger generators. Thanks to the time-tested Hitzinger design, unlike other machines they cannot suffer voltage-inflicted damages. These are common in most conventional generators and occur when minimal asymmetries induce a shaft voltage causing bearing currents. These voltage inductions consequently result in severe damages of the affected bearings. In conventional generators, this is often taken care of by using insulated bearings.

In a “Genuine Hitzinger“, no such measures are required.

What plays a main role in this context, though, is quite naturally the correct dimensioning of the roller bearings used. It requires much expertise as well as experience. After all, the deciding question is whether to take maximum or average forces into account. This is another of the areas at which operators should consult with generator manufacturers.

A PREMIERE AT THE INTERHYDRO SHOW An excellent opportunity for talks with the Hitzinger generator specialists was the Renexpo Interhydro conference and trade show in Salzburg last November that attracted high numbers of visitors. For the very first time, Hitzinger had been present at the show with a booth. Those interested in hydroelectricity were able to get insights to the ongoing improvements and latest innovations of this first in class. They also had opportunity to learn straight from the source in what direction requirements to modern generators will change. This Linz-based manufacturer is rich in tradition and has been producing electrical machines since 1946, which provides it with lots of experience. The Hitzinger engineers are dedicated motor makers through and through. They simply love finding the optimal response to truly individual questions.

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In the westernmost part of Austria, construction work at high-pressure pumped-storage power plant Obervermuntwerk II is in full swing. Located in the district of Gaschurn in the Austrian province of Vorarlberg and operated by Vorarlberger Illwerke AG, the new facility is to be put into operation this year.

With its two high-efficiency units, each consisting of a turbine, generator and pump, the facility will provide a bottleneck capacity of 360 MW and contribute significantly to the local supply of peak and regulating power. The large-­ scale project represents an investment volume of €500 million. Headquartered in Upper Austria, Bilfinger VAM Anlagentechnik GmbH, a trusted provider with an excellent national and international track record, was able to secure the contract for supplying the penstocks and steel lining with diameters of up to DN6000.

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onstruction work for high-pressure pump storage plant Obervermuntwerk II in the Silvretta region in Vorarlberg began already in 2014. That year, Vorarlberger Illwerke AG also initiated a construction project for the Rellswerk pump storage plant in nearby Vandans. (See the comprehensive article on that project in the February edition.)

With its reversible pump turbine, the Rellswerk facility generates 15 MW in pumped operating mode and has a bottleneck capacity of 12 MW. By comparison, the generating capacity of Obervermuntwerk II will be four times as high. This is made possible by two ternary units, each consisting of a pump with transformer, a generator and a turbine with shifting clutch, which enable the facility to be operated in hydraulic short circuit mode. The units can be fully controlled across the entire operating range without the need for partial-load stabilisation. As such, they provide a total bottleneck capacity of 360 MW. Around €500 million will be invested into the construction of this underground power station.

When finished, it will contribute significantly to the stabilisation of the European power grid.

photo credits: Bilfinger VAM

HIGH-PRESSURE PUMPED-STORAGE POWER PLANT OBERVERMUNTWERK II NEARING COMPLETION

Despite the location of the construction site high in the Alps at an altitude of between 1700 and 2000 m, construction work on the Obervermuntwerk II facility is proceeding all year round. The entire steel lining and penstock construction for the high-pressure pumped-storage power plant is provided by Bilfinger VAM Anlagentechnik GmbH.

storage plant Kopswerk II, which was completed in 2008 and provides a bottleneck capacity of 525 MW. As a result, there was no need to apply for further water resource permissions.

The concept behind Obervermuntwerk II is based on the idea of utilising the impounded headwaters of the existing Silvretta reservoir for hydropower generation and lead the tailwaters to the Vermuntsee. In terms of energy technology, the result ensures a highly efficient, optimised use of resources that up to now used to be utilised only by Obervermuntwerk I, which has been in operation since 1943. However, exploiting this hitherto unused energy potential requires a considerable Trial assembly of the bifurcator at Bilfinger VAM’s headquarters in Wels, Upper Austria.

amount of construction work. The complete motive water stream, including head- and tailrace tunnel, the intake structure, outlet structure and surge chamber, as well as the 125 m long, 25 m wide and 35 m high machine cavern will be installed underground. For the engineers, this means that they will have to resort the use of heavy machinery and rock blasting to get the job done. Things are complicated even further by the the restricted spacial conditions and the location of the construction site high up in the Alps. The Silvretta High Alpine Road serves as the main access road to the construction site, but as it is closed during the wintertime, a separate material Shaft head bend is assembled

OPTIMUM USE OF ENERGY POTENTIAL Also situated in Gaschurn is Vorarlberger Illwerke AG’s -most powerful facility – pump

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Final assembly of the bifurcator

rope way was installed. To reduce gravel transport by truck to a minimum level, the excavated material was directly recycled for concreting

ASSEMBLY SHOP HIGH UP IN THE MOUNTAINS Summer 2015 saw the kick-off to the installation stage, with the engineers from Upper Austria beginning work on the DN6000 steel lining for the 256 m pressure tunnel. As Reiser points out, handling the transport logistics and ensuring the most efficient storage of the large-sized structural components in the confined space of the construction site in the

Animation: Vorarlberger Illwerke AG

PROFESSIONALS AT WORK As might be expected, it takes absolute professionals to implement an elaborated and complex project like this. A quick glance over the list of contributing companies confirms this.

The pumps and turbines are provided by leading large-hydropower specialists Voith Hydro and Andritz Hydro. The building construction and civil engineering work will be performed by a consortium consisting of Jäger Bau GmbH, Porr AG, Hinteregger Bau and ÖSTU-Stettin. Bilfinger VAM Anlagentechnik GmbH – yet another Austrian-based provider with excellent national and international references – was contracted for the penstock and steel lining. Bilfinger VAM has been proving its competence recently with a series of pressure shaft construction projects in Austria, including, for example, the Verbund operated pumped-storage power plant Reisseck II in Carinthia, and Kopswerk II, which is operated

by Vorarlberger Illwerke. “The contract for

Obervermuntwerk II involves three basic construction lots: Lots 1 and 2 comprise the design of the complete headwater and tailwater penstock piping and steel lining, including the throttle valve at the bottom of the surge chamber, as well as the shaft head bend and T-pieces.

Lot 3 covers the rebuilding of the Obervermuntwerk I penstock. In future, this entire new penstock will run inside an underground gallery as an elevated construction. We are also responsible for installing the pump and pipework in the turbine house on behalf of various companies,” says Bilfinger VAM’s project manager, Erich Reiser. In the run-up to the project, Bilfinger VAM also carried out the detailed planning for the individual sections to meet the principals’ requirements.

mountains posed quite a challenge by itself.

Although the pressure tunnel’s DN6000 steel lining measured only 10 mm in thickness, its unwieldy overall size meant that the individual pipe sections had to be delivered as half shells and welded together on-site. For this purpose, the engineers set up an assembly shop, complete with advanced welding equipment and a portal crane, on the air side of the dam wall.

Also the single pipe sections for the 290 m steel lining DN4500, each of them 3,5m long, were delivered to the construction site and welded together to pipes ready for installation within this assembly shop. To transport the pipes into the gallery, Bilfinger VAM constructed a special transport vehicle (pipe carrier). When they installed the penstock, the engineers proceeded step by step from the bottom up. The 148 m section in front of the Y-piece joint was installed at an incline of almost 48°. In joining the pipe sections, Bilfinger VAM relied on the “MAG-TPS/i” process developed by Upper Austrian specialist Fronius, which had been used primarily in the automobile industry. As Reiser explains, the MAGTPS/i process enables root welding without the need for separate weld pool backing, which ensures high-quality final welds.

MOUNTING SUPER-SIZED FITTINGS WITH PERFECT PRECISION With the installation of the steel lining complete, the next item on the schedule was the construction of the manifold in front of the underground turbine house. Two T-pieces were mounted for the 51 m DN3100 turbine supply pipes and the 75 m DN3300 pump risers. Once that was done, the entire pipe section was filled with water and encased in concrete while under pressure. In summer 2016 the project moved to the next stage, which involved the construction of the DN3800 double machine branch pipes that connect to the bifurcator. As the last element of this section of the penstock system, the bifurcator itself was installed. It had been pre-fabricated at Bilfinger VAM’s headquarters in Wels, Upper Austria, and, like other components, it was

Technical Data • Underground power station with two horizontal machine units • Motive water flow in turbine mode: approx. 150 m3/s • Motive water flow in pumping mode: approx. 135 m3/s • Head: approx. 292 m • Nominal output: 2 x 180 MW • Underground motive water conduit: approx. 3.5 km in total • Pressure tunnel steel lining: approx. 256 m • Pressure shaft steel lining: approx. 292 m

System layout and motive water streams for Obervermuntwerk I and II

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• Manufacturing & installation: Bilfinger VAM Anlagentechnik GmbH

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T-piece being installed in the gallery

Compression tests being performed on the manifold in front of the turbine house

also transported to Vorarlberg in individual parts. “The section with the T-pieces and branch pipes was quite a technical feat. It’s the point where all the machine units connect, so our engineers had to be extremely precise. It was quite an impressive achievement for our engineers and supervisors to manage a perfect fit at these dimensions and keep the welds steady enough to pass the pressure test with flying colours,” says Reiser. Next, the throttle valve was installed at the lowest point of the surge chamber, which serves to mitigate pressure fluctuations. With its 6.8 m diameter the throttle valve is the largest component in Bilfinger VAM’s portfolio in this project and took from June to September 2016 to install. To

round off Construction Lot 2, sets of four 20 m DN4400 steel lining sections will be installed, which connect directly to the tailwater discharge gates behind the pumps and turbines. From there the used motive water proceeds to the Vermuntsee by way of concrete conduits, from where it is transported back upstream in pumping mode.

NEW PENSTOCK FOR OBERVERMUNTWERK I Final construction work on the Obervermuntwerk II project is currently in full swing. Unit 1 is scheduled to be put into operation by the end of September this year, followed by unit 2 only a few months later, in late December. For Bilfinger VAM, however, the project will not

be complete at that point. Work on the third construction lot will be kicked off still in summer 2018 with the construction of the new penstock for Obervermuntwerk I. With an age of more than 70 years, the old overground steel pipe has reached its end of life. In future, the entire penstock will run underground as an elevated construction inside a completely rebuilt gallery. The steel pipes used by Bilfinger VAM for this purpose is sourced locally from Vorarlberg-based Bertsch Group as part of a business cooperation. The tunnel was already used as an access conduit during the construction of Obervermuntwerk II. Installing the new 1050 m DN1900 penstock is expected to take about a year.

WE MAKE ENERGY WORK –––––– FOR MANY DECADES BILFINGER VAM HAS BEEN A COMPETENT AND RELIABLE PARTNER IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF HYDROPOWER PLANTS.

Structural design, engineering, fabrication and installation of penstocks and hydraulic steel structures. www.vam.bilfinger.com

BILFINGER VAM ANLAGENTECHNIK

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Foto: EWA

photo credits: Foto:Braun Geppert

Foto: zek

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Once seen – there’s no doubt about it. This is a Braun Maschinenfabrik horizontal RRM. This machine at the Stanzertal hydroelectric plant in Tyrol has proven itself to be reliable, robust and efficient over the past 3 years since it was installed.

UPPER AUSTRIAN INDUSTRY SPECIALIST GUARANTEES MAXIMUM SYSTEM AVAILABILITY

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n enhanced degree of effectiveness due to the installation of new turbines and generators is a positive and desirable development. However, the corresponding effect on the system’s annual capacity can only be achieved if a constant and unhindered flow of water can be guaranteed. Combined flow-optimised fine rakes and an effective and reliable rake-cleaning machines are still some of the most important infrastructural components of a hydroelectric power station – be it a vertical or horizontal rake installation. Furthermore, the standard of driftwood and debris removal by the fine rake is usually influenced by the same three main factors for both vertical and horizontal setups – the gap between the blades or rods, the degree of turbulence in the pre-rake flow and by the thickness of the blades or rods. For

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these reasons, optimising the effectiveness of the fine rake set-up requires a wealth of theoretical knowledge and practical expertise.

AN EFFICIENT ENGINE OF INNOVATION The trend towards the installation of horizontal rakes in new plants and revitalisation projects can be explained by the demands of fish ecology. Smaller gaps of 15 – 30mm between the blades lower flow speeds and enable the fish to free themselves from the inlet. Increased protection for fish is a key argument in favour of horizontal rake options. Never­ theless, streamlined blade designs are commonly used to ensure efficient power station operation. A fully automated and reliable, high-performance rake cleaning machine ensures the maximum flow is constantly guaranteed across the entire cross-section of the

graphics: Braun

A wealth of knowledge and experience, flexibility and the courage to innovate, are the hallmarks of the technological hydropower solutions produced by Braun Maschinenfabrik. The Vöcklabruck hydrotech industry specialists began to react to the increased demand for horizontal rake systems a number of years ago and are now able to offer this variation with the superior technology Braun is known for today. The brand stands for technical sophistication, robustness and long-standing reliability.

Proof of these qualities can be found working in numerous hydropower plants at home and abroad.

Braun Maschinenfabrik’s horizontal rake systems prove their worth under difficult conditions.

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the inlet – and as regards flood prevention.

The intention is to implement the technical solutions required for relocation of the weir gates to avoid flooding in the Lech, as occurred in 1999 and 2005.

Fotos: Porr

graphics: Braun

A new cleaning machine for 48 metres of a horizontal rake system is soon to be installed at the Upper Austrian Danzermühl power station to ensure the free flow of water through the fine rake.

rake. As recognised industry specialists, it is these attributes that have also helped to establish Braun Maschinenfabrik’s excellent reputation in horizontal rake technology. As a wellknown non-stop engine of innovation this reputation has already spread far beyond the Austrian borders. The company’s list of references from the last few years provides some very convincing proof.

REIGNING PROUDLY IN TYROL One fine example of a system was installed at the Stanzertal power plant in the Tyrolean Oberland region, and went online in the autumn of 2015. Braun Maschinenfabrik supplied the weir gate, the overfill release gate and a horizontal fine rake for the side flow inlets of the water catchment system in Flirsch in the Arlberg region. The accompanying horizontal

rake cleaning machine was designed to be robust and powerful, and even to remain fully operational during the expected periods of extremely low temperatures. Obviously, the system is also fully automatic and switches on when it senses a water level change of 5cm.

After three years in operation the managers of the Stanzertal hydropower plant are very satisfied with the quality of the infrastructure supplied by Braun Maschinenfabrik.

A brand-new reference project is now going into operation in the Außerfern area of Tyrol.

At the Höfen power plant, where the existing gates are being extended, the Vöcklabruck hydrotech industry business is also providing a flow-optimised horizontal rake and a high-performance rake cleaning machine. At the hydroelectric power plant in Reutte this offers benefits in terms of the fish ecology at

Innovations for waterpower all over the world.

48 METRES OF PRECISION A brand new horizontal rake solution is currently being implement at another reference site on the River Traun in the Upper Austrian town of Laakirchen. The long-serving Danzermühl plant is now being completely rebuilt. At the time of writing (early 2018) building work is still underway. The sheer surface area of the rakes is impressive at a total of 240m². The whole rake is 48m long and 5m high. The rake blade gaps were a compromise between ecological requirements and the demand for energy production. In the upper section, the gaps are 45 mm and further down they are 30 mm.

The construction consists of flat blades and round steel rods to form a framework of several rake units. The rake frames are all connected up and bolted on to 11 vertical rake carriers, which have also been designed to optimise water flow. A hydraulically driven horizontal rake- cleaning machine is used to keep the rake free of floating debris. This can be controlled fully automatically, by remote control signals or manually. As with the rake and the machine unit, the control system is also manufactured

by Braun Maschinenfabrik.

Decades of expertise and experience have been augmented by a great deal of recent research and development to produce these fine-rake systems and rake cleaning machines.

The horizontal rake systems are among the newer developments realised by Braun Maschinenfabrik, whose quality is now driving general industry trends.

Trash Rack Cleaning Systems Hydro Mechanical Equipment BRAUN Maschinenfabrik Ges.m.b.H. Gmundner Str. 76 4840 Vöcklabruck / AUSTRIA E-Mail:office@braun.at

www.braun.at

MASCHINENFABRIK

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photo credits: HTL energía

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Powerhouse at the La Viña plant in the Chilean Bío-Bío region.

The hydro-energetic potential of an irrigation channel is used to produce electricity.

CHILEAN LA VIÑA POWER STATION PROVIDES OPERATING RESERVE POWER The completion and commissioning of the La Viña power station in Chile again enabled Ossberger, the southern German turbine builders, to provide further proof of their expertise in the South American small-scale hydroelectric sector. The plant was constructed along an irrigation channel at the heart of a wine-growing area in Región del Bío-Bío and Ossberger fitted it with a full range of electrohydraulic technologies. Working at full flow volume the robust crossflow turbine can generate a bottleneck capacity of 433 kW. The plant was built within just a few months and achieves an average yearly output of approximately 1,500,000 kWh of green energy. The electricity generated by ‘La Viña’ is used to guarantee the availability of operating reserve power and is traded on the Chilean ‘spot market’.

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s well as providing a base for a variety of industries, the Central Chilean region of Bío-Bío is also the largest wine-growing area within this entire South American coastal country. Numerous irrigation channels deliver water to the busy wine-growing and agricultural areas. These artificial waterways are fed by sources such as the Río Bío Bío. The body of water forms a natural border with the northerly Mapuche region and, at a length of 380 km, it is the second-longest river in the country. In the fairly recent past, several small-scale hydropower stations have been built along a 30 km section of a 100 km irrigation channel. As the name La Viña (Spanish for wine mountain) suggests, the plant was built by HTL energía – a Chilean project development company in a wine-growing area on the Licura-Munilque Canal. The company specialises in the utilisa-

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tion of the hydro-energetic potential of irrigation channels and has already completed a whole series of similar projects around the country. The entire hydraulic and electrical infrastructure for the power plant, including the control systems, was provided by the German manufacturers at Ossberger. Distribution tasks were executed by the Chilean business Mantex S.A., a company active in the industrial, quarrying and energy sectors, whose portfolio also includes engineering solutions and the representation of numerous international enterprises.

A CROSSFLOW TURBINE UNITES MANY ADVANTAGES “Satisfying the numerous interest groups when it comes to authorising hydropower projects in these places is often a complicated business, since the use of irrigation channels is

usually divided up between town councils, companies and private individuals”, explains

Technical Data • Flow Rate: 5.2 m3/s • Net head: 10.2 m • Turbine: Crossflow • Runner Speed: 147 rpm • Output: 433 kW • Manufacturer: Ossberger • Generator: Asynchronous • Voltage: 400 V • Output: 392 kW • Total Average Capacity: ca. 1.5 GWh

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The power plant was constructed in a wine-growing region in just a few months.

Rolf A. Fiebig, CEO at Mantex S.A. “Fortunately, the La Viña project was an exception to the rule and a building permit was issued without any significant difficulties or delays.”

Fiebig continued, explaining that from the very beginning the plant operators had intended to equip the hydroelectric power station with a crossflow turbine. “The principle behind the crossflow turbine is both simple and effective and, in combination with reduced maintenance requirements and excellent value-for-money, these are key deciders for the customer. In fact, Ossberger turbines have already proven their operational qualities at several plants in Chile.” Furthermore, one advantage of the machine that simply can’t be underestimated is its self-cleaning function.

Driftwood and floating debris that enters the body of the turbine is pressed between the rotor blades and after just half a rotation is rinsed out by the escaping water, assisted by the centrifugal force of the turbine rotors.

TURBINE GENERATES 433 KW FOR POWER SHORTAGES A compact weir with a channel outlet surge tank was installed 20 km from the town of Mulchén. If there is a power plant failure, the

Installation of the Ossberger crossflow turbine. Designed to process a volume of 5.2 m3/s, at full flow capacity this machine can produce a bottleneck capacity of 433 kW.

surge tank provides a bypass system for an automatic rerouting of the flow into the existing channel. Electricity production only requires a maximum of 5.2 m³/s of water to be directed down a 200 m DN1800 pipeline to the turbine of the functionally-designed power house. The turbine has a net head of 10.2 m.

At full water capacity the machine can generate 433 kW of bottleneck capacity. The impressive rotor is 2.6 m across, rotates at a rate of 147 rpm and is connected with the asynchronous generator via a gear. The generator itself rotates at 1000 rpm and produces 392 kW. ELECTRICITY FOR THE REGULATED ENERGY MARKET Although the volume of water flowing down the channel remains relatively stable, flow can drop to a minimum of 3 m³/s. Nevertheless, this in no way inhibits the capacity of the system to produce electricity with a crossflow turbine, particularly in the partial load zone where the machine achieves a constantly high degree of efficiency. The project developer ‘HTL energía’ says the plant provides 75% of maximum operative usage.

The state-of-the-art power plant offers ful-

ly-automated electricity production. The electrical technology and control infrastructure ‘OTmation SCADA’ were also provided

by Ossberger as part of the ‘water to wire’ job. The entire plant can be operated and monitored remotely online. Any operational disturbance is registered automatically by the control infrastructure and reported to the operator. In an average year the power plant can produce around 1,500,000 kWh of power. The output is fed into the public mains grid around 1 km away via overhead power lines especially constructed for the purpose.

The power station went online in May 2017 after a construction period of just a few months. Rolf Fiebig confirms there has been a seamless supply of power since the system commenced operation, and that the customer is very satisfied. The electricity produced is utilised to guarantee operating reserve power for the national grid. Electricity is traded on Chile’s ‘spot market’. Hydroelectric power station operators are at a notable advantage in such an extremely dynamic business.

The law states that the use of power emanating from renewable energy sources must always be prioritised when there is demand for operating reserve power.

Ossberger provided the entire electrotechnical infrastructure and control technology for the water to wire project.

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With the commissioning of the “Xenamnoy 2 – Xekatam 1” power plant, GLOBAL Hydro Energy GmbH, the all-rounder when it comes to hydropower from Upper Austria, has successfully completed its first project in the South-East Asian country of Laos. The contract involved delivering all the electromechanical and process control equipment at the power plant as a turnkey solution. Power is generated by three highly effective Francis spiral turbines which together can generate a maximum power output of around 22 megawatts. The plant control for ensuring fully automated power production is performed by the “HEROS3” software, which GLOBAL Hydro Energy developed and programmed itself. The completion of the power plant was celebrated with a great ceremony at the end of August.

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ith an export ratio of around 20%, hydroelectric power represents one of the most important trading commodities for the South-East Asian country of Laos. In addition to several large-scale hydroelectric power plants on the Mekong River, whose course forms a natural border for several hundred kilometres with the neighbouring countries of Myanmar and Thailand, the many waterways in the country’s interior also provide ideal conditions for producing electricity. The hydroelectric power plants in Laos produce electricity at full load particularly during the monsoon season with high levels of rainfall between May and November. With the “Xenamnoy 2 – Xekatam 1” power plant, which was completed a few months ago in the southern part of the country, a plant constructed to particularly high standards has started operating. The project was commissioned by the “B. Grimm” corporate group from Thailand. This multinational conglomerate is involved in the healthcare, industrial, real estate and energy sectors and operates more than 20 power plants in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

COMPLETE PACKAGE FROM AUSTRIA The Upper Austrian hydroelectric power specialist GLOBAL Hydro Energy GmbH was able to secure the contract to deliver all

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The Francis spiral turbines were optimally designed to suit the hydrological conditions at the location of the plant in the southern part of Laos. The operators expect to achieve an annual standard operating capacity of around 120 GWh.

the electromechanical and process control equipment for the power plant. The “Xenamnoy 2 – Xekatam 1” project marked the first project in Laos for the turbine manufacturer after a whole series of assignments in SouthEast Asia, for example in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia and India. The plant concept is based on the classic diversion principle. This involves damming the Xekatam River with a dam structure with an overflow edge and feeCommissioning engineer Robert Bierbaumer, project manager Thomas Kuffner and ET project manager Philipp Gumplmayr (left to right)

photo credits: GLOBAL Hydro Energy

AUSTRIAN TURBINE MANUFACTURER DELIVERS FIRST PROJECT IN LAOS

ding the nominal water through a turbine penstock. Furthermore, in the event of a future water shortage, the concept envisages utilising the adjacent River Xenamnoy via a discharge channel for the new hydroelectric power plant. The first 250 m of the existing discharge channel are guided in an open channel to a de-sanding basin, then the 2,7 km long penstock made of steel begins. In total, 12 m³/s of nominal water and a net height of 200 m is provided.

SHIPMENT WITH CONDITIONS “After we were awarded the project, our engineering department began to construct the machines at the end of 2015. The turbines and generators were delivered around 10 months later in October 2016,” reports GLOBAL Hydro project manager Thomas Kuffner. They were first transported by truck from the company‘s head office in Niederranna in the Upper Mühlviertel region of Austria to the Port of Hamburg for shipment. Once the equipment had arrived in Thailand by ship, the final stage of the journey was again by truck to the power plant construction site in the south of Laos. As the insurance company did not permit turbines and generators to be shipped together, the plant parts each had to be transported individually. After a journey time of six to eight weeks, the work of equipment installation at the construction site star-

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From the transverse structure a 2.7 km long penstock guides the works water down to the turbines in the centre of the plant.

View of the powerhouse and the high-voltage installation.

ted at the beginning of 2017. The installation of the electromechanical plant parts was carried out under the supervision and instruction of GLOBAL Hydro Energy engineers together with local fitters. Project manager Kuffner describes the process of coordinating the different colleagues from Thailand, Vietnam and Laos as one of the project’s biggest organisational challenges due to language barriers.

HIGHLY EFFECTIVE FRANCIS SPIRAL TURBINES Three completely identical Francis spiral turbines with an nominal water quantity of 4 m³/s each are used to generate electricity. The runners of the horizontal-axis machines have a diameter of 703 mm and rotate at 1,000 rpm. Three synchronous generators from the Spanish manufacturer Indar, which are also of identical design and are coupled directly to the turbine shafts, are used as power transformers.

“The turbines are optimally designed to suit the hydrological conditions at the location of the plant and, when the water is at full capa-

city, they deliver a maximum electrical output of 7,215 kW. As in a project that was recently completed in Guatemala, our self-developed mechanical seals are used in the ‘Xenamnoy 2 – Xekatam 1’ plant too. These are perfectly configured to suit the turbines and represent vital components for efficient operation,” states Kuffner. The overall electromechanical package was completed with the hydraulic equipment used to regulate the turbines, the lubrication and cooling equipment, the water treatment facility, the main inlet valves and the medium-voltage installation. All components originate from Austrian or European manufacturers. The high-voltage installation, which also formed part of the package delivered by GLOBAL Hydro, was purchased from a manufacturer from Vietnam, delivered directly to the construction site and installed by this manufacturer.

automation solution, which was developed in-house, including the visualisation and SCADA system. The intelligent software ensures the highest possible effectiveness and efficient production of electricity in all operating states. Thanks to the comprehensive database archiving, all key technical and commercial figures for the plant can be reviewed and tracked at any time. An internet connection enables the operating personnel to access the plant remotely at any time. Thomas Kuffner can deliver a positive verdict after completing the project: “An assignment in a country that was previously unknown to us meant new challenges on both, a cultural and a technical level. But thanks to the efficient working relationship with the customer’s representatives on site, it was undoubtedly one of the most interesting projects that I have been able to oversee for GLOBAL Hydro Energy.” The completion of the power plant was celebrated in fitting style with a major event at the end of August. In a standard year, the operators expect to produce around 120 GWh of electricity on average.

CEREMONIAL COMMISSIONING AT THE END OF AUGUST For fully automated operation of the plant, GLOBAL Hydro installed the “HEROS3”

Technical data • Extraction water quantity: 12 m3/s • Net height: 200 m • Turbine: 3 x Francis spiral • Rotational speed: 3 x 1,000 rpm • Bottleneck output: 3 x 7,215 kW • Manufacturer: GLOBAL Hydro Energy • Generator: 3 x synchronous • Manufacturer: Indar Electrics • Annual output: approx. 120 GWh

The power plant is controlled in fully automated fashion by GLOBAL Hydro’s own “HEROS3” software.

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photo credits: Josef Bischof

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The storms in the Sölk Valley in Upper Styria also destroyed a number of penstocks. Conventional plug-in sleeve connections could not withstand the extreme loads.

WHEN THE RIGHT PIPE CONNECTION BECOMES A MATTER OF ECONOMIC SURVIVAL The devastating storms last summer had a terrible impact on some small hydroelectric power plants, particularly in the Upper Styria region. The damage ran into tens of millions of euros. What was particularly striking from the assessment that followed was that those penstocks which had been constructed using restrained cast-iron pipes withstood even the strongest forces and remained intact. Non-restrained systems, by contrast, were broken into their individual components in some sections by the forces of nature and had to be reconstructed at great cost. In a situation like this, the issue of insurance does of course play a major role. The insurance industry already offers specific solutions for the hydropower sector – and will react to the knowledge gained from the storm damage in Upper Styria and take appropriate action.

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Foto: EFG

MASSIVE DAMAGE IN THE SÖLK VALLEY The main victims of this disastrous bad weather also included the operators of the small hydroelectric power plants in the region. “In the Sölk Valley, all the power plants on the Liezen and on the Murtal side were damaged in the storms. With two exceptions,” says Rudi Stelzl from the traditional Tyrolean pipe manufacturer TRM, who makes reference to two plants that remained intact: “The first was a small hydroelectric power plant on the Liezen side and I am also aware of another one on the Murtal side.” What makes these two small power plants different from the others is that they are both designed with a penstock made from ductile cast iron (GGG for short) and with a connection that is exclu-

sively restrained against longitudinal forces.

Technische Daten Even in places where entire slopes broke away, the restrained pipeline remained – albeit free-standing and uncovered – but it was still preserved fully intact. The difference was quite striking and was particularly evident at the Schöder power plant in Upper Styria, where on a “mixed” pipeline the pipe fractured in the exact place where the plug-in sleeve connection merged into the restrained one. photo: zek

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torm Petra will live long in the memories of the residents of the Sölk Valley in Upper Styria in particular. In the night from 5 to 6 August last year, up to 100 millimetres of rain per square metre fell in the area, causing the water level to rise to a high water mark HQ100 that is only expected once a century. The effects were devastating. Hundreds of mudslides were triggered, and some slopes slipped right down to the bedrock. The fact that no people and no livestock came to any harm really was bordering on a minor miracle. Nevertheless, the physical damage to property was vast. In an initial assessment of the damage, state governor Hermann Schützenhöfer estimated the total cost to be more than 100 million euros.

RESTRAINED CONNECTION HOLDS This is also described particularly vividly by DI Peter Neumann, the planning engineer who was given the task of restoring the two power plants Schöder 1 and Schöder 2. “At the Schöder 1 power plant, there were two

Foto: EWA

Fotos: EFG

The restrained connections held firm – the fracture occurred at the transition to the conventional plug-in sleeve connection.

photo credits: Josef Bischof

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nonrestrained

photo credits: Peter Neumann

restrained

stones were laid in a concrete bed. The power plants are now ideally equipped to cope with the next storm, which hopefully will be a long time coming.

INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE ALREADY MAKING ALLOWANCES How small-scale power plants ought to be equipped for future bad weather events in order to prevent any damage from occurring in the most effective way possible has long since also become an issue for the insurance industry. After all, the total cost of the damage from the small-scale hydropower sector in the Sölk Valley alone ran into tens of millions of euros; precise figures are not yet available. For an acknowledged expert in this field, Anton Alt, managing director at the insurance broker Alt & Walch in Voitsberg, this represents an extremely worrying development: “Natural diMost of the pipe bridges held. But without a coupling restrained against longitudinal forces, the connection to the next pipe was torn away.

Besser als neu: Der rundum sanierte Leitapparat.

photo credits: Peter Neumann

Foto: EFG

CHALLENGING REPAIRS The big clear-up and assessment of the damage was followed by the repair work, which would prove to be especially challenging, particularly on the broken penstocks. Design engineer Peter Neumann comments: “In some cases, it was really very difficult to get the rocks and mud which had entered the pipeline out again. The fundamental approach that we adopted was to start from the water catchment and flush down in sections from top to bottom. But to do this it was first necessary to free the sand trap completely of gravel and fine matter so that there was no further ingress on flushing. By contrast, in the area upstream of the power house of the Schöder 2 power plant we flushed out the mud from the bottom upwards over a length of around 100 metres so that no more sediment would be conveyed towards the machinery.

This approach ultimately proved successful.”

During the process of relaying the sections

that were affected, an additional manhole was integrated. “Immediately before the power house of the Schöder 1 power plant there is a low point where a lot of material settled. A manhole with an integrated flush line has now been installed here,” says the planner, who mentions the fact that the restored sections have a restrained connection – such as the patented pipe connection that is restrained against longitudinal forces from the company TRM. “As you have seen with these power plants, it makes complete sense to lay pipelines with restrained pipe connections, particularly in Alpine regions. One alternative to this would be to lay the penstock much deeper. However, one drawback of this is that it entails higher costs – and sometimes the geological conditions do not make this economically feasible.” As an additional safeguard, the bank revetments made from large armour

Foto: EFG

sections where up to ten pipes in a row had broken out of the pipeline. They were later found in the river bed and could no longer be used. They had evidently been properly pulled apart by the force of the torrent. But there were also sections of the pipeline that were originally laid underground that were exposed, and here the pipeline was still completely intact,” recalls Peter Neumann. The section of the penstock for the Schöder 1 power plant which runs underground through the village also displayed no damage whatsoever. In addition, he mentions the pipe bridge which also withstood the abutment shifting. Here too one thing was abundantly clear: the sections of the pipeline which were coupled together with restrained connections survived the storm unscathed. The others did not.

The individual sections of pipe, some of which were in the river bed, could no longer be reused.

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Foto credits: Peter Neumann

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At the Schöder 1 power plant, a manhole with a flushing facility was installed at a low point.

Repairing and restoring the penstock proved to be extremely complicated.

sasters such as those in the Sölk Valley in the summer of 2017 appear to be increasing both in frequency and in intensity. An HQ100 should by definition only occur once every 100 years, but we have had such an event two or three times in recent years.” It seems to him highly plausible and very likely that this will have repercussions for the insurance industry.

He points out that with this in mind the premiums of the insurers that are linked to the reinsurers will probably increase. “I expect that power plant operators will have to reckon with higher premiums in the future,” thinks Anton Alt, but in the same breath he concedes: “From my perspective it is very much conceivable that individual adjustments can be made in respect of insurance risk manage-

ment.” In this case, what that means is quite simply that the level of premium might depend on the quality of the design of a power plant project. In other words, power plant operators with a penstock that is restrained against longitudinal forces would enjoy an advantage when it comes to insurance.

ROBUST INSURANCE INDISPENSABLE However, the insurance specialist is still cautious and restrained in the statements he makes.

After all, some of the damage still needs to be assessed, analysed and evaluated as part of the risk management process. But there is one thing that he is very clear about: “It is vital for power plant operators to have professional insurance. Particularly with the most recent da-

Restraint or restrained VRS®-T connection: To be precise, the restrained connections are plug-in sleeve connections based on positive locking which are restrained against longitudinal forces. The weld bead on the spigot end and the retaining chamber provide the basis for this. The actual form fit is achieved between the weld bead and the retaining chamber through the insertion of locking segments. This creates a mechanical transfer of force between the spigot end and the coupling of the next pipe or next moulded pipe fitting. Depending on the nominal diameter, the locking is done using two to 14 bars, which are generally very easy to attach. They are inserted via a sleeve window and spread around the circumference of the pipe. It is possible to insert a clamping ring on cut pipes. Pipes with a VRS®-T connection are available in unit lengths of 5 and 6 m. The primary advantage of this connection is that it can absorb very high permitted operating pressures and enormous

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tensile forces. For example, the system restrained against longitudinal forces with DN900 pipes can tolerate tensile loading of up to 1,845 kN. Depending on the nominal width, they still permit certain deflections.

VRS®-T-Verbindung

mage we have seen that one or two have been caught out here because they did not have any insurance or had insurance cover that was entirely inadequate. This really should not happen.” An important factor is that operators should not opt for insurers that do not have any experience in this area. According to Anton Alt, this is also a reason why his company, which is known as a specialist insurer for industry and commerce, has focused in great depth on the complex issue of hydropower. “It is essential for an operator to have an expert discussion with a specialist from this sector.

For example, we have devised a special product for the sector which is based on the experiences we have gained since 2010. Over this period of time, we have been working very closely with planners and operators and have also drawn up a number of risk analyses. An expert discussion with a specialist that can implement the visions of a hydropower plant operator in a way that meets their needs should really be mandatory,” says Anton Alt. EXTREME EVENTS OVERCOME The experiences from the storm events and the damage caused in the Sölk Valley in Upper Styria will live long in the memories of not just the small-scale hydropower plant operators that were affected. They will also long be an issue for the industry, which it seems in all likelihood will have to get used to such disastrous storms occurring more frequently. One very important aspect for preventing the worst from happening has also become abundantly clear: TRM pipelines made from ductile cast iron with connections that are restrained against longitudinal forces demonstrate their resilience even under the most extreme loading and guarantee that the plant installation will remain intact even after such events. This point should always be borne in mind with new projects in particular.

Foto: EWA

Foto: Geppert

Foto: zek

photo credits: zek

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The benefits of the horizontal trash rack were opted for at the Hard power plant near Winterthur. The fine trash rack and the trash rack cleaning machine to go with it were installed by the South Tyrolean industry specialist Wild Metal.

SOUTH TYROLEAN TRASH RACK CLEANING TECHNOLOGY OPERATES ON THE INNOVATION TRACK A high technical standard, customised solutions and striking design are the ingredients for the recipe which characterises the hydraulic steel and mechanical engineering designs of the South Tyrolean industry specialist Wild Metal. Its hydraulic steel engineering solutions are now very much in demand not just in the DACH countries and Italy, but also internationally. It is little surprise that the company from the town of Ratschings is therefore also one of the providers that power plant operators turn to when they are planning new horizontal trash racks and the trash rack cleaning machines to go with them. Numerous reference installations bear testament to this. to designing horizontal trash racks, to talk to the industry specialists, such as the company Wild Metal, which is located just a few kilometres south of the Brenner Pass. In recent years, the company has highlighted how high photo credits: zek

not only on the hydraulic design chosen for the trash rack bars that are used, but also on the efficiency and reliability of the trash rack cleaning machine that is deployed. Operators are therefore also well advised, when it comes

The horizontal trash rack cleaning machine can cover a cleaning width of 16 m at the inlet of the Gohlhaus power plant in the canton of Bern.

photo: zek

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he inflow trash rack is often the decisive factor in determining how effectively a hydroelectric power plant will perform and how much power it will generate annually. It is all about providing the best possible flow conditions on the one hand and ensuring general availability on the other. In addition, another aspect comes into play and this is the ecological compatibility or, to put it another way, how friendly the system is to fish. EU-wide targets and national legislation is increasingly making it necessary to come up with designs in which there is no damage to fish wherever possible.

In recent times, one very good solution to this question that has become established is the use of horizontal trash racks aligned at an angle to the direction of flow which act on the one hand as a protective barrier and on the other hand as a ladder to guide the migration of fish. Horizontal trash racks thus combine the necessary friendliness to fish with the essential hydraulic criteria for efficient power plant operation. The latter depends

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photo credits: Wild Metal

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As a path leads directly behind the water catchment of the Kaufmannsmühle power plant, the trash rack installation was encapsulated with a polycarbonate cover to provide protection.

quality and innovation can combine to deliver optimum technical solutions.

The new trash rack cleaning machine on the horizontal trash rack of the Kaufmannsmühle power plant operates as quietly as a whisper.

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CLEANING PROCESS IN WHISPER MODE The South Tyrolean industry specialist only recently completed a brand-new reference project for a horizontal trash rack with a trash

rack cleaning machine in Windischgarsten in Upper Austria. For the Kaufmannsmühle diversion power plant on the Dambach right in the heart of the community, Wild Metal also supplied, as part of the package for all the hydraulic steel engineering equipment, a modern horizontal trash rack with an inlet width of 6 m and an immersion depth of 1.2 m which is cleaned by a fully automatic trash rack cleaning machine. The low opening width of 18 mm in combination with a low flow speed at the trash rack effectively prevents fish from being “sucked into” the trash rack and perishing there. From the operator’s point of view, great importance was attached to the trash rack cleaning machine which, in addition to its solid functionality, also had to satisfy another criterion: low noise. As resi-

photo credits: zek

photo credits: Wild Metal

PRECISION OVER A LENGTH OF 16 METRES For example, the requirements that the construction of the Gohlhaus power plant in Lützelflüh in the Swiss canton of Bern were to place on the experienced engineers from Wild Metal were very particular. Above all the trash rack length of 16 m at the Emme power plant, which opened in the summer of 2016, was a step into a new dimension. The fine trash rack has a clear bar width of 15 mm and thus meets the strict requirements for fish protection. The trash rack cleaning machine was designed in such a way that the arm with the trapping rake skims off the floating debris at the side, as a result of which it

is then guided further over the sluice gate into the lower water. The cleaning operation itself proceeds very swiftly. The cleaning arm, driven by a high-quality servo motor, moves at a speed of 80 cm/s fully automatically over the inlet. Thanks to precise positioning, the plant always has information about the position of the cleaning arm to the nearest millimetre. In addition, the trash rack cleaning machine was also given a very robust design because ultimately it must also be able to withstand the floods on the River Emme which are a very frequent occurrence.

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A vertical fine trash rack was converted into a horizontal trash rack at the Susasca power plant.

The horizontal trash rack for the 6 MW Susasca power plant was installed in 2016 instead of a vertical fine trash rack. The engineers from Wild Metal came up with a special solution to a very unpleasant problem that had previously existed with small pieces of ice that froze together inside the trash rack: ensuring that the trash rack component can now be heated on three sides prevents ice from forming on the trash rack bars.

Technische Daten

dents live in the immediate vicinity of the water catchment, the movement of the cleaning arm was to make as little noise as possible. Thanks to the sophisticated operating technology, with the speed being controlled via frequency converters, and a high-quality design, it ultimately proved possible to guarantee operation that is as quiet as a whisper.

For safety reasons – a path leads directly to the rear of the catchment area – the trash rack cleaning machine was fully encapsulated with a polycarbonate cover. The plant operator was extremely pleased with the technical solutions provided by Wild Metal.

THE SOLUTION TO PREVENT “CRUSHED ICE” The two power plants that have been mentioned - Gohlhaus and Kaufmannsmühle - are reference examples of low-pressure plants.

But nowadays horizontal trash racks are also

photo credits: zek

graphics: Wild Metal

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An acrylic glass housing provides excellent protection for the trash rack cleaning machine on the alpine water catchment of the Susasca power plant.

increasingly being installed in high-pressure plants. One example of a project showcasing this is the water catchment at the Susasca power plant not far from the famous Flüela Pass. In 2016, the plant not only received an upgrade to the electromechanical equipment, but also saw the water catchment being converted. A new horizontal trash rack with a gap width of 18 mm was to be installed in place of the five-year-old, vertical trash rack.

There were two reasons for this: the intention was firstly to improve the fish ecology, and secondly to rectify a recurring problem that had been happening in the winter months as a result of small pieces of “crushed” ice. This ice became stuck inside the trash rack and blocked it. After the machine was shut down, the trash rack was cleared out manually and the machine was restarted, there were repeated surges in the residual water section. Wild

Metal provided the solution to this with a special horizontal trash rack which can be heated on three sides. This prevents the formation of ice at the trash rack itself. The winters that followed demonstrated impressively that the solution works.

It is with good reason that the team from Wild Metal led by Markus Wild has a reputation for being able to respond very quickly to customer demands and specific requirements. Individual technical solutions which meet the highest standards when it comes to functionality and reliability are now regarded as the hallmark of the South Tyrolean hydraulic steel construction company. In addition, Wild Metal also provides hydroelectric power customers with the “icing on the cake” – namely the typical, distinctive design of a hydraulic steel construction company with real stature.

Wild Metal GmbH • Hydraulic steel constructions • Patented Coanda-system GRIZZLY • Trash rack cleaner • Gate • Security valve • Water intake rake • Complete water intake systems made of steel Wild Metal GmbH • Handwerkerzone Mareit Nr. 6 I-39040 Ratschings (BZ) • Italy

Tel. +39 0472 759023 Fax +39 0472 759263

www.wild-metal.com info@wild-metal.com

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UNDERWATER CONSTRUCTION WORK IN THE GEPATSCH RESERVOIR IN TYROL’S KAUNER VALLEY

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iven that full drainage of Gepatsch reservoir in the winter of 2015 resulted in unwanted silting up of the works water inlet with sediment, the powers-that-be decided that the outstanding remediation work should be done using an alternative method: Specialist divers were to perform the challenging concrete and steel construction works at a depth of up to 110 m in extremely murky water with poor visibility. The contract to manufacture the components subject to high loads was awarded to Muhr GmbH from Brannenburg in Bavaria, a company which is globally renowned in the hydromechanical sector.

All of the planning and basic design of the hydraulic steel components was undertaken by TIWAG on its own. The works in the reservoir were completed successfully at the end of 2017.

AUSTRIA’S TALLEST ROCK-FILL DAM With a capacity of around 139 million m³, the Gepatsch reservoir in Tyrol is the water reservoir for the Kauner valley power plant. When it was completed in 1964, its rock-fill dam’s length of around 600 m and height of up to 153 m made it the tenth-tallest structure of this

The inlet tower weighing more than 10 t is sunk

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Bird’s-eye view of Gepatsch reservoir in the Kauner valley

photo credits: TIWAG

In order to ensure that in the future, as a result of the sediment and siltation problem, the Gepatsch reservoir in Tyrol‘s Kauner valley no longer has to be drained for inspection and maintenance work in the headrace tunnel and bottom outlet tunnel upstream of their locking devices, steel guide frames and stoplogs which can be moved within them were designed and manufactured, and were installed with the assistance of divers using the saturation diving method at a depth of around 110 m in front of the bottom outlet intake structure and the lower headrace intake. The stoplogs and their guide frames were designed in such a way that the stoplogs can be moved in the guide frames either into the open position or into the closed position. In addition, the lower part of the bottom outlet, which was required during the construction of the dam for water retention, was finally sealed off with a concrete plug that was likewise encased in concrete at a depth of 110 m. Furthermore, the lower headrace intake was increased by a few metres using what are known as trash rack towers which were simply installed by divers at a depth of 110 m in order to produce a greater operational safeguard against any build-up of silt and sediment in the future.

type in the world. It is still the tallest filled dam in Austria today. The Gepatsch reservoir is fed by the melt water from the surrounding glaciers in the Kauner valley and the streams fed via waterways from the neighbouring Pitz and Radurschl valleys. The utilisable drop between the reservoir and the powerhouse in Prutz varies, according to the water level in the reservoir, between 793 and 895 m. Depending on what the level is, the maximum possible power plant output from the total of five twin Pelton turbines in the powerhouse is between 325 and 392 MW. In an average standard year, 661 GWh of electrical energy are generated, which equates to covering the annual electricity demand of 188,800 households.

REMEDIATION REQUIRED DIVING DEPLOYMENT As part of an officially prescribed inspection and the planned implementation of maintenance works at the same time, TIWAG completely drained the reservoir in December 2015. As a result of this draining, large amounts of sediment were moved from the back of the reservoir to the front and this led to unexpected silting up of the inlet

Archive image from 1977: Operating equipment in Gepatsch reservoir without sediment deposits

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Archive image from 1977: Lower headrace intake without sediment deposits

structures and, as a further consequence, to disruption to operations for several months. After the expensive cleaning of penstocks and turbines – fortunately the equipment did not sustain any damage – the hydro power plant was able to start operating again in May 2016. To ensure that the silting up of extraction and drainage valves was not repeated by any future draining of the reservoir, TIWAG decided to have the outstanding works to the works water inlet and the bottom outlet carried out by deploying divers under water. There were several good reasons for this costly option. The deployment of divers made it possible to conserve the environment because sediment movements were prevented by not lowering the level of the reservoir. At the same time, this prevented any hydro-ecological effects on the River Inn, into which the water exiting the turbines is ultimately fed. In addition, the use of divers guaranteed almost consensus-based management of the reservoir, thus reducing the energy losses.

DIVERS UNDER WATER FOR WEEKS Traditional dives require decompression owing to the length of the dive or depth of the dive. The general principle is: the longer the dive and the higher the pressure, the more time has to be spent on decompression. With what is known as “saturation diving”, the divers are constantly subjected to the same pressure so that there is no need for the regular decompression periods. The divers thus spend several weeks in special pressure chambers under water, with alternating teams being deployed in a shift pattern. The 3 to 4-day decompression time is thus only required at the conclusion of the 3-week diving cycle. A total of four of these 3-week diving cycles with three teams of two divers in each case were required at the Gepatsch reservoir. This

Intake rack towers recessed in the structure, side view

Shot from December 2015: Lower headrace intake with sedimentation

enabled work to take place around the clock. The complex underwater assignment was undertaken by the Dutch company “DCN Diving”, whose professionals have been able to prove their proficiency in the past working on oil platforms or the expansion of the Suez Canal.

STRUCTURAL MEASURES ON THE LOWER HEADRACE INTAKE AND ON THE BOTTOM OUTLET INTAKE The structural measures on the lower headrace intake comprised the installation of a total of three intake rack towers and one guide frame with stoplog. As the inlet area increases by several metres, this enhances the operational reliability in the event of a possible increase in sedimentation deposits in the future. The lower bottom drainage inlet (previous build workflow) was finally plugged shut with a reinforced concrete seal made from around 400 m³ of concrete which was produced at a water depth of 110 m (world record). For the upper bottom outlet intake, three guide frames together with movable stoplogs were fitted. “These structural designs now make it possible to carry out inspection and maintenance work in the headrace and bottom outlet tunnel upstream of their locking devices in the reservoir with drops of around 20 m above the minimum operating level,” explains Richard Obendorfer, the technical project manager from TIWAG. To produce the concrete plug seal, the divers first had to remove the sediment which was up to 15 m deep. This was done using the “air-lift procedure”. This involves lowering a steel pipe which has a diameter of 25 cm and is wider at the bottom end vertically down as far as the sediment. This steel pipe has an air line attached to it whose end is inserted into the expanded section at the bottom of the pipe. A compressor is used to press air downwards in this line, and the buoyant

Saturation diving installation and crane pontoon on Gepatsch reservoir

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Stainless steel inlet tower shortly before being lowered

force causes a mixture of water and sediment to be transported up in the pipe. After this, this water/sediment mixture was pumped by a booster pump via a floating pipeline to the storage point around 300 m away and transported down via a down pipe with a depth of 75 m to just above the bottom of the reservoir.

Deformation shape of the stoplog in the middle section of the bottom outlet intake with the guide frames under water pressure

HIGH-QUALITY COMPONENTS MADE FROM BLACK STEEL AND STAINLESS STEEL IN BAVARIA Given the challenging nature of doing the construction works under water with extremely difficult visibility conditions (almost no visibility due to the suspended sediment) and with water temperatures of around 5°C, TIWAG conducted extensive planning work and studies into different options in advance of the project. As well as the static load-bearing capacity with a water column of up to 35 m, the leaktightness for these high water pressures also had to be considered.

When designing the hydraulic steel components, consideration had to be given to making the installation work under water as easy as possible so that it was actually possible to do the installation under water with no visibility. The production planning and manufacturing of the components were done using the designs drawn up by TIWAG

by Muhr Gmbh, a company from Brannenburg in neighbouring Bavaria which has demonstrated its proficiency in hydraulic steel construction on numerous occasions around the world. “As the steel components can no longer be accessed under water and are therefore almost impossible to inspect, and given the long operating life for which they are designed, TIWAG required the steelwork to be executed in accordance with DIN EN 1090 EXC3. The standard places extremely high requirements on the manufacturing technology and the associated quality checks and documentation thereof. This meant that all the relevant stages of production were monitored directly on Overview drawing with “parked” stoplog

Section of the bottom outlet intake

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Stoplog for the bottom outlet intake without water-facing cover plate during production at the Muhr headquarter in Bavaria

site by an accredited inspection company that was commissioned by TIWAG,” says Muhr technical editor Florian Kufner in explaining the project requirements, adding with even more detail: “The existing, uneven contour of the bottom outlet intake demanded, for example, an appropriate configuration of the guides and stoplogs, i.e. the steel structures and seals had to be manufactured so that they could still be fitted even with the existing irregularities.” Specifically the assignment involved supplying three identical inlet towers made from round stainless steel pipes with a triangular outline, with a height of 9.16 m, a width of 2.92 m and a depth of 4.93 m. The 5.65 m high and 4.12 m wide stoplog at the

HYDRONIC M, Pakistan

The diving assignment was successfully completed shortly before the turn of the year

works water inlet was produced with a seal on four sides. The assignment was completed with three further stoplogs including guides for the bottom drainage outlet. Kufner also mentions that the working relationship with TIWAG and specifically with Mr Obendorfer was extremely cooperative and efficient.

OPERATION OF THE PLANT SAFEGUARDED Following the completion of the underwater assignment at the end of December of last year, the first practical test of the installed components finally followed in the spring of 2018. “With the reservoir at a low level, the new stoplogs were employed for the first time in April and the bottom outlet and headrace

CATRONIC SV, France

RO-TEC Screen Drums, Austria

tunnels upstream of the locking devices were drained. On the one hand, it was demonstrated that both the stoplogs and their guide frames and the reinforced concrete seal plug fulfil their purpose completely and at the same time are easy to operate. On the other hand, the checks revealed that the two tunnel structures and their plant components are in a very good state of repair. The successful implementation of the concrete and installation works described here safeguards the operation of the Kauner valley hydropower plant for the future,” states Obendorfer. The project, which has been ongoing since 2013, has amassed total costs of around 16 million euros.

HYDROCON Roller Gate, Portugal

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photo credits: zek

The Sernf tributary will be crossed above ground by means of an immaculately constructed pipeline bridge.

LOWER MÜHLEBACH POWER STATION IN THE GLARUS REGION RELYING ON GRP PIPES After a concession period lasting many years, building work began last summer on the construction of the lower Mühlebach power station in the Swiss municipality of Glarus Süd. The run-of-river hydropower plant is connecting to its upstream power station directly at the tailrace channel; once operational it will generate around 1.78 GWh of electricity each year. For the manufacture of the 880-metre-long penstock, the owners of the facility, KWM Kraftwerk Mühlebach AG, are relying on the high-quality GRP material produced by the piping specialist AMIBLU. The penstock is being constructed in its entirety at a dimension of DN1000 and overcomes a height difference of around 40 metres.

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here is a long tradition of using hydropower on the lower Mühlebach in the Glarus Süd municipality (known as the Engi municipality until the merging of municipalities in 2011) According to the technical report prepared by the Glarus-based planning agency Runge AG, it can be traced back to the year 1864. At the time it was still used purely for mechanical purposes: it first served to operate a matchstick factory, which was converted into a carpentry and sawmill in the years following. After the mechanical plant was destroyed following flooding in 1910, electrical energy was produced using replacement systems. To this end, water was dammed at the so-called ‘Wydensteg’ using a tainter gate and directed to a Francis turbine in the lower level using a penstock. The Sernftal tramway has made use of this section of river since 1905, thanks to the construction of a hydroelec-

The new powerhouse stands directly on the equalising basin of the Sernf downriver system.

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tric power plant used to electrify the regional train line. However, as rail operations were shut down at the end of the 1960s and business terminated at the carpentry in 1992, the use of hydroelectric power on the lower Mühlebach also came to a temporary end.

PRELIMINARY PLANNING SINCE 2009 The existing “Mühlebach KWM” power station became operational in 2009 and makes use of the stretch of water between the Ueblital and the “Mühlebach Weseta AG” dual headquarters on Bergen road, above the Dorfbrücke bridge; alongside this plant it was suggested that efforts again be made to use the lower section of the Mühlebach for energy production. To do this, plans were made to trap the water in the tailrace channel of the upstream power station and immediately direct it to the new powerhouse via a penstock. After a concession phase lasting around 8 years, the KWM Kraftwerk Mühlebach AG, comprising Weseta Kraftwerke AG and SN Energie AG from the Glarus Süd municipality, was finally granted a building permit in Spring 2017. Just a short time afterwards at the end of May, building was able to begin with the laying of the penstock. Building and civil engineering works were carried out entirely by the local building company Marti AG. The general planning and building supervision was taken over by Runge AG, a hydroelectric project specialist based in Glarus and a sister company of Jackcontrol AG. TAILRACE WATER IS TRANSFERRED DIRECTLY Since the new power station acquires tailrace water from its upstream plant that has been cleaned of bed load and floating debris, there is no

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need for the otherwise obligatory system components such as weirs, watcher catchments and sand traps. A surge tank is installed for hydraulic decoupling. The surge chamber, which is used to transfer the tailrace water from the upstream power station, is integrated into the existing tailrace channel on the right-hand side. “When constructing the Mühlebach power station, the tailrace channel was newly constructed and provisions were put in place for the connection of the planned downstream facility. To this end, an opening was created in the tailwater channel and temporarily closed. Consequently, the surge tank for the new system can be constructed relatively easily”, explains Runge AG project manager, Cyrill Althuser. She continues: “So that the tailrace water flowing through the tailrace channel can be directed into the water surge chamber, a sluice gate is fitted at the end of the tailrace channel. This prevents the tailrace water from flowing out into the Mühlebach on the one hand, and on the other hand it prevents bed load and floating debris from getting into the tailrace channel in the event of flooding.

880-METRE-LONG PENSTOCK Directly following the surge tank and the intake shaft, the 880-metre-long penstock begins. In total, the power station’s penstock overcomes a height difference of around 40 metres. In a comparison of variants, considering economic aspects as well as building and ownership regulations, the building contractors decided to route the penstock through the largely undeveloped area along the right-hand side of the Mühlebach up to Kantonstraße. The underground crossing of Kantonstraße is shortly followed by the crossing over the Sernf, a tributary of the Linth, via the existing access bridge. The final section of the penstock travels along the left bank of the Sernf to the powerhouse. A consistent size DN1000 was chosen for the pipe diameter. If the pipe has a net cross section of 0.79 m², this results in an average flow velocity of 2.04

m/s during full-load operation, which in turn results in an economical ratio of hydraulic losses against investment costs.

HIGH-QUALITY PIPING MATERIAL For the piping material, the operators are relying on glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) produced by the company AMIBLU. The high-performance pipes, produced in centrifugal processes, offer a whole range of advantages and have been proving their quality for decades across the most varied of applications. Along with a high abrasion resistance, the material’s UV resistance is also a winning quality, and outstanding flow properties are guaranteed thanks to an extremely smooth inner surface. The minimal weight combined with the user-friendly coupling system ensures a high laying capacity. The deviation capability of the pipes of up to 3 degrees inside the coupling joint allows minor changes in direction to be uncomplicated. Additionally, for a broad curve within the penstock routing, the pipes can be optimally pre-installed by the manufacturer using bevelled cuts, meaning there is no need to construct additional moulded parts.

The AMIBLU project team was extremely pleased with the handling of the project, not least thanks to the product-specific preplanning, and pointed to the successful collaboration with the building companies, the planners and the operators.

PIPELINE BRIDGE A HIGH POINT In order to have as minimal an effect as possible on access to the powerhouse construction site, the pipeline bridge immediately in front of it was erected just before the beginning of the building works. This section of the penstock routing leads to a steel structure on a road bridge over the Sernf and at the same time constitutes the only section of the penstock that runs above ground. On both the left and right-side banks, two “Flex 4” pipe couplings made by the Swiss firm Straub Werke AG serve to connect the GRP pipes.

The total length of the penstock DN1000, made entirely from GRP material, is 880 metres.

Technical Data • Flow Rate: 1,6 m3/s • Head: about 40 m • Penstock: GFK DN1000 • Length: 880 m • Manufacturer: AMIBLU • Turbine: Crossflow • Output: 479 kW • Manufacturer: Ossberger • Generator: Synchronous • Nominal Output: 630 kVA • Total Average Capacity: 1,78 GWh

The couplings allow for distances of up to 200 mm between the ends of the pipes and, thanks to their extra strong rubber surface, ensure optimal expansion compensation within the penstock. Because the pipeline bridge marks a high point of the penstock, technical measures had to be put in place regarding ventilation and draining. The moulded parts necessary to achieve this, such as pipe bends and the T-section for ventilation, were custom-fitted by AMIBLU. Shortly before the transition of the penstock into the powerhouse, there is a low point in the penstock routing which has additional drainage.

INITIAL OPERATION 2018 In total the new power station will have a volumetric flow rate of 1.6 m³/s. Due to the variable water volume of the Mühlebach and the relatively low drop height, the operators decided to use a robust cross-flow turbine, which can demonstrate its strengths above all when operating at partial loads. At a maximum electrical output of 479 kW, the turbine, coupled with a synchronous generator, will produce around 1.78 GWh of electricity each year.

As the pipeline bridge is a high point of the penstock, it is equipped with a ventilation valve.

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Foto: EWA

photo credits: Viennahydro

Foto: zek

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VIENNAHYDRO 2018 HIGHLIGHTS THE TOPICS OF THE FUTURE

Foto: SBB

Fotos: Porr

For 40 years, the central questions related to hydroelectric power have been discussed at Viennahydro. In November, it will once again open its doors for three days.

The 20th iteration of the renowned international conference on hydroelectric power, Viennahydro, will run from November 14 to 16 of this year at Laxenburg castle right outside of Vienna. Hardly any other industry event at the national or international level has been able to establish a reputation of this caliber in the past decades. This is primarily due to the outstanding quality of topics. After all, the high-quality event committee, which comprises 35 members, only admits papers that feature high levels of innovation, academic maturity and professional development. For the 20th anniversary, the focus is on future-oriented topics including "big data," "the digital twin," or the "web-of-cells." Of course, more "traditional" topics, such as issues related to pumped-storage, intelligent business leadership, or problems related to transient behavior will also be addressed. Roughly 300 participants from up to 25 nations are expected to meet in Laxenburg.

Foto: zek

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as high as possible. "The international organizing committee, which now consists of 35 people, carries the majority of the responsibility. The committee's concentrated academic competence ensures that mediocre or lackluster papers are not included," explains Dr. Eduard Doujak, whose research at TU Wien's Institute for Energy Systems and Thermodynamics at which the bi-annual conference Viennahydro is organized, focuses on FluidFlow Machinery.

AN INTERNATIONAL FOCUS A unique feature of Viennahydro is the opportunity for doctoral students from all over the world to present their research area and research activity to a wide audience. This year marks the third time that doctoral students are able to take advantage of this option, which has become more popular each year.

"We provide doctoral students with the wonderful opportunity of presenting their work at on international stage. We are happy that students have been taking advantage of this more and more. This year, we have already received a number of submissions, from Norway, or Germany, or Austria," Eduard Doujak states happily.

The main driver of Viennahydro: Dr. Eduard Doujak

photo: zek

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ombined, the conference transcripts, which have been published and distributed to Viennahydro participants by the TU Wien organizers since 1980, amount to roughly five times the amount of pages of Tolstoy's "War and Peace", approximately 10,000 pages. For the first time, this information is now organized in an archive and digitally accessible – on a flash drive that will be part of this year's welcome packet for the participants. This provides not only an interesting look at the past for anyone interested in hydroelectric power, but is also evidence of the high quality of the papers that were presented and discussed during past conference sessions. Dr. Eduard Doujak, who shares the leadership of the event management team with Prof. Dr. Ing Christian Bauer, notes that one central commitment has been and still is keeping the level of topics and presentations

photo credits: Viennahydro

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Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Bauer is the host and main organizer of Viennahydro.

TU Wien's doctoral candidates presented their projects in 2016: Markus Eichhorn, Julian Unterluggauer and Markus Lenarcic, together with Prof. Dr. Christian Bauer (l) and Prof. Tri Ratna Bajracharya / Kathmandu, and Dr. Eduard Doujak (r).

The event as a whole has a strong international focus. This year, international topics will be presented by participants from the US, Canada, Sweden, Thailand, and Nepal, to name a few. Thus, there lots of diversity in the auditorium at Viennahydro: "I can already observe an interesting mixture for this year. We expect participants from 20 to 25 countries," says Eduard Doujak. The time-honored Laxenburg castle, whose oldest parts are from the 12th century, provides the perfect background for the three-day long event.

FUTURE TOPICS AT THE CENTER However, the space is the only thing that can be described as time-honored. As in previous years, the event itself will remain true to its orientation and focus, which is not only on hot current topics among hydroelectric power insiders, but also future topics. "Especially at universities, we should think about future developments and perspectives and conduct

research in this regard," notes Eduard Doujak and points to some particularly exciting future questions that will also be examined at the upcoming Viennahydro.

One of them is "Big Data", which is its own focal area at the event. "At its core, this is a topic that is currently quite pertinent, but many questions remain unanswered and yet it offers lots of potential for hydroelectric power," argues the TU Wien researcher. Even today, measuring devices, sensors and the machines themselves provide a wide array of data. But what happens to the data? Initial software systems are already on the market and designed to provide solutions for the following questions: What are the best ways to filter, process, manage, and analyze the variety of data? Which conclusions can be drawn?

The researchers participating in Viennahydro are also dealing with these questions and will provide profound answers at Vienna­hydro.

WEB-OF-CELLS AND PUMPED-STORAGE The topic "web-of-cells" seems even more futuristic and is reflected in the primary topic "flexible operation of modern hydroelectric plants and their interaction with the electrical grid." This involves the planned, geographically divided, smaller cells of a power grid with a hierarchy structured into high voltage, medium voltage, and low voltage cells. They are the foundation for even more intelligent grids, in order to prepare the grid infrastructure in accordance with the European guidelines for the achievement of energy efficiency goals. Through intentional decentralization, problems arising in this context would be solved at the local level, or at least this is the intention. "Fundamentally, this is an issue of energy-efficiency or the power grid. However, it does affect hydroelectric power, since it provides one of the most important storage technologies, pumped-storage. Intended for the time after 2030, this is a long-term plan – and is therefore a vision of the future," says Eduard Doujak. In this context, it points to the technology of the modular pump turbine, which has been in development for several years at IET under the leadership of Eduard Doujak. "The web-of-cells could play an important role in the modular pump turbine, as it would meet the requirements very well. We are taking the necessary steps to make this technology market-ready." Of course, there will be a space dedicated to pumped-storage in general, and the modular pump turbine in particular at Viennahydro.

HOW MUCH TIME IS LEFT? Another very exciting research area of the department for Energy Systems and Thermodynamics (IET) is the calculation of the remaining service life. The method was already introduced at the last conference in 2016, at which the research findings of the previous four years were presented. "Basically we are

Opening-Session at Viennahydro 2016 with Eduard Doujak, Günther Rabensteiner, Alexander Schwab, Stefan Burtscher and Christian Bauer.(l.t.r.)

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photo credits: Viennahydro

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Exclusive reception for the participants in the time-honored halls of the museum of military history.

trying to predict the service life of the turbine runner and eventually of the guide apparatus, i.e. how long the components will be operational under the conditions – load stage, service life, etc." explains Eduard Doujak, adding: "Today, Francis turbines are operated at various performance levels – for example, at the hydroelectric plant Obervermunt II from 0 to 100%. This also changes the load, which is much more dynamic. Therefore, new, different methods of calculation are required.

Recently, the methods of calculation are still very elaborate, and therefore not quite of interest for design development. The TU Wien researcher found the scope of application for the recalculation of the turbine runners of greater importance, for which a higher demand could arise in the future. The topic area of calculating the remaining service life will also generate lots of interest and lively discussions this year.

"DIGITAL TWIN" ARRIVES AT HYDRO POWER An additional future-oriented topic with great potential comes to us from the concept Industry 4.0: the "digital" or "virtual twin." It is

This, too, is Viennahydro: Traditional Viennese coziness at a Heurigen [wine tavern].

a visionary approach for industrial production processes that has long found application in other areas. The core of the idea is the merging of real and digital systems to one autonomous, intelligent unit. It also involves much more than a mere digital copy of the real system. The "digital twin" can be used for interventions at the virtual level and to make changes that can be simulated in real time. Vice versa, changes emerging in the real system – for whatever reason – can be implemented in the "digital twin." "Thanks to the merging of real and virtual processes, a holistic system is created that monitors, manages, and corrects itself during operation," note the researchers at the German Fraunhofer Institute for Production Plants and Construction Technology.

This statement alone illustrates the potential also emerges for further developments in hydroelectric power. At this year's Viennahydro, participants will discuss which further questions can be developed based on this foundation.

In addition to future-oriented topics, the Viennahydro program will also feature other more "traditional" topics, such as hydraulic

photo credits: zek

Laxenburg castle right outside of Vienna has been tried-and-tested for Viennahydro in the last decades.

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systems and transient behavior, intelligent operation and monitoring, maintenance, retrofitting and modernization, the numeric calculation of hydraulic components, experimental techniques and physical models, small-scale hydroelectric power with very low head turbines and hydro-kinetic turbines, legal questions, and sustainability.

PRESENTATION OF THE HYDRAULIC LABORATORY As always, the exhibition area also plays a crucial role in the event. At Viennahydro in Laxenburg, participating companies will find a perfect environment to introduce their products and services to "key players" in hydroelectric power. Typically, numerous decision-makers make extensive use of the proximity to the exhibition area.

Just in time for the 20th anniversary, a true novelty can be experienced at this year's conference. Last year, IET's entire laboratory was migrated to a newer, larger, more modern facility at TU Wien. In this context, the operation of the hydraulic laboratory was also initiated, which currently holds a unique position at the university level. "There will be an opportunity to tour the facilities during the conference. However, it has not yet been determined how exactly this will be done.

Interested parties, however, will be able to take a look at our laboratory," Eduard Doujak clarifies. He also refers to the calendar of social events, which also remains unmatched: On the evening of the first day of the conference, participants will be able to visit the Heeresgeschichtliche Museum [Museum of army history], which includes a reception in the tasteful ambiance of this space. Already a tradition, a visit to the typical, super cozy Viennese wine tavern Fuhrgassl-Huber is scheduled for the evening of the second day. Both evening events are an appreciated obligation for most Viennahydro participants. From November 14 to 16, Laxenburg castle will once again be the center of the world of hydroelectric power. For three days, the heart of hydroelectric power will beat right outside of Vienna.

photo credits: zek

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Pipe delivery for the new penstock for Kรถberlbach power plant in Upper Styria. The Upper Austrian distribution specialist Geotrade is providing all the material from the manufacturer SVOBODNY SOKOL.

Kร BERLBACH POWER PLANT IN UPPER STYRIA ON VERGE OF RECOMMISSIONING AFTER COMPLETE UPGRADE Following around six months of construction, a small hydroelectric power plant on the River Kรถberlbach, which in principle is completely new, is set to start operating again in the community of Gaishorn am See in Upper Styria. As part of the transformation, the plant, which was built back in the 1920s, is being almost completely reconstructed. Apart from a section of the penstock that was replaced around 15 years ago and the power plant building, all plant components are being renewed from scratch. Thanks to an increase in the drop and extraction water quantity, the plant, which is now equipped with a 3-nozzle Pelton turbine, can generate significantly more electricity. The pipeline, which in some sections runs with a drop of 100%, was fully laid over a length of more than 1,000 m in highly resistant ductile cast-iron pipes with a restrained and tension-proof design. The pipe material, which was provided by the professional sales company Geotrade from Upper Austria, proved to be a very successful choice during the winter construction work with ground conditions and weather that both presented their challenges.

T

he first commissioning of Kรถberlbach power plant, which is located in the northern part of the market town of Gaishorn am See in the district of Liezen, took place more than 90 years ago. According to records, electricity was produced with the discharge plant for the first time back in 1926. Following the turn of the millennium, its ownership transferred from the community of Gaishorn to a new tenure. As part of this takeover, the old turbine was replaced with a modern machine set back in 2003. Around ten years later, during the official procedure to renew the water rights, an increase in the extraction water quantity of 50 l/s to a total of 170 l/s was granted. The increased extraction water quantity and the increase in the drop that was also approved finally made new construction economically viable. Apart from the power plant building and an around 160 m section of the penstock that was replaced back in 2003, all plant components are being renewed from scratch.

The penstock was laid entirely with a restrained and tension-proof design.

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The work to lay it took around three months.

CHALLENGING CONSTRUCTION WORK After receiving the final approval and completing the tendering procedure, the construction work began with the laying of the penstock in September of last year. This was followed shortly after by the excavation and concrete work on the water catchment, which is designed as a Tyrolean weir. This was completely reconstructed further upstream to increase the drop. All of the structural and civil engineering work was carried out

by Gottfried Guster GmbH from Upper Styria, which has proven itself many times in the hydropower sector. “Despite the less than ideal weather conditions with snow and freezing cold, it proved possible to lay the whole of the penstock stretching for a total of 1,026 m in a construction time of around three months. An additional challenge was the geological conditions, which were difficult in some places, and sections of terrain with a gradient of up to 100%,” explains master builder Gottfried Guster. Further, the route chosen for the pipeline required the creation of a river underpass and two underground crossings of a forest track. As a result of the challenging soil conditions - the area of the project is located in geological terms in what is known as the greywacke zone of the Alps - the whole pipeline was laid with a DN400 diameter with a restrained and tension-proof design. Although the construction work was carried out in conditions that were not ideal, the pipeline, which drops down 312 m in total, was fully laid by the end of November.

RESTRAINED AND TENSION-PROOF DESIGN The minimal yet constant movement of the ground does not present an issue thanks to

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The pipe was laid by Gottfried Guster GmbH, which has proven itself many times in the hydropower sector.

the resistant pressure pipe system made from ductile cast iron which is certified according to ÖNORM 545. A socket joint which is restrained against longitudinal forces and is secured by means of a bolt is used as a highstrength pipe connection. All of the pipe material was provided by the Upper Austrian expert in pipe distribution from the Mühlviertel region, Geotrade Handelsges.m.b.H. As well as their robust material properties, according to Geotrade managing director Franz Leitner the pipes from the manufacturer SVOBODNY SOKOL also offer a persuasive choice with a whole host of other benefits. For example, the cast-iron pipe is clad or covered with high-quality coatings on both the inside and outside. On the outside the pipe is given a zinc or zinc/aluminium oxide coating and is thus also suitable for laying in aggressive soils. Additional protection is delivered by another outer layer based on bitumen. By contrast, the inner surface of the pipe is completely smooth and consists of a cement mortar lining. As well as the excellent flow conditions, the cement mortar provides both an active and a passive protective effect. The cement mortar coating even enables a “self-healing process” for hairline cracks or microscopic damage. Defective spots, which may occur during installation or transport, for example, are sealed up automatically as a result of a chemical reaction which occurs when the works water comes into contact with the permeable cement jacket and the cast iron.

COMMISSIONING IS IMMINENT In February, large amounts of snow and very cold temperatures well below freezing meant that a stop to construction work for around

In total, more than 1,000 m of ductile cast-iron pipes with a dimension of DN400 were laid.

two weeks was unavoidable. After this enforced stoppage and the finishing of some concrete work on the weir that is still outstanding, the plant will start operating soon.

Following this complete transformation, a horizontal 3-nozzle Pelton turbine from ANDRITZ Hydro will now almost treble the power output compared to the previous installation with a speed of 1,000 rpm.

When the snow starts to thaw, which usually happens in April, the turbine coupled to a synchronous generator from Hitzinger will be able to deliver a bottleneck output of 430 kW. All of the electricity which is produced will be fed into the public grid. This new construction also more than doubles the average annual production from a previous level of around 700,000 kWh to 1,600,000 kWh in the future.

Technical Data • Flow Rate: 170 l/s • Net Head: 312 m • Turbine: 3-nozzle Pelton • Output: 430 kW • Manufacturer: ANDRITZ Hydro • Generator: Synchronous • Manufacturer: Hitzinger • Penstock DN400: Ductile Cast-Iron, 1,026 m • Manufacturer: SVOBODNY SOKOL • Pipe Distributor: Geotrade • Total Average Capacity: ca. 1,600,000 kWh

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Self-cleaning Coanda rake at the new small-scale hydropower plant in Tokyo Prefecture. The Austrian company Stocker Technik GmbH provided the entire electro-mechanical infrastructure and control technology.

photo credits: Stocker Technik

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CONVINCING AUSTRIAN TECHNOLOGY FOR JAPANESE SMALL-SCALE HYDROPOWER PLANT OPERATORS Stocker Technik GmbH from Lechtal in Tyrol is an all-round small-scale hydropower plant building specialist that successfully completed its first project far away in Japan in the spring. The manufacturer supplied the new plant, around 50km from the country’s capital city of Tokyo in the prefecture of the same name, with all requisite electromechanical infrastructure and control technology. CEO Peter Stocker also supported the plant operators in the planning of the water catchment and powerhouse solutions. A self-cleaning Coanda-rake was installed on the weir of the diversion power station and electricity is produced by a ­robust 2-jet Pelton turbine with a bottleneck capacity of a 55 kW. The 7-month building phase was concluded just before the power station went online in mid-April. An online link-up enables electricity production to be monitored remotely from Austria around the clock.

T

he major meltdown at Fukushima power station in 2011 triggered a serious Japanese energy policy rethink and a powerful swing towards the use of renewable energy resources. This also affected the expansion of the wind power infrastructure, and particularly the use of photovoltaic systems.

However, progress in the hydroelectric sector has been relatively sluggish. This can be explained by the fact that the expansion potential for large-scale hydroelectric plants, which contribute around 10% of Japan’s overall energy output, has been exhausted. Furthermore, the density of small-scale hydropower stations producing under 1000 kW for an island nation of 127 million inhabitants is relatively low.

COANDA RAKE ATTRACTS INTEREST In spring 2018, in contrast to this trend, a Japanese construction company went online

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with a new small-scale hydropower plant around 50 km outside the Japanese capital, Tokyo. The operators have absolute faith in

the expertise and technical infrastructure offered by the Austrian company Stocker Technik GmbH. Over the past few years, this new bu-

The 2-jet Pelton turbine was designed to exploit a gross head of 90 m and a maximum flow of 65 l/s at full capacity. The fully automated production of electricity is subject to remote online monitoring from Austria.

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Installing around 200 m of high-pressure DN300 plastic piping.

siness from Lechtal in Tyrol has been able to establish an excellent reputation in cable-car technology and as an A-Z supplier of infrastructure for small-scale hydropower plants.

“We first made contact with the customer at the annual hydropower trade fair ‘Renexpo Interhydro’ in Salzburg in November 2016.

Initially, their interest was attracted by our self-cleaning Coanda protective rake system”, explained CEO Peter Stocker. Once the small-scale hydropower plant operators had convinced themselves of the expertise provided by the Lechtal company, by visiting a number of their plants operating in Tyrol, last September an order was placed for the provision of the plant’s entire hydroelectric infrastructure.

TIPS FROM THE TURBINE BUILDERS After having manufactured and delivered all the hard and software, the Austrians were also called upon to provide advisory support with the planning of the powerhouse and the weir.

In this function, Stocker drafted concrete proposals for the implementation of a water catchment system, desander and the design of the powerhouse. The operators used these guidelines as the basis for their own detailed

Technical Data • Flow Rate: 65 l/s • gross drop head: approx. 90 m • Turbine: 2 jet Pelton • Runner Speed: 1,010 rpm • Output: 55 kW • Manufacturer: Stocker Technik GmbH • Generator: Asynchronous • Voltage: 400 V • Output: 65 kVA • Total Average Capacity: approx. 300,000 kWh/a

CEO Peter Stocker (3rd from the right at the back) and Michael Pescosta (front right) with customer representatives and engineers during the commissioning process in April 2018.

plans, and for the installation of the plant components. The 200 m pressurised plastic DN300 pipeline was also installed by the customer’s own building company. The implementation phase, including above and below-ground structural work, was completed within just a few months.

converter. Like the turbine itself, the air-cooled generator rotates at 1,010 rpm and is designed to produce an apparent power rating of 65 kVA. In an average year the power station is capable of producing around 300,000 kWh of electricity, all of which is fed into the public mains grid operated by TEPCO.

SELF-CLEANING PROTECTIVE RAKE Installation of the Coanda rake, 2 m across and 1 m high, was also conducted by the customer. The protective rake’s built-in shear-off system enabled the operators to forgo the installation of a special rake cleaning system for the water catchment set-up. Larger items of debris, such as stones, branches and leaves, are automatically rinsed out over the rake field. Moreover, the minimal size of the gaps in the fine rake prevents the passage of sediment with a diameter of more than 1 mm.

Fine sediment is ultimately collected in a desanding and stilling basin located around 50 m from the Coanda rake. The manually operated rinsing protection system ensures the collected sediment can, if necessary, be released into the natural flow of the watercourse. The water level is measured via a sensor in the basin, triggering signals to the controls of the turbines in the powerhouse.

REMOTE CONTROL CENTRE IN AUSTRIA The CEO himself, Mr. Stocker, made his furthest journey from the company so far, way out east – and that twice – to oversee the installation of the ‘water-to-wire’ project. The commencement of work just before Christmas 2017 involved pre-assembly of the turbine housing, and placement of the walls and pipe routing. Subsequent to installation of the electrotechnical infrastructure the power station was hooked up to the internet and ultimately went online in mid April. As well as stressing the importance of efficient, fully automated electricity production, the plant operators were also keen to guarantee a comprehensive range of remote control options for the power station. Stocker met the challenge by installing their own well-proven control technology solution. Whenever faults occur they can be detected by electronic sensors.

The control software automatically passes on the signal to the people at Stocker in Austria, who are responsible for remote online digital surveillance. Peter Stocker, having overseen the successful commissioning of the plant, is very positive about the company’s achievements, and the Tyrolean entrepreneur is already working on another small-scale hydropower project in Japan.

EFFICIENCY AT FULL AND PARTIAL CAPACITY The horizontal Pelton turbine with a gross head of 90 m is combined with a full capacity flow rate of 65 l/s for the production of electricity. The power unit is fitted with two electrically driven jets and can generate bottleneck output of up to 55 kW at maximum water throughput. Using a single jet, the robustly-constructed turbine can also achieve impressive results in the partial capacity ranges when little water flows during the dry months. Stocker has also supplied a German-made asynchronous generator connected directly to the turbine shaft as an energy

www.stockertechnik.at

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photomontage: zek

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Seeping in! Hackers can cause immense damage to hydroelectric power stations.

Small and medium-sized plants are often inadequately protected.

IT SECURITY GAPS AT HYDROELECTRIC POWER STATIONS: HACKERS FIND ALL THE LEAKS Technological achievements have made it possible to complete many tasks far more easily, faster and efficiently than before, and that’s true for the operation of hydroelectric power stations, too. Complex control technology systems enable sluice gates to be opened and turbines to be started by remote control. However, the conveniences of digital operation also have drawbacks. Power plants hooked up to the internet are often very insecure, and these weaknesses can be exploited by hackers. Cyber criminals are capable of everything from industrial espionage and the implantation of viruses – to actual sabotage. Hence, effective protection, and the provision of comprehensive advice for plant operators on the issue of online security by IT experts such as those of the Lower Austrian business Schubert Elektroanlagen, is absolutely indispensable.

T

he creator of last year’s ‘WannaCry’ virus couldn’t have given it a more suitable name, having brought a large number of companies to the point of desperation.

The 12th May 2017 saw the launch of a large cyber-attack using malware that infected over 230,000 computers in 150 countries, involving demands for a ransom to be paid to unlock systems again. Victims included Russian and Spanish telecom companies, Deutsche Bahn, the British National Health Service – and even Russian and Romanian ministries.

Europol later said the attack had taken place on an unprecedented scale. It’s logical to assume the energy sector would be a target for such an attack. In fact, hydroelectric power

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stations are extremely vulnerable to hacking activities, since small and medium-sized plants often use out-of-date systems for remote maintenance and control. Just last year the digital security company Symantec reported that the Russian Dragonfly hacker collective had attacked thousands of western power stations. Several cases in the USA, Turkey and Switzerland have shown that cybercriminal activity has penetrated defences to such a degree that perpetrators would now only need to push a button. There are several reasons the focus of hackers is often on power stations – from political motivation to the opportunity to blackmail a victim after having infiltrated the system.

FAKE HYDROELECTRIC PLANT ENTRAPS HACKER In order to show just how tempting an easily hacked hydroelectric station is, a security company – Nozomi Networks – was contracted by the Swiss ‘SonntagsZeitung’ newspaper to set up a so-called honey pot. Just like real honey attracts bears, this was designed to lure cybercriminals. Industrial software was used to disguise a fictitious business as a hydro­electric power station. Every attack was documented. After three weeks there had been 31 attacks from 11 countries. Most system break-­ins were perpetrated by spies collecting information on issues such as the size of the plant and the technology used there.

How­ever, there were also serious attempts to

photo credits: Schubert

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operating plant, it also provides opportunities to enhance the standard of security. Monitoring systems relay signals when the system recognises someone is tampering with the ­enclosure cabinets. Sensory and video surveillance informs the remote control centre of possible sabotage.

Security problems are often caused by system users, which is why Schubert Elektro­ anlagen offers managers and employees of hydroelectric power stations training sessions on how deal with the potential dangers of files attached to e-mails, from external data storage drives, as well as on other basics of cyber security.

THREAT OF A WIDESPREAD POWER CUT In comparison with other industries and sectors the potential for threats to the energy sector is significantly greater. If an industrial company is hacked, or one in the trade sector, it’s the company that suffers the most. However, energy producers all work within a network, and an attack on one station can trigger a chain reaction – leading to a blackout in large parts of the country. For this reason, it’s even more important to guarantee comprehensive protection is provided by qualified energy sector IT specialists, such as those employed by Schubert Elektroanlagen.

PLANTS OFTEN INSUFFICIENTLY PROTECTED Small and medium-sized hydroelectric power stations are quite often targets for attacks because of an insufficient level of protection, amongst other things as a result of the poorly planned fusion of analogue and digital infrastructure. Many plants were built a long time before the internet and remote management had even been dreamed about. They have been – and are still being – fused to provide the practical benefits of remotely controlled operations. This is a rich source of safety gaps that can only be closed by installing the right systems and keeping them completely updated. Sound advice is an absolute ‘must’ for securing new systems, or older stations already equipped with remote control technology.

Schubert Elektroanlagen offers power station operators the necessary expertise. “We take the time our customers require to explain the fundamentals of IT security, and to train them how to deal with risks such as e-mails, files on USB sticks and external hard drives”, explained Christian Sandler (Ing. BSc), a Schubert IT specialist. After all, a viral infection is far more probable than an actual attack on a plant. Schubert’s software department delivers complete A-Z solutions – from the production of a specification book and the

provision of advice to customers concerning process issues, through to the programming and linking up of control infrastructure, the development of control concepts, and the necessities of hooking up to external systems.

Their employees offer the benefits of an immense wealth of experience and the detailed process knowledge gained from over 750 completed projects.

GROWTH IN AWARENESS OF ONLINE THREATS Nowadays, the operators of hydroelectric power stations are receptive to the issues of cyber security, not least because of the greater attention given to them due to major events such as the previously mentioned mega-hack with WannaCry malware. Schubert’s experts have recently noted considerable growth in the interest shown in this subject, and the number of inquiries received as regards the best ways of closing potential security gaps. This is a customer need the Lower Austrian company is now specifically aiming to meet. “We have taken a more profound look at the issue of IT security”, says Christian Sandler. “Many plant operators approach us actively, requesting detailed insights into the subject and seeking to protect themselves more effectively.” Online security is also a burning issue in the legal realm. The EU General Data Protection Regulation comes into effect at the end of May this year and applies to all systems storing personal data. “In this security-relevant regard it is essential to ensure everyone is completely up to date. Our services are the best means of meeting this requirement”, explained the IT specialist. The high degree of digitalisation is not merely a risk in terms of the security of an

Industriestraße 3 A-3200 Ober-Grafendorf Tel.: +43 2747 25 35 - 0 Fax: +43 2747 25 35 - 440 E-Mail: office@schubert.tech Schubert Elektroanlagen has been a leading provider of electrical and machine-operated plant equipment in energy, environmental and water technology for the last 50 years.

photo credits: Schubert

sabotage the system, as in the case of a Vietnamese hacker who tried to crash the entire system. Two h ­ ackers from the US and one from R ­ omania were even more cunning.

They infiltrated the system with an error that would only have been noticed after days, and which might cause a sudden cut-out of the pump.

Electrical enclosure cabinets can be monitored online. A message is sent to the remote operator if the cabinet is opened by an unauthorised individual.

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GLOBAL Hydro is the primary contact worldwide for small hydropower technologies and secures a liveable environment for the next generations due to innovative solutions.

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