zek HYDRO 2020

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zek HYDRO 2020

2020 INTERNATIONAL HYDRO

FUTURE TECHNOLOGY

Foto: Salzburg AG

HYDRO

SMALL AND MINI HYDROPOWE R SOLUTIONS “FROM WATER-TO-WIRE“

ANDRITZ is the world’s leading provider on the small and mini-hydropower plant market and provides a full spectrum of electro-mechanical equipment based on predefined modular components supporting the entire lifecycle of a hydropower plant – “from water-to-wire”.

We offer optimized solutions for the electro-mechanical equipment of all types of small hydropower plant, up to an output of 30 MW per unit.

In more than 30 years, ANDRITZ has supplied more than 3,000 generating units with a total installed

capacity of about 10,000 MW. Every year ANDRITZ is commissioning about 120 renewable and sustainable generating units worldwide.

ANDRITZ - your global partner for hydropower generation.

Hydro Power from the Desert: HATTA HPP NBA Star builds Bosnian Flagship Hydro Power Plant Aosta Valley – the unknown Hotspot of Italian Hydro Power Efficient Hydro Power Plant in Salzburg has been commissioned Austrian Turbine Specialist refurbishes ravaged Power Plant in Vietnam

ANDRITZ HYDRO GmbH ⁄ www.andritz.com/hydro

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Surprisingly sustainable.

VIS IO N A RY POW E R FROM AUSTRIA

THE PASSION FOR HYDROPOWER IS IN OUR DNA GLOBAL Hydro is the primary contact worldwide for innovative hydropower technologies and a reliable partner throughout the entire lifecycle of your power plant.

Turn Key Solutions

SCADA

Refurbishment

www.global-hydro.eu

GLOBAL Hydro Energy GmbH . 4085 Niederranna 41 . Austria . +43 7285 514 10 . info@global-hydro.eu Umschlag zek International 2020.indd 2

Troyer offers high-quality construction of water turbines and hydroelectric power plants.

For generations, our tailor-made solutions have helped our customers optimizing energy generation from waterpower in a safe, efficient, eco-friendly and sustainable way.

Troyer SpA info@troyer.it Tel. +39 0472 765 195

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SMALL-SCALE HYDROPOWER IS ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE

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lthough not everything has changed, a lot has! The world we once took for granted has been radically transformed. Covid-19 has changed our lives. It may take months or years to determine how comprehensive and permanent these changes truly are.

The Corona pandemic has cast society into a period of extreme uncertainty. How­ ever, the initial concerns that the reliability of power supplies could also be endangered faded within a few weeks. Indeed, electricity supplies seem to be as dependable as ever – as the main energy providers repeatedly assured us they would be. Corona has no power over hydropower, even if – particularly in the first weeks of the crisis, several electric utilities companies compiled very meticulously-detailed contingency plans. Some employees volunteered to go into self-isolation to safeguard the uninterrupted operation of the power stations during the most crucial period of the pandemic. A number of electricity utility companies said they were setting up special emergency control centres and reorganising all operational procedures to reduce close physical contact between employees to a minimum. The switchover of communication tasks to new technical infrastructure was relatively simple to implement, due not least to the ever-increasing degree of digitalisation, the key trend in the hydropower industry, over the past few years. New digital instrumentation, IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things), Big Data management and digital twinning are all heralding the approach of the next wave of technological development. What may sound like science fiction to some operators of small-scale hydropower plants, is already reality in several major European power plants.

Enel, Italy’s largest energy provider, is progressively integrating IIoT technologies in the hydropower plants of its subsidiary EGP (Enel Green Power). A tight grid of wireless sensors working in real-time is being used for the delivery and analysis of a wide range of data. GE Renewable Energy is an international energy business known as an advanced digital pioneer.

The company offers technologies that simplify prescient action. APM (the magic acronym for Asset Performance Management) facilitates profound analyses of all collected data to provide the customer with reliable predictive analytics – and the system works! Currently more than 90 hydroelectric power plants around the globe, producing a sum total of over 30 GW, optimise their outputs using GE’s APM system. VERBUND, Europe’s second-largest producer of hydroelectric power, has been on board for a long time and is continually progressing in the field of digitalisation. The objectives are to optimise power production operations, establish an early warning system for damage, and increase the efficiency of remedial activity. Apart from the obvious benefits of these new digitalisation technologies for individual plant operators, there are also advantages in the larger scale of operations. According to a study commissioned by GE, over the coming years digitalisation could help to reduce CO2 emissions by around 17 tons and raise the global power output of hydropower plants by roughly 1 percent.

Estimated savings in the field of running costs could be around US$5 billion. The major wave of digitalisation has only just begun to roll and can be expected to play an increasing role in our lives in the years ahead.

One thing became very clear in the initial period of uncertainty as the pandemic took centre stage. Both the major energy providers and the local power supply operations passed the reliability test. They clearly bear the responsibility for genuinely critical infrastructure. This must be kept fully intact since it provides the lifeblood of our modern, everyday lives. A decentralised power supply, facilitated by thousands of small-scale hydropower plants in the alpine regions, provides a strong guarantee that availability can be maintained during superregional blackouts. As guardians of essential infrastructure, the public and private utilities companies have been given a higher profile and gained the respect of the public. Let’s hope this level of appreciation remains solid to give our politicians the best possible conditions in which to continue development of all small hydropower capacities.

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

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RENEW YOUR HYDRO POWER PLANT WITH SCHUBERT When dealing with hydroelectric power, it's best to rely on expertise coming from the country of rivers and mountains. Schubert Elektroanlagen supplies tailor-made concepts and solutions for power plant operators worldwide since over five decades. www.schubert.tech

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PP ZLATE (BIH)

20 PP HATTA (UAE)

23 PP NAM CHE 1 (LAO)

32 PP ARVIER (IT)

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

15 Economic stimulus and European Green Deal must go hand-in-hand EREF STATEMENT

29 Lower Austrian automation specialist revitalizes Rusel power plants [ GERMANY ]

16 NBA star puts faith in Austrian technology to build power plant [ BOSNIA & HERZEGOWINA ]

32 Aosta valley operators rely on technology from South Tyrol [ ITALY ]

20 HATTA HPP – hydro power from the Desert [ UA EMIRATES ]

36 Black forest hydro power plant with new crossflow turbine [ GERMANY ]

23 Upper Austrian expertice chosen for Nam Che 1 power station [ LAOS ]

38 4.2 MW Dive-Turbines from Bavarian-French cooperation [ KAZAKHSTAN ]

26 Traun power plant picks up speed again with triple capacity [ AUSTRIA ]

40 Austrian turbine specialist brings ravaged HPP back in shape [ VIETNAM ]

03 Editorial 06 Table of content 08 Masthead

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PP NAM THA (VNM)

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PP DIETIKON (CH)

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SUSTAINABILITY (AT)

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PP ALVIERBACH (AT)

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zek HYDRO 2020

44 Energy provider builds on its own hydro power resources [ SWITZERLAND ]

58 TRM pipe systems – a product of practised sustainability [ TECHNOLOGY ]

Schubert Opener Global Hydro U2 Troyer U3 Andritz Hydro U4

48 Austrian mechanical engineering proves its worth [ BOSNIA & HERZEGOWINA ]

61 Inauguration of the joint hydro power plant Gries [ AUSTRIA ]

52 RENEXPO INTERHYDRO 2020 – clean hydropower energy [ EVENT ]

64 How cloud solutions facilitate predictive maintenance [ TECHNOLOGY ]

53 Limmat power station officially opens with +18% output [ SWITZERLAND ]

67 Pioneering solutions for a modern hydro power station [ AUSTRIA ]

56 Professional partner for the hydro power industry [ TECHNOLOGY ]

70 ViennaHydro under the motto „Quo vadis, hydro power?“ [ EVENT ]

Auma 11 BHM Ingenieure 27 Braun Maschinenfabrik 74 Dive Turbine 38 Elin 63 EREF 15 Gamesa Electric 42 Gugler 43 Hitzinger 51 Hydac 57 Muhr 55 Ossberger 37 Renexpo 52 Siemens Small Hydro 13 TRM 60 Voith Small Hydro 9 Wild Metal 69 WKV 47

72 The WaveShaper is creating euphoria among river surfers [ TECHNOLOGY ]

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photo credits: Wikipedia

During the project, the flexibility technologies will be trialled at 7 demonstration sites. These are located at existing European hydropower stations. One of them is Alto Lindoso in Portugal.

photo credits: ANDRITZ

ANDRITZ TO PERFORM MODERNIZATION OF SOBRADINHO HPP IN BRAZIL International technology group ANDRITZ has signed a contract with Companhia Hidrelétrica do São Francisco (CHESF) to perform complete modernization and digitalization of the Sobradinho hydropower plant located on the São Francisco river, Bahia state, in the northeastern region of Brazil. The order value is more than 40 million euros, and the project is expected to be completed in 2025.

Founded in 1948, CHESF is a subsidiary of Eletrobrás and one of the largest power generation and transmission utilities in Brazil, with a total installed capacity of 10,670 MW. After more than 40 years of operation, the Sobradinho hydropower plant (with a total installed capacity of 1,050 MW) will undergo a full technological upgrade. Installation of advanced digital automation and control equipment

by ANDRITZ will extend the lifetime of the plant and ensure safe and reliable operations in the future. ANDRITZ is one of the few global suppliers that has reference projects and expertise to execute modernization projects of this magnitude. The award of this contract is a very important milestone for ANDRITZ, which has once again confirmed its position as a leading company in the supply of electro-­ mechanical equipment and solutions for the hydropower industry.

Richard Taylor (Executive Adviser, IHA), Patrick Child (Deputy Director-General, EU Commission), Sara Goulartt (EDP), Antoine Badinier (EDF) and Minoru Takada (UN DESA)

View of Sobradinho hydropower plant. After more than 40 years of operation, the hydropower plant with a total installed capacity of 1,050 MW will undergo a full technological upgrade.

photo credits: Wikipedia

XFLEX HYDRO PROJECT READY TO START Work on the Xflex Hydro project commenced early last December. The initiative was launched by leading energy providers, hydro-­ plant builders, universities, research centres and advisory businesses, and is scheduled to run for four years. The declared aim is to showcase innovations and technologies from hydroelectric plants all over Europe; and ultimately show how intelligent hydropower technologies contribute to reliable, sustainable, low-emission energy systems. The project consortium is made up of 19 members and the €18 million of project funding came from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme. By 2030, the EU is targeting at least 32 percent energy from renewables and longer term scenarios suggest an even more drastic decarbonisation of electricity by 2050. This will place increasing demands on the hydropower sector to provide flexible, reliable power services that can adapt to changing supply and demand. New and innovative technologies will help hydropower adjust to its critical role integrating variable renewables into the system. This will also ensure hydropower operators can maximise their performance and access future energy markets.

photo credits: IHA

HYDRO

The Sobradinho Dam is a large hydroelectric dam built on the São Francisco River in Sobradinho, in the state of Bahia of Brazil. Completed in 1982, the dam generates power by utilizing six 175 megawatts Francis turbine-generators, totalling the installed capacity to 1,050 megawatts.

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Competence for small hydropower Local experts with global expertise Small hydropower plants are an important component of the energy mix. They have the potential to ensure a stable local power supply. The development of renewable energies can also be boosted with hydropower. Around 64 % of the worldwide hydropower resources remain unused – the majority of which would be ideal for small hydropower solutions.

By perfectly aligning electric, hydraulic and control components, we are able to optimize the energy production and lifecycle of your plant. Put us to the test!

Let it flow: www.voith.com/smallhydro A Voith and Siemens Company

voith.com

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photo credits: Jasa Tirta

SIPHON TURBINES FOR LODAGUNG POWER STATION IN INDONESIA One of the more recent projects of GUGLER Water Turbines GmbH from Austria in Indonesia was commissioned in 2018 in the eastern part of Java. The Lodagung hydroelectric power station was supplied with two special Kaplan turbines each with a bottleneck output of 704 kW together with the complete electromechanical and I&C equip­ ment. The structural aspects posed a major obstacle in the truest sense of the word. For example, the construction owners were prohibited by the authorities from drilling the meter-thick concrete walls of the dam for the construction of the planned small hydroelectric power station facility. As an alternative solution, the concept of a syphonic system was developed, where the motive water is conveyed over the dam by means of a lifting effect. The construction of the new power station means that the operating company Jasa Tirta contributes around 6.2 GWh of re­ newable electric power to the public grid every year. photo credits: Global Hydro

The Lodagung power station in Indonesia uses two special Kaplan siphon turbines with a bottleneck output of over 1.4 MW to generate electricity.

The Plave 1 refurbishment project entailed complex logistical measures for installing and removing the turbine shafts, which weigh several tons.

photo credits: Voith Hydro photo credits: Wikimedia/ Alterrapower

Quebec will soon be producing more hydroelectric power.

Voith Hydro Austria delivered a complete water-to-wire package for the new hydro power Brúarvirkjun.

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PLAVE 1 HPP IN TOP CONDITION FOR ITS 80TH ANNIVERSARY Two major services were recently undertaken for the Kaplan turbines of the Soča Plave 1 power station in Slovenia, which first went into operation in 1940. The refurbishment project, which was completed in 2018, was conducted by GLOBAL Hydro Energy, the Upper Aus­ trian hydroelectric power specialist, involved the comprehensive refur­ bishment of the Kaplan shaft turbines, each designed for 40.3 m³/s.

The order for GLOBAL Hydro was one of the largest Kaplan refurbish­ ments to date in terms of performance and component dimensions.

Essentially, the order involved the fundamental renewal of the turbine shafts and impellers. In addition, the control systems were brought up to date and various technical support systems were optimized. The refurbishment of the large turbines (output 6,700 kW each) required a great deal of skill and dexterity.

MORE ENERGY FROM HYDROPOWER IN CANADA In Canada, global warming has caused increased rainfall volumes and glacial melting, enabling the country to benefit from increased hydro­ electric power output. This phenomenon was recently reported on by Ali Nazemi in the trade publication ‘Resources’. Nazemi is an Assistant Professor at the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science: “Seen as a whole, Canada, and especially Quebec, will be able to provide additional hydropower. However, some places will suffer immensely, particularly in the western parts of Canada.” The paper was featured on the Science Daily website and stated that in the summer months Quebec’s hydropower plants would be able to raise potential power output by up to 15 percent; in the winter by 7 – 8 percent. In contrast, in British Columbia, Alberta, in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, production potential may fall as much as 10 percent.

NEW HPP IN GEYSIR COUNTRY TO COMMENCE OPERATIONS No other country in the world produces more electricity from hydro­ power per capita than Iceland. The island at the junction between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates is one of the world’s absolute hotspots for hydropower. Iceland has recently acquired yet another powerful small-scale hydropower plant. Just a few weeks ago, in the south-west of the country, in the geyser region of Haukadalur, a plant started operating which had to satisfy very demanding require­ ments from both an ecological and a technical point of view. The po­ wer plant was fitted out by Voith Hydro Austria. The two Francis spi­ ral turbines from Lower Austria, which were designed with a number of technical specifications, achieve a bottleneck output of 9.9 MW. In a normal year, the new Brúarvirkjun power plant supplies around 86 GWh of clean electricity which is fed via a nearby transformer station into Iceland's 33 kV grid.

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OES (Ocean Energy Systems) is an IEA (International Energy Agency) platform for ocean energy utilisation and estimates the worldwide potential for tidal power plants to be around 300 TWh of electricity per year.

photo credits: nemos

HYDRO

photo credits: Wikimedia/blk24ga

WHEN WAVES ARE TRANSFORMED INTO ELECTRICITY Despite the many setbacks suffered by wave power technology, according to a report by Jan Oliver Löfken on golem.de, it is expected to account for a significant proportion of our electricity requirements in the future. The technology utilises the potential of tide flows, currents and waves in decentralised projects, right through to multi-MW systems. Every second 5 million litres of water pass through the 24 turbines, each of which is capable of producing 10 MW of power. The Usine marémotrice de la Rance tidal power station in northern Brittany has been harnessing the power of water for over 50 years. The tidal rise of­ 8 m where the Rance estuary meets the Atlantic Ocean is particularly extreme. These are ideal conditions in which to produce around 500 GWh of electricity every year. Additionally, the regularity of tidal movements guarantees reliable planning at the minimal expense of just 4 cents per kWh. This type of tidal power station requires a dam wall, making it suitable for service as a pump storage plant for the delivery of power reserves to the grid.

NEW AUMA ACTUATOR One solution for butterfly, ball/plug and globe valves Compact design covering a wide

power range

High plant visibility thanks to intelligent diagnostics The construction of a small-scale hydropower station on Liberia’s St. John River is intended to improve the electricity supply in this rural region.

Low cost of ownership combined with high energy efficiency

LIBERIA PLANS INVESTMENT IN SMALL-SCALE HYDROPOWER PLANT The AfDB (African Development Bank) and the Liberian government have signed a funding agreement for around US $35 million for two renewable energy projects in Liberia; a combination of subsidies and loans. The first of the projects is to see US $34 million invested in the construction of a small-scale dam and hydroelectric power plant on the St. John River in the Nimba region of north-eastern Liberia. According to a press release issued by the AfDB, by 2024, a total power output of 9.34 MW will enable the hydroelectric power station to provide for the needs of approximately 7000 homes. Above all, it will ensure schools, health centres and businesses in rural areas are hooked up to the national electricity grid.

A future-proof actuator adaptable to changing demand

www.profox.auma.com

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photo credits: Hydro-Construct

In Casale Monferato, a town on the River Po in the Italian Piedmont region, Hydro-Construct from Steyr in Upper Austria has built its largest inflatable dam to-date. At a length of 200 m and regulating height of 4.3 m, enabling the Upper Austrian company to break its own previous records.

Installation of the first of two new machine groups commenced at the Tannuwald power plant in Valais at the beginning of November.

photo credits: Voith Hydro

photo credits: EES

COMPLETE RENOVATION OF TANNUWALD POWER PLANT IN VALAIS EES (Energie Electrique du Simplon) invested CHF 20 million in the complete restoration of the Tannuwald hydroelectric power plant in the Swiss canton of Valais. The original seven machine groups commenced operation in 1981 and are being replaced by new two high-power groups. The first group, consisting of a Pelton turbine, a generator and a ball valve, was installed at the start of November. Similarly, the transformers and electrical conduits are also due for replacement. The 2.8 km high-pressure pipeline from the storage basin to the power plant had already been completely renewed by the summer of 2019 and the recommissioning of the plant is scheduled for June 2020. The new infrastructure will enable the plant to achieve a significant increase in potential power output from 5.8 MW to 6.8 MW. In future, annual production will be around 22 GWh – an increase of 4 GWh/a

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photo credits: Rushydro

Dr. Toralf Haag signs the Memorandum of Understanding with the Angolan Energy Minister João Baptista Borges in the presence of the German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel and Angola’s President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço.

The new Zaramagskaya 1 plant was built on the River Ardon in the North Caucasian Federal District

HYDRO-CONSTRUCT BUILDS EUROPE’S LARGEST INFLATABLE DAM IN PIEDMONT The people at the Upper Austrian company of Hydro-Construct GmbH are no strangers to the breaking of records – especially considering the sheer dimensions of their flexible weir – the inflatable dam. As compared with conventional closures, the advantage of this system is in its usefulness for regulating the damming of broad rivers, negating the need for any solid engineering insertions on sections of the natural run of the river.

At a width of 265 m and a height of 2.3 m, Hydro-Construct implemented the largest inflatable dam in Europe in Albania in 2012, and in 2017 they installed the broadest inflatable dam in the whole of India in Uttar Pradesh at a width of 270 m and a height of 3.2 m. These tube dams were made in Upper Austria and can hold back flows up to a depth of 4.5 m.

The dimensions have already been used for single-field set-ups in Turkey and France, and the system is now being implemented as a 4-field dam in Casale Monferato. The total span of 200 m is divided into 4 x 50 m sections, at a regulation depth of 4.3 m – a European width-closure record.

VOITH HYDRO IN ANGOLA Voith is a technology business. On the 7th February 2020, in the Angolan city of Luanda, as part of a trade delegation travelling with the German chancellor, the company signed a ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ for the establishment of a training centre within the country.

The memorandum was signed in the presence of Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel by João Baptista Borges – the Angolan minister for Energy and Water, and Dr. Toralf Haag – Chairman of the management board at Voith. The company intends to establish a training and on-going education centre for hydropower as a renewable energy source as part of the expansion of involvement in the area. The company is to be supported by the MINEA (Republic of Angola Ministry for Energy and Water). Voith Hydro has been equipping hydroelectric power stations in Africa since the 1930s.

RUSHYDRO OFFICIALLY OPENS NORTH OSSETIAN ZARAMAGSKAYA 1 PLANT The 246 MW Zaramagskaya power station in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, in the Russian Federation, was inaugurated at the start of February in the presence of numerous illustrious politicians and entrepreneurs. The power plant built on the River Ardon in the northern Caucasus can produce a stable power output of 840 GWh, making it the third most powerful hydropower plant in northern Caucasus region. The plant’s flexibility enables it to provide cover in periods of peak grid usage. Instead of building a dam the plant used a 14 km diversion tunnel, the longest of its kind in Russia. At the heart of the plant are the two largest Pelton turbines in the country; these are used to exploit a gross head of 609 m. The significant power output boost and controllability enhancement enable the plant to increase the reliability of power supplies in the region.

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HYDRO ANZEIGE

A proven solution for any challenge in hydropower automation Siemens Small Hydro Solution Sipocon-H – Control and Governor System As an integral element of the hydro power plant system, the Sipocon-H digital governor system combines flexible and modular architecture to meet tailor-made customer requirements.

Furthermore, the system serves a huge variety of hydro plant systems ensuring availability and proven performance.

The Task The hydroelectric power plant operation and its performance are largely dependent on the turbine governor system. Irrespective of hardware properties, the system ensures a safe and stable operation, maximum availability as well as precise functionality.

Our Solution The Sipocon-H is the core element of our integrated and customized hydro power solution. It is based on universally available PLC/DCS systems, such as the globally established industrial standard of the SIMATIC family or the SICAM 1703 family.

The system meets the highest demanding requirements and is easy to adapt and parameterize without any kind of programming.

Software and user interfaces (local and remote) can be provided in a variety of platforms, such as SIMATIC S7, PCS 7, SPPA-T3000, SICAM, WinCC, Zenon etc., which all have modular architecture and graphic interfaces in various designs.

Operation and visualization is done via local and/or remote visualization systems.

These systems provide long-term data storage and related reporting features, for continuous analysis and evaluation.

Typical additional applications

Due to its modular architecture and the standardized interfaces, the turbine governor Sipocon-H can be extended to a complete plant automation system.

More than 100 years experience

Additionally, the system supports a comprehensive range of communication solutions such as Profinet, Profibus DP, Modbus TCP, OPC, IEC 60870 and IEC 61850 amongst others.

• Plant control: Optimized controller for more than one parallel energy production line • Demand side management controller • Primary and secondary control Standard operation modes • Manual operation • Automatic operation • Remote operation • Island mode The hydro-specific functions, operation and diagnostic tools are always individually tailored for different turbine types and systems. Our extensive experience and more than 700 units installed help us to understand our customer requirements in both new and modernization plants.

Standard controller functions and features

Your Benefits

• Speed control • Power control • Flow control • Level control • Open control

• Modular governor architecture for tailor-made plant design • Easy parameterizing without engineering tools • Standardized interfaces, communication and arbitrary redundancy concepts for a smooth integration

Sipocon-H hydro governor control structure (schematic overview)

• Expandable to a complete plant automation system and scalable to all different unit sizes and unit combinations • Meets all relevant international standards for a global use • Performance and process optimization based on improvement modules

www.siemens.com/hydro energy.smallhydro.at@siemens.com

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photo credits: EnergyTechUSA

Conner Prochask, Director of the US Energy Ministry at this year’s HydroPower Summit in Trondheim.

photo credits: Nant de Drance

In November 2019 a milestone was reached when the two works water channels were flooded for the first time at the Nant de Drance pumped storage power plant. By the first quarter of 2021 the plant should be fully operational and able to deliver large volumes of peak-period electricity on short notice, whenever required.

photo credit: GUGLER photo credit: Wikimedia / SWM

The Isar Uppenborn 1 plant is expected to produce green hydrogen for clean mobility in Bavaria in the very near future.

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A new diversion channel was created for the power station construction for the Bodorna reservoir with its capacity of around 1 million m3. The picture shows the beginning of the intake structure.

NORWAY AND USA – PARTNERS IN HYDROPOWER RESEARCH Norway and the USA aim to cooperate more closely on hydropower research. In Trondheim at the ‘Hydropower Summit’ conference on the 4th February, Norwegian Secretary of State Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen, and Conner Prochask, Director of the US Energy Ministry, signed a declaration of intent to this end. The conference was organised by the HydroCen research institute at the NTNU (Technical University of Trondheim). “Norway and the US have been cooperating in the fields of energy, CO2 management and crude oil for years, and over the coming years the US plans modernise its hydroelectric power plants. Like Norway, the US possesses immense expertise in matters of hydroelectric power and environmental impacts – so the benefits will be mutual.

Hydropower remains at the core of our energy production system” says Ingebrigtsen.

FLOODING OF WORKS WATER CHANNELS AT NANT DE DRANCE PS PLANT Building work at the pumped storage Nant de Drance hydrpower plant is progressing well. November 2019 saw the achievement of a further milestone with the flooding of both works water channels connecting the upper Vieux Emosson reservoir with the lower Emosson dam. These also include two vertical shafts, each over 425 m high. The works water channels were then partially flooded after the final dry safety tests. The initial flooding served to test the relevant seals and functionality, and particularly the main gate valve. Once the two pressure shafts were flooded to the uppermost water level for the Vieux Emosson reservoir, and maintained for stability and safety tests several weeks, from the beginning of 2020 a variety of mechanical and electrical test programmes and wet-tests were then initiated on the six machine groups. In order to gua­rantee the smooth operation of all machinery, test and gauging series are due to last several months. Each of the six pump turbines is devised to produce 150 MW and will be switched online step by step.

ISAR POWER STATION TO SERVE PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN SWM, Munich’s public utilities company, plans to make one of its runof-river power plants available to help produce hydrogen for the ‘HyBayern’ project. As reported on the Energate website, PEM electrolysis infrastructure producing roughly 3 MW is to be installed at the Uppenborn 1 power station on the River Isar. The original run-of-river power plant went into operation in 1939 and produces around 25 MW. With the support of the Uppenborn 1 turbines, this should facilitate the production of around 450 tons of hydrogen per year. Energate explains that HyBayern provided the inspiration for the project to serve as a model for green, decentralised hydrogen supplies and enable emission-free mobility in Bavaria. During a call for bids issued by the German Federal Ministry of Transport, the districts of Munich, Landshut and Ebersberg successfully applied for €20 million of subsidisation.

AUSTRIAN TECHNOLOGY FOR THE BODORNA POWER STATION IN GEORGIA In October 2019, a new hydroelectric power station of the energy utility Georgia Water and Power Ltd. (GWP) was officially inaugurated at the Bodorna Reservoir, located about 45 km north of the Georgian capital Tbilisi. The operators placed the order for the supply of the complete electromechanical equipment with the hydropower all-rounder GUGLER Water Turbines GmbH from Austria. The small power station was built at a newly created outlet of the reservoir, allowing 32 m³/s of discharge water and a gross drop height of 8.1 m to be used to generate electricity. The project, constructed between October 2017 and November 2018, was completed in approximately 10 months. A horizontal Kaplan turbine in pit design was supplied by the Upper Austrian company as the centrepiece of the new facility. At full capacity, the power package creates a bottleneck output of more than 2.5 MW.

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photos: ZT Eberl

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ECONOMIC STIMULUS AND EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL MUST GO HAND-IN-HAND

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n light of the necessary, yet unprecedented measures currently taken to ease the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on Europe’s people and its economy, EREF urges world leaders who are shaping the Climate Dialogue to intrinsically tie recovery stimulus packages to the Green Deal’s initiatives and restart our economies with a focus on deploying renewable energies across all sectors.

Based on well-tried and old-fashioned communication strategies, a considerable number of lobbyists are seizing the opportunity to divert attention from the own failure to modernise (and decarbonise) their industries they are speaking out for. Interest representations of all kinds are pressuring decision-makers to attenuate or postpone more ambitious climate and energy targets, pretending this would “poison” our economies’ recovery.

photo: Andritz Hydrocredits: zek archive photo

With occasion of this year’s Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin, the European Renewable Energies Federation (EREF) vigorously advocates to maintain the level of ambition set in the European Commission’s tremendous work plan to decarbonise our societies: the European Green Deal. In this context, EREF joins forces with the IRENA Coalition for Action – that brings together leading renewable energy players with the common goal of advancing the uptake of renewable energy – and fully supports its call to take resolute action in response to COVID-19 and to leverage the progress achieved with renewable energy at all levels.

Bringing forward the necessary means for rapid recovery must be used to accelerate investments in Europe’s renewable energy value chains across the electricity, heating, cooling, building and transport sectors – which in return will strengthen Europe’s leadership in sustainable industrial development and boost the labour market by creating millions of jobs that are future-proof and located within our continent.

CLIMATE CHANGES PROCEEDS While the pandemic has brought the world into lock-down, climate change continues.

Hence EREF firmly recommends the Petersberg Climate Dialogue to draw the right

conclusions and commit to maintaining the pace on the pathway to decarbonisation, and design the “Green Deal” as essential instrument of a green economic recovery!

For more information on this matter, please contact: Dr. Dörte Fouquet EREF Director doerte.fouquet@eref-europe.org or EREF Dirk Hendricks Secretary General dirk.hendricks@eref-europe.org

THE BEST ROUTE TO ECONOMIC RECOVERY EREF strongly advices policy makers to oppose such a deceptive chain of arguments, when – quite the contrary – integrating economic stimulus and the Green Deal will direct investments in innovative and carbon-neutral solutions that are the best and most cost-effective route to economic recovery both at national and international level, while at the same time pursuing the further establishment towards a secure and 100 percent renewable energy system in the 2050 timeframe.

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ne im .

photo credits: ECO-VAT

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ECO-VAT built the new Zlate power plant on the Doljanka, just outside the Bosnian town of Jablanica. In an average year the plant will produce around 18.4 GWh of green energy.

NBA STAR PUTS FAITH IN AUSTRIAN TECHNOLOGY TO BUILD BOSNIAN FLAGSHIP POWER PLANT Mirza Teletović is undoubtedly Bosnia-Herzegovina’s most famous basketball player. He considered it a matter of honor to initiate and fund a project to utilize renewable energy in his home country. Recently, at a cost of around €7.5 million, he built a small-scale hydropower plant on the River Doljanka – just one kilometer from Jablanica, the town in Central Bosnia in which he was born. In compliance with strict environmental provisions, using the very latest hydropower technology, the ecologically-friendly electricity plant was constructed in line with the latest criteria for hydropower ventures in Europe. Equipped with two differently-sized Francis turbines produced with the small hydro expertise of Voith Hydro, in a regular year the small hydropower plant will generate around 18.4 GWh of green electricity for this picturesque region of Central Bosnia.

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power. According to official research, the po­ tential would only be exhausted at around 40 percent. The industry organization IHA (International Hydropower Association) Lack of space necessitated the choice of vertical-axle Francis spiral turbines.

estimates the Balkan state’s hydropower po­ tential to be around 8400 MW, so it can be assumed that hydropower will soon become the most important energy provider here. photo credits: ECO-VAT

S

ince the energy market was deregula­ ted at the start of 2015 there has been notable activity in the field of renew­ able energies in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Cur­ rently, renewable energy accounts for about 40 percent of gross end consumption, allow­ ing favorable comparisons with most neigh­ boring states. In general, this small Balkan country has a very good record in the pro­ duction of electricity. The total power out­ put of all electricity plants in the country is around 17 billion kWh, meaning it produces 143 percent of its own consumption require­ ments and – by definition – has achieved energy autarky. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most important energy sources are coal and hydropower, although at present coal-sour­ ced electricity accounts for around twice as much power as hydropower. Nevertheless, about one third of the electricity produced in Bosnia-Herzegovina comes from water May 2020

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photo credits: ECO-VAT

Foto: Glanzer

Both of the unequally-sized Francis spiral turbines were partly set in concrete, requiring Voith’s engineers to develop special, single-side installation openings.

A LONG JOURNEY DOWN A ROCKY ROAD Mirza Teletović recounts the long and arduous journey from the initial idea to the commissioning of the plant: “We have come a long way from the idea itself to obtaining a building permit. That trip lasted a whole 5 years. I came up with the idea in 2013 when I decided to start a company and invest in the BiH energy sector. Building just one such facility requires 7 or 8 different permits; post construction another 3 or 4. Each of these permits involves procedures that sometimes take several months. I have to admit this was quite unexpected for me, and sometimes even tiring. I knew I would have to be patient, but luckily, I had surrounded myself with experienced people who had already worked on several similar projects. These procedures really are long, but in the end, the most important

The entire hydraulic infrastructure was also provided by the Austrian small-scale hydropower specialists of the VOITH Group.

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the operating company ECO-VAT for this purpose.

Foto: Glanzer

The generator, impeller and runner were all pre-assembled at the works in Lower Austria to simplify on-site installation.

culminated in the decision to build a small, modern hydropower plant on the Doljanka, a side arm of the Neretva in the tiny village of Zlate, just 1 km west of Jablanica – in the strictest compliance with all official environmental directives: “Projects of this kind must comply with environmental and water legislation. These two aspects oblige the investor to respect nature, both in the design and construction phases, and when the plant is in operation. The investor is obliged to calculate and adhere to a biological flow known as EPP – the amount of water that must remain in the river to allow the fish population to pass freely through the fish path and, in general, to implement all necessary measures in and around the river with the least possible environmental damage. Regular reports are written, flow data is recorded and submitted to the competent institutions to ensure any possibility of manipulation is minimized”, emphasized the project initiator who founded photo credits: VOITH Hydro

photo credits: VOITH Hydro

HYDROPOWER AS AN ECONOMIC FACTOR Hydropower has long been a key force in the mountainous canton of Neretva; certainly since the mid-1950s when Yugoslavia’s then leader Josip Tito implemented the prestigious Jablanica hydroelectric power plant project, involving the construction of an 80 m high dam wall, the country’s second-largest to this day, less than 5 km from the town of Jablanica. The resultant Jablaničko jezero reservoir dams the water of the Doljanka upstream for around 30 km. Revenue from the 165 MW storage power plant remains a key source of economic wealth in Jablanica.

However, this is not the scale of project Mirza Teletović has in mind. Having played in the NBA, the best basketball league in the world, the former world-class player has returned home to give something back, and is investing in infrastructural modernization. His intention is to provide decentralized, eco-friendly energy production in the region. In 2013, this

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OPTIMALLY TAILORED TURBINES Ultimately, due in no small measure to ecological considerations, ECO-VAT chose to implement a conventional run-of-the-river power station, thus omitting any need to dam a local section of the Doljanka. Consequently, the turbines at the heart of the machine room needed to adapt continuously to the prevailing flow conditions. Voith Hydro’s project manager, Zijad Bajramovic (Dipl.-Ing.) noted: “This section of the Doljanka is subject to significant fluctuation in the volumes of water coming through, which had to be reflected in the versatility of the electrical maCompletely pre-assembled turbine units at the Voith works in Lower Austria.

chinery. The result was the choice of a classic 1/3 – 2/3 Francis spiral turbine solution.”

Bettina Holzer, Bajramovic’s colleague from the Construction Design and Project Management departments, added: “The turbines were precisely tailored and tuned to the conditions on site, involving the selection of vertical versions to save space. Part of the turbine housing had to be set in concrete to best accommodate the weight of the generators mounted directly on top.”

As well as providing the two turbines, Voith Hydro’s Lower Austrian center of excellence in the field of small-scale hydropower infrastructure was responsible for the connecting pipelines, slide valves and outlet pipe, hydraulic units and the cooling water system. Moreover, Voith Hydro’s scope of delivery also included the technical infrastructure for the sump pit. ECO-VAT issued the order to the Lower Austrian company, then still working under the Kössler banner, in 2018. Mirza Teletovic confirms he has never regretted doing so: “From the very beginning I was committed to purchasing only the very highest quality electromechanical equipment; so

Foto: TRM

thing is that the work is completed in accordance with all laws and regulations.” In 2018, all the official permits had been issued and construction work finally commenced.

Together the turbine units achieve a stable peak output of 4.5 MW.

photo credits: ECO-VAT

photo credits: VOITH Hydro

Foto: Glanzer

The hydraulic design of the prototype runners is based on a tried and tested model from Voith Hydro Brunnenmühle Research Center.

the choice of Kössler/Voith as our equipment supplier was a logical one. We are pleased with the collaboration so far, and with the cooperation and support Voith is providing. We hope the company continues to justify its reputation – and to convince us that we have made the right choice.”

CUSTOM-DESIGNED SOLUTIONS AND EXPERTISE The operators particularly emphasized the importance of the optimal adaption of machinery to the conditions and requirements on site, as was the case with the turbines’ guide vanes – so an off-the-peg solution was never under consideration. Bettina Holzer states: “The guide vane was definitely a non-standard solution. The unfavorable installation conditions on site demanded an answer that allowed installation and maintenance to be conducted on just one side. Ultimately, we managed to develop a solution that was both very practical and low-maintenance.”

A further customized technical solution was required to accommodate the situational difficulties posed regarding installation of the slide valves integrated into the spirals. The

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photo credits: ECO-VAT

photo credits: VOITH Hydro

The plant was implemented in compliance with strict ecological criteria.

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ULTRA-MODERN HYDRAULIC DESIGN In total, the two new Voith Hydro Francis spiral turbines can accommodate a maximum flow volume of 5.5 m³/s. The smaller unit, also

Technical data • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Type of power plant: run-of-the-river Torrent: Doljanka Net head: 96.30 m Flow rate total: 5.5 m3/s Small Unit: Flow Rate: 1.5 m3/s Output: 1,325 kW Runner speed: 1,000 Upm Generator output: 1,700 kVA Voltage: 690 V Large Unit: Flow Rate: 4.0 m3/s Output: 3,540 kW Runner speed: 750 Upm Generator output: 4,400 kVA Voltage: 6,300 V Turbine type: Francis spiral turbines Manufacturer: Voith Hydro Generator type: synchronous generators Bottleneck capacity: 4.5 MW Average annual production: 18.4 GWh

• Commissioning: Feb 2020

photo credits: ECO-VAT

SIMPLIFIED ON-SITE ASSEMBLY The Voith Hydro team came up with some excellent responses to the difficulties posed by assembly and installation. The generator was pre-assembled along with the guide vane and runner at the works in Lower Austria. This meant only two large main components per turbine had to be installed on site. Installation required the building of a special lifting device to greatly simplify the task of assembly. Reducing the number of components to be installed ensured the assembly phase could be completed without any hitches.

The commissioning work for the plant has been running smoothly since the end of last year, even though integrating the slide valves into the spiral housing proved a major challenge. A special water-driven valve is used to detect the increase in water pressure and activate the slide valve for water hammer reduction.

Bettina Holzer recalls: “Ensuring the valve was optimally set up to harmonize with the machine ensemble required a great deal of skill and patience, but in the end our expert commissioning engineers implemented these final steps successfully.”

An operating maximum volume of 4.5 m3/s can be drawn from the Doljanka, a side arm of the Neretva.

known as the ‘winter turbine’, was designed to process 1.5 m³/s and achieves a nominal output of 1,325 kW from a gross head of 96.30 m.­ The larger one has an intake capacity of 4 m³/s with a nominal output of 3,540 kW. Working in combination, the two unique turbines generate a maximum reserve output of 4.5 MW. The high efficiency of the machines is due in no small degree to the modern design of the hydraulics. The hydraulic contours of the turbine runner wheels are based on models tested at the Voith Hydro Brunnenmühle research center. In the first weeks of operation it became clear the machine’s performance curve corresponded completely with the guarantees, as did the agreed pressure and rpm levels. Zijad Bajramovic explained: “The customer was concerned about the vibrations such machinery can generate, so we had vibration readings taken by external specialists – all of which were more than satisfactory in this regard.”

INSPIRATIONAL FLAGSHIP PROJECT Mirza Teletović has every right to be pleased with achievements so far and has expressed his appreciation for the constructive cooperation

ECO-VAT is owned by ex-NBA player Mirza Teletovic and its declared intention is to invest in renewable energies to support infrastructural modernization in rural areas of Central Bosnia. Having successfully completed the Zlate power plant project, the company is now working on an additional small-scale hydropower plant further upstream.

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with the authorities and all partners involved.

He has often emphasized that reaching a consensus was the main objective from the very beginning: “The most important topic for us was ensuring everything complied with all envisageable legal requirements. I can’t stress this often enough. I want to do the right thing for my fellow citizens. I’m only in this to help – and improve things.”

The new Zlate power plant in Bosnia-Herzegovina has been commissioned at the beginning of February. The plant is now in regular operation and is expected to supply the grid with around 18.4 GWh of green electricity in an average year. So, as the first EKO-VAT plant is now in operation, the new energy business is already working on a second station – currently in the approval phase. Mirza Teletović explains: “We are working simultaneously on another project called SHPP Pačići, another smaller-scope run-of-river SHPP to operate on the same river, several kilometers upstream.

Applications for construction permits are now being inspected for a project that has a planned installed capacity of 1.4 MW and an annual production output of just over 6 GWh.” photo credits: ECO-VAT

bypass outlets in the spiral housing serve to reduce pressure, thus contributing significantly to stress reduction for the entire piping conduit system.

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Mitte April wurde der Staubereich des neuen Kraftwerks Danzermühl geflutet. Wenig später starteten die Inbetriebsetzungsarbeiten für die beiden Kaplan-Turbinen aus dem Hause Kössler, die heute rund 43 GWh sauberen Strom liefern. Damit kann die Papierfabrik Laakirchen ihren Eigenversorgungsgrad markant verbessern.

Foto: PORR / Kreditsch

Dubai – the fascinating Emirate of Dubai, part of the United Arab Emirates, is about to turn a first-of-itskind hydro project into a reality.

HYDRO POWER FROM THE DESSERT The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy formulated a strategic objective to diversify the Emirates energy mix and to enhance sustainability through a program of clean energy development. This plan envisages increasing the clean energy share of the ­generation mix to 7 percent by 2020, 25 percent by 2030, and 75 percent by 2050. To achieve this ambitious target the Dubai Energy and Water Authority (DEWA) decided to increase the power generation contribution from sources like photovoltaic solar and wind. But, in addition, to also create the necessary energy storage capacity required to balance these volatile renew­able energy sources. Further investigation determined that in regions with hot ambient conditions, pumped storage technology is superior to battery technology. Batteries are sensitive to heat and, as a result, a utility-scale battery storage facility would require a tremendous amount of electricity for cooling purposes.

[Author: Stefan Erath / hydronews@andritz.com]

N

ear the community of Hatta, approximately 140 km southeast of Dubai in the Hajar Mountains on the northern border with the Sultanate of Oman, there is an existing reservoir created by the Sadd Hatta Al Awwal Dam. Together with the French consultant EDF (Électricité de France),

and partially lined with steel, the tunnel is a key feature of the new Hatta Pumped Storage Power Plant THE SOLUTION For this challenging and unique project on the Arabian Peninsula, ANDRITZ Hydro

wing a series of rounds of technical and commercial clarification – during which all the specific details and benefits of the offer as presented were discussed with DEWA and the employer’s engineer – the consortium was awarded the contract to realize this prestigious project on an EPC basis. This contract

“One third of the Earth’s surface is arid or semi-arid. It is the world’s major landscape type and is still suitable for hydro-power development.”

DEWA developed a concept to create a new upper reservoir at a distance of 1.3 km and 150 m higher than the existing lower reservoir. The plan involved constructing two small dams with heights of 65 m and 30 m close to an old meander in the Hajar Mountains. A 1,300 m long tunnel with some 7 m in diameter will connect the two reservoirs.

With a capacity of approximately 200 m3/s

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formed a consortium with the civil works partners STRABAG and ÖZKAR. With support from the French consultant Artelia, the consortium was able to further improve the initial concept for the power plant and present a technically and commercially optimized offer to DEWA. This put the ANDRITZ Hydro-STRABAG-ÖZKAR consortium in a prime position once the tender opened. Follo-

award took place in July 2019. The final concept is based on a shaft-type powerhouse close to the existing reservoir. It will host two pump turbine and motor-generator units with a capacity of 125 MW each. Capable of producing a total net power of 250 MW over a sixhour generation cycle in turbine mode and a 7.4-hour storage cycle in pumping mode, the project provides an overall storage capacity of

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some 1,500 MWh. Due to the relatively limited reservoir capacities, the available head will vary significantly, changing between 175 and 125 m during the charge-discharge cycle. To overcome this large head variation while keeping the units running at a high efficiency over the complete cycle, both pump turbine units are equipped with double-fed asynchronous motor-generators. They allow the units to operate at variable speed. ANDRITZ Hydro is one of the few global suppliers to have

reference projects and appropriate expertise in the design, manufacture and installation of such specific and challenging technology.

THE SCOPE OF SUPPLY STRABAG is acting as the consortium leader and joined forces with the Turkish ÖZKAR Group to execute the civil engineering elements of the project. STRABAG is a global leader in the execution of large infrastructure projects while ÖZKAR fields outstanding re-

ferences in Rolled Compacted Concrete (RCC) Dams, the technology chosen for the Hatta Project. ANDRITZ Hydro will be the consortium partner responsible for the entire electro- and hydro-mechanical equipment for the Hatta Pumped Storage Power Plant.

ANDRITZ Hydro’s scope of works to be engineered, supplied, installed and commissioned consists of two Francis-type pump turbines with double-fed generators and auxiliary systems including excitation, auto-

Foto: Glanzer

The plan involved constructing two small dams close to an old meander in the Hajar Mountains.

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mation, as well as the control and protection systems. Furthermore, ANDRITZ Hydro will also supply the main power transformers, GIS switchyard and some 9 km of high voltage cables to connect the new power plant to the national grid. In relation to the waterways, ANDRITZ Hydro will engineer, supply and install all gates and trash racks along with approximately 320 m of penstock steel lining. The company will also supply the main inlet valves at both the high and low pressure sides of the turbines. Before initiating manufacture of the units, ANDRITZ Hydro will confirm the guaranteed characteristics of the turbine through a detailed model test. Testing is to be conducted in one of ANDRITZ Hydro’s own laboratories.

Dubai is about to make high investments in renewable energy.

“This unique undertaking to generate electrical energy using pumped storage power technology in the desert has a signal effect for the future of clean energy in the generation mix. It’s a flagship project not only in the Arabian Peninsula, but for every hot and dry region of the world.”

The final concept is based on a shaft type powerhouse, hosting two pump turbine motor-generator units with 125 MW each.

Foto: PORR / Kreditsch

THE ARABIAN DESERT The Arabian Desert has a subtropical, hot desert climate and is an extension of the Sahara Desert. Occupying most of the Arabian Peninsula with an area of 2,330,000 km2,

it is the fifth largest desert in the world. At its center is Ar-Rub'al-Khali (The Empty Quarter), one of the largest continuous bodies of sand in the world.

AL-HAJAR MOUNTAINS “Hajar” means “Stone” or “Rock”, so “Al-Hajar” would be defined as “The Stone” or “The Rock” – The Rocky Mountains of Arabia.

The Al-Hajar Mountains in northeastern Oman and the eastern United Arab Emirates are the highest mountain range in the eastern Arabian Peninsula. They separate the low coastal plain of Oman from the high desert plateau and lie 50–100 km inland from the Gulf of Oman. Measuring up to 50 km wide, the mountains begin in the Musandam Peninsula in the north, and extend about 440 km to Ras Al-Hadd in the east.

[Author: Stefan Erath hydronews@andritz.com]

Technical Details • Total output: 250 MW

Foto: zek

ANDRITZ Hydro and its consortium partners. Upon successful completion of Hatta it is very likely that additional projects of a similar nature will be developed in the region to further improve the share of clean energy in the generation mix.

graphic: © STRABAG

LIGHTHOUSE PROJECT Considered a lighthouse project for our customer DEWA as well as other utilities and electricity producers across the whole region, this contract is a very important milestone for

• Scope: 2 x 125 MW • Voltage: 15.5 kV

With advanced technology by ANDRITZ, the project will provide an overall storage capacity of some 1,500 MWh.

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graphic: © STRABAG

• Head: 150 m • Speed: 285 – 315 rpm • Runner diameter: 3,800 mm • Turbine manufacturer: ANDRITZ Hydro

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photo credits: GLOBAL Hydro Energy

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Nam Che 1 power station in Laos commenced regular operation in June 2019. The Austrian hydropower allrounders at GLOBAL HYDRO Energy provided the entire electromechanical and control infrastructure for the power plant.

AUSTRIAN EXPERTISE CHOSEN FOR NAM CHE 1 POWER STATION IN LAOS Completion of the Nam Che 1 hydropower station in Laos in 2019 marked another success for the Austrian hydroelectric allrounders – GLOBAL Hydro Energy – adding a further satisfied client to their south-east Asian customer reference list. The power station was designed to serve as a water diversion plant, and implementation was extremely work-intensive as regards construction. This demanded the erection of a 23 m concrete dam across a 50 m span of the eponymous Nam Che River. As the main project contractor, GLOBAL Hydro was responsible for the provision and installation of a comprehensive turnkey pack­age of electromechanical and control infrastructure – the centrepieces of which were two high-performance Francis spiral turbines.

Working at maximum capacity the turbines guarantee a power output total of over 16.8 MW. All the electricity produced is fed into the public mains grid along an above-ground power conduit approximately 15 km in length.

L

aos has a population of around seven million inhabitants and hydroelectric power production is one of the country’s key industries. Approximately two thirds of the energy generated by hydroelectric plants are exported to neighbouring countries. According to a report in the state-run Vientiane Times, at the end of 2018 there were 51 large-scale power plants in total spread across the country, producing around 7000 MW. There were also an additional 112 projects with an overall output of over 8,600 MW in the project planning phase. The vast majority of Laos’s large-scale hydroelectric plants are situated along several hundred kilometres of the Mekong River, which forms a natural border with Myanmar and Thailand.

Furthermore, numerous rivers in the country’s interior ensure optimal conditions for the generation of power from renewable re-

The high-voltage switchgear was erected outdoors right next to the machine room with a 15 km power conduit channel.

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Immense effort and financial outlay was required for the construction of a 23 m wall to dam water across a width of 50 m.

sources. Increased exploitation of the potential for hydroelectric energy production in Laos also provides attractive investment opportunities for foreign businesses. B. Grimm is a corporate group based in Thailand and is active in the fields of health, energy, construction, industry, real estate, e-commerce, traffic and transportation. The Nam Che 1 power plant, completed in 2019, was their second successful hydropower project in Laos FOLLOW-ON CONTRACT FOR GLOBAL HYDRO ENERGY Having gone operational with the ‘Xenamnoy 2 – Xekatam 1’ plant in southern Laos in 2017, the following year B. Grimm went online with the country’s centrally-located hydropower plant Nam Che 1. As with the first station, the corporate group placed its trust in the expertise of the immensely experienced, internationally active Austrian hydropower specialists at GLOBAL Hydro. The Upper Austrian company

again came out on top after the public call for bids, and was selected to deliver a comprehensive package of electromechanical and control infrastructure. Nam Che 1 Hydropower Co. Ltd was established for legal purposes and is owned by B. Grimm Power (Lao) Co. Ltd. and the Laos-based Daosavanh Co. Ltd. planning office. After a project planning phase lasting several years, implementation of the construction plans commenced in Xaisomboun Province at the beginning of 2017.

HYDROPOWER PLANT REQUIRES INTENSIVE CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY GLOBAL Hydro’s Project Manager, Thomas Kuffner, points out that building the power station was an immense engineering achievement: “The plant was designed as a water diversion set-up to bring in feed water to the machine room turbines via an enclosed concrete channel. A dam wall, 23 m high and 50 m across, was built to store the water and ensure

Working at full water volume capacity, each of the two identically constructed Francis turbines achieves a maximum power output of 8,403 kW.

the available water volume capacity of the dam guarantees smooth and uninterrupted hydropower plant operation.” The structure of the dam incorporates an overflow edge and two hydraulically operated weir gates. Sediment in the water settles out in the chamber ahead of the high-pressure channel when flow velocity is reduced, negating the need to install a desander. The majority of the (+/-) 300 m power descent stage is encased in an underground concrete conduit, and the water only emerges into an above-ground steel channel just before it reaches the machine room. The contract was signed in February 2017, after which GLOBAL Hydro immediately commenced engineering work on the hydromechanical infrastructure. Although each of the two identical Francis spiral turbines with an intake capacity of 12 m³/s were standard scope-of-delivery items for GLOBAL Hydro, the dimensions of the turbines necessitated a special transport solution.

The diameters of the two DN1800 turbine intakes made it impossible to transport them in conventional containers. Consequently, the machinery had to be conveyed by flat-rack containers – open at the sides and above.

Furthermore, another detail had to be taken into account when transporting the technical infrastructure: In order to comply with the conditions of the insurance policies covering transportation of the turbines, and the generators supplied by the Spanish manufacturers Indar, it was necessary to send each of the turbines separately.

MACHINES UNDERGO A TWO-MONTH JOURNEY Subsequent to the pressure tests carried out in the presence of customer representatives, and the trial assembly carried out by site staff, the first turbine and pre-mounted distributor blades were dispatched in November 2017. The

Technical Data • Flow rate: 24 m3/s • Gross head: 80 m • Net head: 76 m • Turbines: 2 x Francis spiral • Nominal speed: 2 x 500 rpm • Runner Ø: 2 x 1,287 mm • Output: 2 x 8,403 kW • Manufacturer: GLOBAL Hydro Energy • Generator: 2 x Synchronous • Nominal speed: 2 x 500 rpm • Output: 2 x 10,000 kVA • Manufacturer: Indar Electric S.L. • Total annual average capacity : ca. 64 GWh

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Rendering of the two Francis spiral turbines with the directly coupled synchronous generators.

GLOBAL Hydro Project Manager Thomas Kuffner in the middle of a group of customer representatives during commissioning procedures in Upper Austria.

consignment was first loaded onto an HGV at the manufacturing plant in Upper Austria bound for the Port of Hamburg, from where it was loaded onto a ship headed across the ocean to the Thai port of Laem Chabang. The remainder of the route to the Laos site for each of the 16 ton turbine loads was completed by road, each of the deliveries taking a total of two months. Delays completing the concrete sections of the dam’s water intake channelling, and at the machine room, meant the turbines had to be kept in intermediate storage until they could be built into the plant. Ultimately, installation of the turbines in the machine room commenced mid-May 2018 and the assembly of the mechanical and electrical infrastructure was completed by local subcontractors under the supervision and direction of GLOBAL Hydro’s own supervisors.

TURNKEY EQUIPMENT – MADE IN AUSTRIA The high-pressure steel channel emerges above ground on the final section of its journey to the machine room. A Y-pipe was installed to split off the pressurised feed water and distribute it to the two turbines ahead of the building. Apart from the high-voltage switchgear, which was provided by the end customer, the entire hydroelectric, control and data delivery equipment for the machine room was provided by GLOBAL Hydro. In addition to the machine groups, each involved two hydraulic

engines, two lubricating units, two fresh-water drive units for the mechanical seals of the turbines, two DN1800 butterfly valves, the medium-voltage switchgear system, a diesel-powered emergency generator and two transformers. The 76 m gross head allows each of the two horizontal-axis Francis turbines to pump through a volume of up to 12 m³/s. Each machine rotates at precisely 500 rpm and, working at maximum capacity, can generate a constant peak power output of 8,403 kW. The air-cooled synchronous generators are directly coupled horizontally with the turbine shafts and set up to ensure a nominal capacity of 10,000 kVA. The power generated is then conducted at a voltage of 13,200 V from the generator terminals to a medium-voltage switchgear, then to transformers and straight on to the (+/-) 15 km energy conduit via the high-voltage switchgear.

GLOBAL Hydro developed HEROS inhouse for station automation purposes – an intelligent turbine and plant control system linked up with visualisation infrastructure and a SCADA system. “Although control functionality can be remotely regulated and monitored reliably around the clock via a secure online connection, the power plant is always physically manned – as is common practise in Asian countries”, states Project Manager Kuffner, adding that GLOBAL Hydro’s HEROS solution is continually being developed and optimised.

PLANT NOW IN OPERATION FOR ALMOST ONE YEAR Construction site delays necessitated a two-stage commissioning process. Pre-commissioning involved a comprehensive range of dry runs in January of year prior to launch, and the ultimate commissioning procedures were completed around three months later. The hydropower went into regular operation in June 2019 and the official opening ceremony was attended by numerous illustrious invited guests the following November. In his public address, Khammany Inthirath, the Laos Energy Minister, noted that the operational launch of the Nam Che 1 power plant marked a significant and ecologically responsible step towards the continued economic development of Xaisomboun Province. About one year after completion, GLOBAL Hydro’s Project Manager Mr. Kuffner issued a positive summary: “As opposed to small hydropower projects, the sheer size of the structure, a power output of almost 17 MW, the immense challenges, and the significantly greater investment of labour, materials and money mean this plant can definitely be categorised as a medium-sized hydro project.

Excellent communication with customer representatives and the high quality of work­manship provided by the various subcontractors on site enabled all plans to be implemented to perfection from start to finish.”

Visualisation of the HEROS control solution developed by GLOBAL Hydro to enable fully automated regulation of electricity production at the power plant.

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photo credits: PORR / Kreditsch

The new Danzermühl power plant has been in operation since May last year. The two Kaplan turbines from Voith Hydro now supply around 43 GWh of clean electricity per year. This will enable the Laakirchen Papier AG to significantly improve its degree of self-sufficiency.

TRAUN POWER PLANT PICKS UP SPEED AGAIN WITH TRIPLE CAPACITY Since mid-May last year, the two Kaplan turbines at the newly built Danzermühl power plant on the Traun river in Upper Austria have been turning. The plant started regular operation at the end of June. In around two and a half years, the construction project, which had to overcome considerable structural challenges especially at the beginning, was completed on schedule. With the two modern Kaplan turbines from Voith Hydro, the new power station in Laakirchen will from now on generate around 43 GWh in a standard year, 125 percent more than the old plant. The electricity generated is entirely consumed in the neighbouring Laakirchen Papier AG; the paper mill is, like the power plant, part of the Heinzel Group.

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he construction of the Danzermühl hydropower plant in Laakirchen dates back to 1880. It's a power plant with a long history which has been regularly modernised, expanded, and adapted over the decades of its existence. Most recently, four Francis turbines have been installed, which supply around 16.5 GWh of electricity in a normal year. The plant had already been serving Laakirchen Papier AG for many years, enabling the company to cover part of its own electricity requirements. In 2011, in the course of the required construction

photo credits: BRAUN

The mobile fully automatic trash rack cleaning machine is equipped with a hydraulic crane arm including a polyp grab.

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of a fish ladder, the company commissioned the renowned engineering company BHM INGENIEURE to draw up a rehabilitation concept in which different variants were examined. At the end of the evaluations, however, the result was not a rehabilitation concept, but a concept for a new replacement building. Christoph Heinzel, managing director of Kraftwerk Laakirchen GmbH, comments "None of the proposed rehabilitation options promised a sustainable solution. That's why we decided to build a replacement." Christian Hufnagel, project manager at Kraftwerk Laakirchen GmbH, adds "Rehabilitation of the old power station would not have been economically feasible. Moreover, the old weir with its wooden superstructure would definitely not have been approved in future water rights negotiations."

MODEL FOR UNDERWATER DEEPENING OPTIMISED FOR AQUATIC ECOLOGY With the replacement of the Danzermühl power plant, it should be possible to achieve several advantages at once. Not only was there the prospect of an immense increase in electricity yield, but the habitat of fish and water organisms in the Traun reservoir area was also to be improved by merging the two existing weirs. There was also a marked improvement in flood protection. In the end, by removing the Kohlwehr weir, which was located about 700 m downstream, an obstacle that had previously been impassable for aquatic life was removed from the course of the river and the free flow of the Traun was extended. The bottom sill has been broken off and a deepening of the riverbed has

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The 4-bladed Kaplan runner has a diameter of almost 2.90 m.

Der Einbau der jeweils 30 Tonnen schweren Wehrklappen für Wehrfeld 1 und Wehrfeld 2 war eine Sache für Profis.

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

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been carried out up to the power station," explains Gerhard Schönhart, chief planner of BHM INGENIEURE, who adds "To this end, a terrain model was even created for the underwater deepening, which was optimised in terms of aquatic ecology. Areas with predatory trees, deadwood zones and special shallow water zones were created. It was also important to us that we leave almost all the material removed during the underwater deepening in the river bed." A fish ladder in the form of a vertical slot pass was installed at the new weir, and an additional fish ladder was integrated into the system.

IMPROVED FLOOD PROTECTION Due to the elimination of the old weir system and the lowering of the weir sill, water drainage has also been made easier in the event of flooding. The new, fully automatically cont-

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Foto: Glanzer

Foto: Glanzer

photo credits: VOITH

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rolled weir system also plays an important role in this. "Today even smaller floods can be controlled very well. The power plant can easily drain a 100-year flood," explains Gerhard Schönhart.

The weir system consists of two weir sections with flap gates and a lower outlet section equipped with a segmental gate with top flap.

A fine horizontal screen with a total screen area of 240 m² was installed in front of the inlet of the works water. The entire hydraulic steel construction was built by Braun Maschinenfabrik. To protect the lateral seals from icing up at low temperatures, the side plates were equipped with self-regulating heating rods. The weir flaps are moved individually by a hydraulic lifting cylinder mounted on the side of the structure. A trash rack cleaning machine with hydraulic drive is used to remove debris from the horizontal protective rack.

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A weir segment with segmental flap was installed at the bottom outlet of the new weir system.

BHM INGENIEURE Engineering & Consulting GmbH

Foto: photoGlanzer credits: BRAUN

Europaplatz 4, 4020 Linz, Austria Telephone +43 732 34 55 44-0 office.linz@bhm-ing.com

feldkirch • linz • Graz schaan • PraGue

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Foto: Glanzer

photo credits: zek

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Gerhard Schönhart from BHM INGENIEURE, the responsible planner, and Christian Hufnagel, the project manager from heinzelenergy, look back on an intensive construction phase.

This is completed by a hydraulic crane arm including a polyp grab with which bulky debris can be removed from the intake area with manual operation.

MACHINES MEET EXPECTATIONS In concrete terms, the two identical turbines with their 4-bladed runners are designed for a gross head of 9.34 m and a flow rate of 60 m3/s each. Each of them achieves a rated outphoto credits: PORR / Kreditsch

SPEEDY PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION Although the construction project was subject to EIA, it was implemented quickly. After the project was submitted towards the end of 2015, the necessary approvals were obtained after just over a year. Construction was able to begin in spring of 2017. By autumn, the construction work had progressed to the point that the pre-assembly of the turbines could begin.

Two Kaplan bulb turbines are being used – they are practically predestined for these conditions. This design with axial flow offers several advantages: Losses are kept to a minimum by the almost straight inflow. The overall efficiency is very high over a very wide operating range, even at partial load. The arrangement of the turbine and generator on a shaft with only two bearing points means that the machine can be constructed to be extre-

mely compact. This also means that the surrounding structure requires less space. The majority of the heat produced by the generator during operation is discharged directly into the process water via the surface of the housing around which it flows.

The topic of sustainability also played a central role here. Therefore oil-free runners were ordered. This means that there is no lubricant that could leak into the water in the event of an incident. The impeller, impeller ring, and guide vanes are made of stainless steel, which of course increases their durability. The shaft seal concept was also influenced by the principle of sustainability: at the request of the operator, a seal water supply was installed to keep the process water away from the seal. Furthermore, there are precautions in place for early detection of the early signs of wear.

In November 2018, the first part of the turbines, the supporting blade ring with the guide vane, was installed in the shell of the powerhouse.

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put of 5,017 kW – triple that of the old electrical equipment. They drive the generator rotor, which is directly connected to the turbine shaft, at a rotational speed of 187.50 rpm. The generators deliver a rated output of 5,768 kVA at a rated voltage of 10,000 V. In mid-April 2019 the time had finally come: the reservoir area was flooded and the water level reached the prescribed level. This enabled the machines to be turned on with the water of the Traun for the first time. One month later, in mid-May, the second machine unit was also put into operation. "The work went perfectly according to plan: both machines went into operation on schedule, and the first months of operation confirmed the first good impression," says Gerhard Schönhart from BHM INGENIEURE. PAPER MILL USES OWN RESOURCES The operating company heinzelenergy, a subsidiary of the Heinzel Group, has invested around EUR 38.5 million in the replacement construction of the Danzermühl power plant.

In the end, all of the planned objectives were achieved – from ecological improvement and improved flood protection to an increase in electricity yield. "Ecological paper production is firmly anchored in the corporate philosophy at Laakirchen Papier. By increasing our own energy production within the Heinzel Group we can now significantly reduce the share of external electricity from the public grid and thus make a positive contribution to achieving Austria's climate targets," emphasises Thomas Welt, CEO of Laakirchen Papier AG. All in all, the result today is a massive increase in yield, namely by 125 percent to around 43 GWh in a normal year. This enables the paper mill to cover around 10 percent of its own requirements.

Technical data • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Gross head: 9.34 m Flow rate per turbine: 60 m3/s Turbine type: Kaplan Manufacturer: Voith Hydro Runner diameter: 2,880 mm Number of guide vanes: 4 Output per turbine: 5,017 kW Total output: 9.2 MW Runner speed: 187.50 rpm Generator: synchronous generators Generator output: 5,768 kVA Voltage: 10,500 V Hydraulic steel construction: Braun Planning: BHM INGENIEURE Control engineering: Schubert Elektroanlagen

• Average annual production: 45,451 GWh

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The Austrian automation specialist Schubert Elektroanlagen GmbH carried out a comprehensive update of the Rusel power plants in Deggendorf in Lower Bavaria between August 2019 and February 2020. The power plant network, consisting of a total of five turbines, two raised storage facilities and a lower reservoir, was brought up to modern standards in terms of electrical and control technology by the Lower Austrian company. Everything from auxiliary power distribution and machine automation to excitation and protection technology was comprehensively renewed and modernised in the storage and run-of-river power plants operated by Eurowatt GmbH. In addition to ensuring the black start and isolated operation of several machine units, which enables the network to be restored for the entire plant in the event of a blackout, a whole series of operational optimisations were achieved in the course of the revitalisation.

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n the Lower Bavarian district town of Deggendorf, hydroelectric power generation has a long history. A storage power plant was built on the site of a former sawmill in the Maxhofen district as early as the 1920s. After the end of the Second World War, the existing power plant was successively supplemented with additional machines. Until the 1960s, the plant network, which was expanded over the years to include two pumped storage power plants as well as a steam and diesel plant, served as general supplier to the town of Deggendorf. The diesel plant was later to be shut down again, and the Oberberg pumped storage power plants 1 and 2 were sold to a new operator. The Rusel power plant network, consisting of the Bogenbach, Maxhofen-Oberberg, Hรถllbach, Hausturbine and Ausgleichswerk machine units, is today owned by Munich-based Eurowatt GmbH. The Bogenbach and Maxhofen-Oberberg power plants are supplied by the Sauloch upper reservoir, while the Hรถllbach and Hausturbine plants receive their works water from the Hรถllbach upper reservoir. After being processed at the machine units, which are housed in two connected buildings, the works water

photo credits: Schubert

LOWER AUSTRIAN AUTOMATION SPECIALIST REVITALIZES BAVARIAN RUSEL POWER PLANTS

The Rusel power plant network in Deggendorf in Lower Bavaria received a comprehensive electrical and control engineering update from the Austrian automation expert Schubert Elektroanlagen GmbH.

first returns to the stream bed and is then collected in the nearby Maxhofen lower reservoir. From the inlet area there, the water is led to Ausgleichswerk and flows back into Hรถllbach after being pumped through the turbine.

COMPREHENSIVE AUTOMATION Although the hydroelectric power plants now cover only part of the electricity needs of the city with its population of around 37,000, the plants continue to play an important role as

At the two upper reservoirs, Hรถllbach (pictured) and Sauloch, the hydraulic pipe rupture protection and level measurement systems have been automated. In addition, surveillance cameras were installed at the reservoirs. The well-established planning office of Thomas Grimmer was responsible for the overall planning of the revitalisation.

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environmentally friendly energy suppliers. In order for the Rusel power plants can continue to produce at maximum efficiency in the future, Eurowatt GmbH recently invested in a comprehensive revitalisation programme. The core of the modernisation project comprised plant automation and the renewal of various electrical and control components. In addition, three of the five machine units were adapted to the turbines and the associated mechanical-hydraulic infrastructure. While the mechanical refurbishment was carried out by

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New switchgear for the Hausturbine power plant capable of black starting and isolated operation.

the Austrian turbine manufacturer Kössler, which has since been taken over by Voith Hydro, the contract for the electrical modernisation was awarded to Schubert Elektroanlagen GmbH, also from Lower Austria. Founded in 1965, the company has equipped more than 400 hydroelectric power plants in 25 different countries with its well thought-out solutions throughout its 55 years of existence. In addition, Schubert can also point to a large number of successful revitalisation projects, and the expertise gained in these projects was once again fully utilised in the Rusel power plant contract. The well-established planning office of Thomas Grimmer was commissioned with the overall planning of the revitalisation. The renowned industry expert, who operates several hydropower plants in Austria and Germany, was able to make a significant contribution to the success of the complex project with his many years of practical experience.

CONNECTING OLD AND NEW The project encompassed all parts of the power plant network, from the machine units to

the upper and lower reservoirs and the central control room. In order to keep generation losses to a minimum, the revitalisation of the individual plants was implemented step by step. In terms of time, the renewal operation between August 2019 and February 2020, which was precisely planned in consultation with the operator, took just over half a year. In conversation with zek HYDRO, Schubert project manager Markus Kerschner explains the challenges of the assignment: „As with any revitalisation project, the general challenge with the Rusel power plant project was in connecting old and new components. On average, the electrical systems were between 30 and 40 years old. From the start of the project, this required the collection of a wide range of data and circuit diagrams, which also had to be checked for accuracy.“ Kerschner goes on to say that the revitalisations primarily focused on auxiliary power distribution, protection technology, and automation. With the exception of Ausgleichswerk, where the entire electrical system and generator were replaced and a used transformer installed, the

Single-nozzle Pelton turbine at the Höllbach power plant with a directly coupled 1,750 kVA synchronous generator capable of isolated operation.

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components that affected the 5 kV and 20 kV range remained essentially unchanged.

SYSTEMS CAPABLE OF ISOLATED OPERATION The machine unit at Bogenbach power plant, consisting of a 2-nozzle Pelton turbine with a directly coupled 850 kVA synchronous generator, was given a mechanical refurbishment in addition to the electrotechnical update from Schubert. The turbine‘s two Pelton nozzles, which could only be opened and closed together before the rebuild, were fitted with new drive cylinders by Voith. In combination with a new hydraulic unit, the nozzles can now be moved independently. As with the other systems, Schubert provided for the automation of the automatic start-up and shutdown, speed control, synchronisation, and control in parallel operation. In addition to the renewal of grid and generator protection, the plant was converted to static excitation.

Kerschner notes that the isolated operation of the Bogenbach power plant had to be maintained, which was quite a challenge given the now static excitation system. At the Höllbach power plant, which is also designed for isolated operation and whose machine unit consists of a single-nozzle Pelton turbine and a 1,750 kVA synchronous generator, the electrotechnical revitalisation included the same measures as at the Bogenbach plant. The switchgear used jointly by the two power plants for 400 V auxiliary power distribution and the 24 V battery system were also redesigned.

MAXHOFEN-OBERBERG AND HAUSTURBINE The Maxhofen-Oberberg power plant uses a 2-nozzle Pelton machine with a directly coupled 1,750 kVA synchronous generator to generate electricity. However, the machine unit cannot be operated in isolated mode due to insufficient flywheel mass. Apart from this, the same revitalisation measures were implemented as for the Bogenbach and Höllbach

Höllbach power plant switchgear after refurbishment.

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plants. At the Hausturbine power plant, whose single-nozzle Pelton turbine with the 275 kVA synchronous generator forms the smallest machine unit of the Rusel power plants, the capability for black start and isolated operation had to be guaranteed in the course of the modernisation. In the event of a total blackout, the plant is used to rebuild the internal network and synchronise it with the other two plants capable of isolated operation. Both the Maxhofen-Oberberg and Hausturbine plants have been equipped with new 400 V auxiliary power distribution systems.

The 24 V battery system for the Maxhofen-Oberberg plant also supplies the Hausturbine plant. The other revitalisation measures at the Hausturbine power station were identical to those at the other plants, and Voith also installed a new hydraulic unit.

VIDEO SURVEILLANCE INSTALLED The same measures were also taken at the Sauloch and Höllbach upper reservoirs. The hydraulic pipe rupture protection and level measurement systems at both reservoirs were automated. For additional monitoring of the reservoirs, Schubert installed video cameras in dome design, which offer optimum visual control from afar with their pan, tilt, and zoom functions. The two reservoirs are connected to the network via SHDSL (single-pair high-speed digital subscriber line), which enables data transmission to the control room via Ethernet. At the Maxhofen reservoir, which feeds the Ausgleichswerk plant, two gates were automated, both for level control and overwater discharge. The hydraulically operated trash rack cleaner was also automated and integrated into the overall concept of the plant. Like the upper reservoirs, the Maxhofen reservoir was equipped with video surveillance, and data transmission was again realised with SHDSL. The pipe burst protection at the Ausgleichswerk plant was also automated, equipped with a new flow measurement system, and connected to the network via SHDSL. The machine unit at the Ausgleichswerk plant consisting of two differently sized Francis spiral turbines was equipped with a new 400 kVA synchronous generator from Hitzinger in the course of the revitalisation. Voith carried out the mechanical installation of the generator, which was placed centrally between the Francis machines. In contrast to the other systems, the 20 kV switchgear was also replaced in the Ausgleichwerk plant, and Schubert also connected a transformer provided by the customer. The automation of the power plant, auxiliary power distribution, network and generator protection, video surveillance in the

In the case of the Ausgleichswerk plant, all of the electrotechnical equipment was renewed in the course of the revitalisation. A new synchronous generator between the two Francis spiral turbines is also being used.

power house, and network connection via SHDSL were also newly implemented.

REVITALISATION IS BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT All data and signals from the plant network are consolidated in the central control room in Deggendorf, where Schubert has installed two new PCs. The images from the video cameras are transmitted on one computer, while the other PC is used to control the plants.

The control PC is based on the SIMATIC WinCC Professional process control system from Siemens, which is used worldwide in monitoring and control technology. Schubert‘s intuitive visualisation of the power plant control system provides the operating personnel with an optimum overview of the current status of the individual plants. The logging of the most important data as well as fault message and trend records are fully auto-

At the Maxhofen reservoir (picture taken before the refurbishment), Schubert was responsible for the automation of the existing gates and the trash rack cleaning machine, among other things.

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mated. Thanks to encrypted VPN access, authorised users can also access the control system remotely via mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets. A few months after final commissioning, Schubert project manager Markus Kerschner is very satisfied with the progress of the project: „The revitalisation of the Rusel power plants, which has been one of our larger revitalisation projects to date, was a very exciting and interesting contract. Thanks to the good communication with the customer representatives and the responsible parties at Voith right from the start, the implementation went according to plan.

With the increasing number of hydroelectric power stations that are slowly getting on in years and in some cases only have very rudimentary automation systems, revitalisation will definitely play an even more important role for Schubert in the future.“

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photo credits: Troyer AG

A new power plant has been constructed in the community of Arvier in the Aosta Valley. In total, the installed turbines from Troyer AG deliver a power output of 9.5 MW. The power plant supplies around 2 to 2.5 GWh per year.

AOSTA VALLEY OPERATORS RELY ON HYDROPOWER TECHNOLOGY FROM SOUTH TYROL Around 12 years since the first designs for the Arvier power plant were put on the table, the eco-power plant in the Aosta Valley finally began operating in June of last year. The modern high-pressure plant was equipped with two 4-nozzle Pelton turbines from the South Tyrolean hydropower specialist Troyer AG which enable a power output of 9.5 MW. The new Arvier power plant joins an impressive array of small-scale hydropower plants that makes the Aosta Valley a real hydropower hotspot in Italy.

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18 MILLION FOR NEW POWER PLANT As one of the flagship projects of recent times, the Arvier power plant was completed in the summer of last year. The plant, which was developed and designed by the Aosta engineer Dr. Ing. Alessandro Mosso, has a previous history stretching back to 2007. “We started to formulate the first plans in 2007, but the planning process and the approval procedure lasted around 10 years, so the construction work did not begin until the end of March 2017,” recalls the designer.

The Arvier power plant is a run-of-river power plant in the Verney area in the community of Arvier which utilises the Dora di Valgrisenche – a mountain torrent which originates from the Gliairettaz glacier and feeds into the Dora Baltea. The project is backed by Eaux Valdotaines Srl., a very experienced hydropower company which, with the Arvier power plant, now operates five hydropower plants in the Aosta Valley region. As the Italian busi-

ness newspaper “Il Sole 24 Ore” reported, Eaux Valdotaines is said to have invested around 18 million euros in the new power plant. “With our other plants, we have previously produced around 18 GWh per year A 1.6 km tunnel was bored through the mountain by a tunnel boring machine.

photo credits: Troyer AG

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hen people think of the Aosta Valley, many of them will associate it with Fontina, the famous cheese, or the excellent wines and skiing. But the fact that the autonomous region of Aosta Valley is very much Italy's hydropower region is less well known. Throughout the year, the people of this region obtain 99 percent of their power from hydropower plants – this is unique in Italy. In total, the hydropower plants in the Aosta Valley generate almost 3.5 TWh with an installed power output of 950 MW. By contrast, the regional consumption is around 900 GWh, which leaves a positive power balance of around 2,550 GWh per annum. In the winter months, when not much water is avaible, power is produced only from external sources. Italy's smallest region in terms of both size and population is the hotspot for Italy’s hydropower sector, which is also not yet developed to its full capacity here.

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In addition to the two turbines and the generators, the Troyer AG also supplied two ball valves as well as all the hydraulic technology. In addition, the package delivered also comprised control and automation, as well as the medium-voltage switchgear and the transformer together with the HS installation.

photo credits: Troyer AG

photo credits: Troyer AG

The two 4-nozzle Pelton turbines from Troyer also drive a water-cooled synchronous generator (WKV) via a vertical axis.

“TWIN HEART” WITH 9.5 MW OF POWER The fact that hydropower technology from South Tyrol is very popular among the operators of the Aosta Valley was also demonstrated by the choice of machines. Eaux Valdotaines

The WKV synchronous generator shows a nominal output of 6,000 kVA.

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system has acquired an excellent reputation since it was introduced in 2001. This is primarily because it can withstand the extreme wear demands of mountain torrent catchments and ideally satisfies the requirements of today’s operators when it comes to efficient management and minimised maintenance costs.

photo credits: Troyer AG

THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN WITH TBM Constructing the power plant project would very much present a challenge for all the parties involved. In particular the penstock from the catchment to the powerhouse required

special technical solutions. One of these involved constructing a 1.6 km tunnel with a diameter of 3.6 m2. It was created using a tunnel boring machine over a period of around six and a half months. According to the engineer Dr. Alessandro Mosso, this was the most complicated part of the whole construction project. The majority of the around 1.4 km DN1100 penstock, which was manufactured entirely from steel, thus runs in a tunnel.

Another special feature is the sand trap which is installed at the water catchment and was designed with an HSR desander system. The

Foto: Glanzer

which are fed into the public grid. With the new Arvier power plant, our total electricity production will rise to 38 GWh per year,” said Federico Oriani, President and one of the three founding partners of Eaux Valdotaines Srl, to the media. The electricity will be paid in accordance with the statutory regulations for electricity from renewable sources.

photo credits: Troyer AG

photo credits: Troyer AG

Foto: Glanzer

The works water makes its way to the powerhouse via a DN1100 steel penstock.

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photo credits: Troyer AG

The steep access road to the powerhouse presented a challenge for the transporters.

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identical 4-nozzle Pelton turbines with a vertical axis. Each of the two machines is optimally designed to cater for the extraction water quantity of 1,700 l/s and the head of 317 m. Both turbines rotate at 750 rpm and each drive a directly coupled WKV synchronous generator with a nominal output of 6,000 kVA which is cooled via a closed water circuit.

Together the pair of machines achieve a bottleneck output of 9.5 MW. The turbine-propelled water is conducted into the river again underground after the electricity has been generated. The produced electricity is transported via an underground 132 kV cable over a distance of 4.8 km to Terna’s transformer station and fed into the grid here.

PROOF OF WATER-TO-WIRE EXPERTISE After the first enquiries regarding the electromechanical equipment were made to the turbine construction company in Sterzing back in 2014, the corresponding contract was ultimately signed in February 2017. For Troyer AG, the project was set to provide further proof of its water-to-wire expertise. In addition to the two turbines and the generators, the company also supplied two DN600 P40 ball valves as well as all the hydraulic technology.

The package delivered also comprised control and automation, as well as the medium-voltage switchgear and the transformer together with the HS installation. “For the catchment and surge chamber, we also supplied the pro-

MACHINE DELIVERY WAS A CHALLENGE One of the biggest challenges in implementing the project was the transport of the machine to the powerhouse – in particular the final kilometre. To provide access to the construction site, a dedicated, extremely steep road was built down to it, but it was not always drivable. It could not be utilised in the winter months in particular. The absolute acid test for this road was therefore the delivery of the transformer and the generators, which each weighed around 30 tonnes. They had to be brought down using two tractor units. “The two generators were subsequently rotated into an upright position using two mobile cranes so that they could then be transported inside the powerhouse on a carriage which was specially manufactured for this purpose. In the powerhouse itself, it was then necessary to overcome a final height difference with the machines, over 4.50 metres at least,” recalls Stefan Macrina.

The control cabinets and the medium-voltage cells were set up on a steel structure located over several levels. The complicated work of laying cables to the machines and control cabinets was accomplished by the Troyer team with the usual neat finish using cable ducts. photo credits: Troyer AG

relied on the expertise and the quality of the Sterzing-based hydropower all-rounder Troyer AG, which supplied all the electromechanical equipment for the power plant. Specifically, the “twin heart” of the plant consists of two

bes and the sensors, as well as the control for the hydraulic steel construction and the sand trap,” adds the project manager from Troyer AG, Stefan Macrina.

Foto: zek

photo credits: Troyer AG

The two 4-nozzle Pelton turbines from Troyer achieve a bottleneck output of 9.5 MW.

The generators weighing 30 tonnes were manoeuvred into the powerhouse with a great deal of care and skill.

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SMALLEST REGION AS HYDROPOWER HOTSPOT Whereas the Mont Fortchat power plant was able to start operating at the end of January 2019, for Arvier power plant it was not until June of last year that the plant was able to be connected to the grid for the first time. The slightly longer implementation time was ulti-

Foto: KELAGFoto: zek

For Troyer AG, the project was set to provide further proof of its water-to-wire expertise.

photo credits: Troyer AG

PROVEN COOPERATION This was not the first time that the operators from Eaux Valdotaines had relied on the expertise of the hydropower specialists from South Tyrol. On the contrary, as far as the working relationship with Troyer AG is concerned, the company can reflect on a very successful cooperation over many years. They also placed their trust in the specialist from South Tyrol with the previous project, which was constructed less than 15 kilometres away as the crow flies from Arvier power plant in the same valley on the Torrente Mont Fortchat.

For Mont Fortchat power plant, which delivers a power output of around 2.5 MW, the company Troyer supplied the horizontal-axis 2-nozzle Pelton turbine which is designed for an expanded flow rate of 630 l/s and a gross head of 449 m. The positive experiences that the operator was able to gain from the previous project would ultimately also be repeated in the subsequent Arvier project, which was implemented to the customer’s complete satisfaction.

mately attributable in particular to the difficult access to the construction site and the snowy winter of 2017/2018 in Aosta. This caused minor delays to the construction schedule.

With a standard capacity of from 2 to 2.5 GWh, today the new power plant makes a valuable contribution to ensuring that the au-

tonomous Aosta Valley region is self-sufficient when it comes to generating power and also to meeting Italy’s climate targets. It is not least thanks to plants such as those from Eaux Valdotaines that Italy’s smallest region can quite rightly be described as the biggest when it comes to hydropower.

Technical data • Torrent: Dora di Valgrisenche / Aosta • Plant type: high pressure pp • Net head: 314 m • Flow rate: 3,400 l/s • Number of machines: 2 • Turbine type: 4-nozzle Pelton • Manufacturer: Troyer AG • Nominal output each: 4,760 kW • Runner speed: 650 rpm • Generators: synchronous • Manufacturer: WKV • Nominal output each: 6,000 kVA • Hydraulic steel construction: Wild Metal • Weir flap: clear width: 5 m photo credits: Troyer AG

• Penstock: steel • Length: 1.4 km DN1100 • Planning: Dr. Ing. Alessandro Mosso • Commissioning: June 2019 • Annual production: 2-2.5 GWh

The eco-power plant in the Aosta Valley finally began operating in June of last year.

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FULLY OPERATIONAL BLACK FOREST BENZ II HYDROPOWER PLANT WITH NEW CROSSFLOW TURBINE

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photo credits: Benz

he hydro-energetic potential of the 55 km Schutter, a Danube tributary in the south-western German state of Baden-Württemberg, has been exploited to generate hydroelectric power in several places for many years. According to the 1925 Baden watercourse plan, at that time there were already 36 power plants along the Schutter, many of which were still using traditional paddlewheel technology. Today, located on a bend in the Schutter in Kuhbach, a part of the Black Forest town of Lahr, the Benz family’s timber processing operation has always placed

A young timber planing manager Konrad Benz. The two mechanical paddlewheels of the original sawmill were replaced by an Ossberger crossflow turbine in 1957.

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photo credits: Ossberger

The Middle Franconian hydropower experts at Ossberger provided the entire package of electromechanical and steel hardware infrastructure for the modernisation of the Benz II plant in the Black Forest region. Since the end of 2017, a water-level-sensitive raking machine has guaranteed optimum flow conditions at the plant’s intake channel.

great emphasis on harnessing the power of water. Johann Benz, a direct ancestor of today’s owners, acquired the sawmill in 1822.

The first electricity power plant here was installed in 1957. In the course of taking on the water rights from the neighbouring landowner who had discontinued his mill operations, an Ossberger crossflow turbine had been installed to replace the two original mechanical transmission paddlewheels. The machinery was controlled by a hydraulic actuator and provided all the necessary power to run the sawmill for many years.

GOOD REASONS FOR MODERNISATION For economic reasons, when the brothers Martin and Konrad Benz took over the business in the 1970s, they decided to run it as a planing operation. The decision to specialise proved a good one! Over the past few decades Alois Benz GmbH – with Konrad Benz at the helm – has established a solid customer base, serving demand for customised manufacturing and tailored profiling for the building and industrial sectors. Today, the processing and finishing of Douglas fir and spruce wood at the company is primarily executed by the automated machine park. Although in later years the hydroelectric output had only been sufficient to cover part of the company’s demand, Martin Benz identified several reasons in favour of a fundamental overhaul of the aging infrastructure, including the fact that the existing dam and machine room infrastructure – weir, intake channel, rake, ma­ chine room and water release channel – could

continue to be used without significant adaptation. Furthermore, the plant operators had received confirmation from the Federal Grid Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) that – if a specified increase in the plant’s power output was achieved – a 20-year tariff discount would be granted. Additionally, Deutsche Bahn (DB) announced its willingness to fully subsidise the construction expenses, and the costs required to install a fish ladder in the dam.

Martin Benz explained: “This offer allowed DB to meet its statutory obligation to implephoto credits: Benz

In 2018, Alois Benz GmbH in the Black Forest town of Lahr, a sawmill and timber-planing business under family ownership for almost 200 years, finally took the decision to fundamentally modernise the company’s own hydroelectric power generation infrastructure. Ultimately, extensive damage and defects had meant the existing infrastructure required far too much care and maintenance, forcing the management to implement a comprehensive programme of technical modernisation.

Already at the end of 2017 the inlet was fitted with a fully automatic rake system, and in 2018 the entire machine room technology was modernised. As with the electrification of the plant in 1957, a trusted and reliable Ossberger crossflow turbine solution was chosen for the task. Ossberger, based in Weissenburg in Middle Franconia, has been in this business for a long time and was also able to provide a full range of electrical and structural steel infrastructure.

During the turbine installation phase in August 2018.

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Technical Data

Working at maximum flow volume the Ossberger turbine achieves a constant maximum power output of 51 kW. The turbine is particularly effective working under varying intake conditions.

• Flow rate: 1.900 l/s • Gross head: ca. 3.4 m • Turbine: Crossflow • Output: 51 kW • Manufacturer: Ossberger • Generator: Asynchronous • Nominal speed: 1,008 U/min • annual average capacity: ca. 125,000 kWh/a

photo credits: Ossberger

• Nominal speed: 105 rpm

ment ecologically compensatory measures wherever rail network expansion made them necessary – right across the country”, adding that it would have been very difficult for the plant operators to finance the required integration of a fish ladder without this help.

OSSBERGER DELIVERS THE COMPLETE PACKAGE The complete technical overhaul of the hydroelectric infrastructure commenced in 2017 with the installation of an articulated hydraulic-arm rake at the head of the intake channel. On average, the old rake cleaner had required the physical removal of debris every two hours.

The current cleaner is triggered by water level sensors and operates around the clock to ensure free flow at all times. Benz points out that the mere installation of the fully automatic rake cleaner led to a marked improvement in performance. Having shown the new infrastructure could achieve the goals set, the Federal Grid Agency granted the tariff discount pledged at the start of 2018. The summer months then saw reconstruction of the machine room. The original turbine infrastructure was dismantled by the operators themselves, enabling the new turbine to be installed at the end of August. Once again, the managers of this hydropower generator chose a crossflow turbine solution produced

by Ossberger, an engineering company with a long history in the field.

It is ideally suited to accommodating the seasonal changes in flow volumes carried by the Schutter. As well as providing a crossflow turbine, customised to deal with a maximum throughflow of 1.9 m³/s and a gross head of 3.4 m, the Middle Franconian hydropower specialists also supplied the entire range of electrical infrastructure, switchgear equipment and steel construction components. Reconstruction of the machine room took just weeks to complete with the new machinery already producing electricity in September 2018.

even if the volume of water driving the turbine is very limited. As regards operational reliability, the gear system link-up between the turbine shaft and the asynchronous generator immensely enhanced performance compared to the previous set-up. Originally power was transmitted between the slow-running turbine and the rapidly spinning generator via two differently sized pulley wheels – and a belt that frequently jumped out of its groove due to leaks in the turbine. These problems are undoubtedly all in the past now. Since reconstruction was completed the 105 rpm turbine and a gear box up to accommodate 1008 rpm harmonise to guarantee uninterrupted operation in all conditions.

INFRASTRUCTURE IN MINT CONDITION AHEAD OF A MAJOR CORPORATE ANNIVERSARY Technically, the comprehensive rebuilding of the Benz II power plant was completed one and a half years ago. In autumn 2019, in order to comply with the highest ecological standards, construction work was commenced on the installation of fish ladders around the dam wall.

The technical solution chosen was a vertical-slot fish pass incorporating concrete elements. Martin Benz was delighted with the all-round modernisation of the company power plant which is now capable of delivering for an average annual power consumption of 125,000 kWh. It is estimated the electricity generated is equivalent to the average annual consumption of 30 to 40 households, and easily enables the timber processing operation to achieve power autarchy; unused power being fed directly onto the public power grid. In terms of energy technology, the Benz family is now optimally equipped to celebrate the company’s first 200 years in business.

ALL-ROUND OPTIMISATION The significant improvement of flow into the water intake channel facilitated by the automated rake cleaner, and by the electromechanical modernisation measures in the machine room, enhanced the constant maximum power output of the turbine quite considerably. The suction pipe on the old turbine had rusted to such a degree that it had no longer performed its original function for around 15 years. Consequently, power output had topped out at 36 kW. However, working with a maximum available head of feed water, the new Ossberger turbine is capable of delivering a stable maximum power output of 51 kW. The structural benefit of the crossflow turbine is most obvious when working below capacity as it guarantees effective production and a constant supply of electricity. This is made possible by a drum-shaped propeller wheel made of two separate cells. Each of the cells is driven independently by the feed water to ensure electricity production is maintained,

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German turbine manufacturer DIVE Turbinen GmbH & Co. KG and their French partner 2EI Industries have developed the first cooperative hydropower project for Central Asia. The project “Darkhan” is located in the south of Kazakhstan at the Uzbek border. Two 2.1 MW DIVE-Turbines will generate electricity based on the well-approved DIVE-concept of double regulation by guide vanes and variable runner speed.

In south of Kazakhstan the new hydro power plant Darkhan has been equipped with two 2.1 MW DIVE-Turbines.

photo credits: DIVE

4.2 MEGAWATT IN KAZAKHSTAN – TWO DIVE-TURBINES FROM GERMANY FOR CENTRAL ASIA

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ven though the geography of Kazakhstan provides large amounts of fossil resources, its energy policy is setting its focus on carbon-neutral energy sources. From 2010 on, the strategy is to raise the share of renewables to 50 percent of the total energy production by 2050. Currently most of the energy is produced in the North of the country, whereas energy-demand is higher down South, which is why new power plants are set up mostly in the South. From all renewable energy sources, hydropower has the largest capacity with 14 percent of the overall energy production capacity, while other renewables have 1 percent. The advantage of hydropower is its long tradition and technological advance which makes it a reliable and highly-efficient source of energy. The Project Darkhan is located in the region Saryagash in Southern Kazakhstan at the river Keles, the landmark of the border to Uzbekistan. Once in operation, it will provide decentralized, CO2-neutral energy supply. Moreover, energy production requires to be connected to the grid-concerning system services, as for example regulation and compensation of over-production.

The technology of DIVE-Turbines regulated by inverters provides these services and can be adapted to any local grid requirement, with static and dynamic parameters. Hydropower is also black start capable which is a general requirement for a secure energy supply grid.

HISTORY OF PROJECT DARKHAN Civil works at hydropower plant Darkhan had started already in 2016, which was before a turbine type had been selected. In 2017 DIVE Turbinen GmbH & Co. KG was con­ tracted to deliver two turbines of 2.1 MW each. In these days, there had not been any DIVE-Turbine of this capacity, which meant that the manufacturing facilities for the ­DIVE-Turbine, the generator design and the electronic equipment for DIVE-Turbines had to be upgraded. In very close cooperation be­ tween 2EI Industries, responsible for electronic equipment, Oswald Elektromotoren GmbH, manufacturer of the DIVE-Turbines’

photo credits: DIVE

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TURBINE TECHNOLOGY The DIVE-Turbines for Kazakhstan have a runner diameter of 1,800 mm, 6 fixed runner blades and a total weight of more than 23 tons per unit of turbine and generator. The photo credits: DIVE

Downstream view of the construction site

generator and DIVE Turbinen GmbH & Co. KG a new generation of DIVE-Turbines had been pushed forward. The challenge was to develop and manufacture a new size of generators for the MW-class, corresponding inverter technology and controls. Moreover, it is a multi-language and multi-culture project with partners from Germany, France and Kazakhstan. In terms of funding, the project is part of the worldwide dena Renewable Energy Solutions Programme coordinated by the Deutsche Energie-Agentur (dena) – the German Energy Agency – and supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) within the German Energy Solutions Initiative.

Satellite view on the construction site

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whole electronic equipment except the grid transformer is inside a transport container.

The container remains on site and is used as a power house. All the equipment has been installed and pretested in factory. The two DIVE-Turbines were shipped and installed in September 2019, when civil works were still under construction. The power plant was set into operation after the cabling and connecting of the power plant to the public grid.

The DIVE-Turbine is a double regulated turbine with a mechanical adjustment of the guide vanes and speed variable runner. The runner blades are fixed to the runner hub. The For transport and movement, the turbinegenerator-units are fixed to a curved steel frame

photo credits: DIVE

photo credits: DIVE

Installation of a turbine-generator-unit

generator is located directly on top of the turbine runner and is completely submerged.

The submerged system is based on a patented and maintenance-free sealing system. Therefore, the system is flood save. The adaptation of the generated electricity to the grid requirements is done by inverters. Thus, the fixed runner blades and selected materials allow for high loads of sediments and particles, which could be a limiting factor at the given conditions of the rivers in the area of Southern Kazakhstan. Moreover, the inverter technology allows for adaption to static or real-time requirements of the public grid.

The DIVE-Turbine has only one interface with the civil works which is the premanufactured draft tube flange. Thanks to this, the requirements for the tolerances of the local civil works are one magnitude lower than with classical machines, instead of mm or cm the tolerance is about 0.1 m. This attribute Installation of the guide vanes

The DIVE-Turbine is a double regulated turbine with a mechanical adjustment of the guide vanes and speed variable runner.

meets the local construction work capabilities and simplifies the total project. Moreover, it reduces interface risks significantly.

PROJECT SUPPORT This project is part of the worldwide dena Renewable Energy Solutions Programme coordinated by the Deutsche Energie-Agentur (dena) – the German Energy Agency – and supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) within the German Energy Solutions Initiative.

photo credits: DIVE

photo credits: DIVE

View inside the container

photo credits: DIVE

Project Lead:

ENERGY SOLUTIONS MADE IN GERMANY

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photo credits: OCI

Impression of the devastated powerhouse at the Nam Tha 4 power plant in Vietnam from 2018. As part of the revitalisation, the Austrian hydropower expert GUGLER Water Turbines GmbH supplied two highly efficient Francis spiral turbines including directly coupled synchronous generators and the corresponding accessories.

AUSTRIAN TURBINE MANUFACTURERS BRING RAVAGED POWER PLANT IN VIETNAM BACK INTO SHAPE At the start of the year, the internationally renowned company GUGLER Water Turbines GmbH from Austria successfully completed its first project in Vietnam with the commissioning of the completely revised Nam Tha 4 power plant. The powerhouse of the operator Phuc Khanh Energy Development and Construction Investment JSC had been badly affected by a flood and was newly fitted out with state-of-the-art technology by the engineers from Upper Austria. At its core, the contract comprised two identically designed Francis spiral turbines with directly coupled synchronous generators as well as the associated hydraulic equipment and inlet valves. At full load, the new machines produce a maximum output of more than 17.4 MW, and the electricity which is generated is fed into the public power grid. Thanks to the new equipment, both the operational reliability and the efficiency of the plant were increased significantly.

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The flooding event completely destroyed some sections of the DN1000 steel penstock.

photo credits: OCI

I

n Vietnam, a country with a population of around 90 million people, hydropower generation is one of the most important pillars of the country‘s electricity supply. Over a third of the electricity generated in the country is obtained from the renewable resource of water, with the rest of the electricity being produced primarily from coal, natural gas or nuclear power. With hydropower potential of around 120,000 GWh each year – less than half of which is utilised to produce energy today – Vietnam is one of the most interesting markets for hydropower in South-East Asia. Some of the most efficient plants can be May 2020

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Technical Data • Flow rate: 9.8 m3/s • Gross head: 194 m

photo credits: GUGLER

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• Turbine: 2 x Francis-spiral • Nominal speed: 1,000 rpm • Runner Ø: 725 mm • Output: 2 x 8,734 kW • Manufacturer: GUGLER Water Turbines GmbH • Generator: 2 x Synchronous • Nominal speed: 1,000 rpm • Output: 2 x 10,590 kVA • Manufacturer: GAMESA ELECTRIC

found in northern Vietnam on the Red River.

This originates in neighbouring China and, passing through the capital city of Hanoi down to its mouth feeding into the Gulf of Tonkin, it forms one of the main waterways in this coastal state. Over the years, a whole series of hydropower plants of different designs and power classes have also been constructed on the numerous tributaries of this major river.

POWERHOUSE RAVAGED One of the tributaries of the Red River that has been most heavily utilised for hydropower in the recent past is the Nam Tha in the north-western province of Lào Cai. The Nam Tha 4 power plant, which is designed as a discharge plant and is run by the operator Phuc Khanh Energy Development and Construction Investment in the mountainous district of Văn Bàn, only started operating around four years ago. However, power generation came to an abrupt end after just a comparatively short period of time. A devastating storm during the rainy season in 2018 caused widespread flooding in the region which also affected the Nam Tha 4 power plant. The upstream storage reservoir for the plant was unable to cope with the vast quantities of rainfall, which caused the body of water to slosh over the concrete dam with immense force. This then caused serious damage to the power plant infrastructure. For example, some sections of the underground penstock were completely destroyed by the masses of water. The impact was even worse on the powerhouse, whose basement and ground floor was flooded and covered in

The guide vanes of the turbines, which were designed for an extraction water quantity of 4.9 m3/s each, were installed and preset at the factory.

mud. The sensitive electromechanical equipment was so badly affected by the huge quantities of water and mud that getting the plant back up and running quickly was out of the question.

AMBITIOUS TIMETABLE To get the power plant connected to the grid again as quickly as possible, the operating company commissioned the Vietnamese project developer and automation specialist photo credits: GUGLER

• Total annual average capacity : ca. 47 GWh

COMPLEXITY REDUCED To be able to meet the ambitious timetable, GUGLER started engineering the turbines as soon as the contract was signed at the beginning of 2019. According to Fleischmann, one of the key challenges of the project was adapting the new turbines to the existing infrastructure at the plant. Among other things, this related to the design of the two identically configured Francis spiral turbines.

Owing to the existing route of the penstock, the inlet of the spiral turbines had to be desig­ned to be at an angle at the bottom, which in turn required special apparatus for installation. In addition, the designers placed great importance on coming up with a de-

Maximum precision in installing the Francis runners, which are made from stainless steel and have a diameter of 725 mm each.

Projekt KW Nam Tha 4 zek Hydro Internat 2020 ENG V2.indd 41

Ocean Industry Corporation (OCI) to completely revitalise the plant. As part of the tender that was drawn up by OCI, the Austrian company GUGLER Water Turbines GmbH was able to secure the contract to supply the two turbines and the associated equipment.

For the turbine manufacturer that operates internationally and can cite a large number of reference projects in South-East Asia in particular, the project was the first order it had received in Vietnam. GUGLER project manager Roland Fleischmann points out that the timeframe for the contract was extremely tight: “Usually a project of this magnitude takes around a year. But as the plant could not be out of operation for too long following the total failure and the power generation losses associated with this, the engineering, production and installation of all the equipment had to be completed in the space of just eight months.”

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photo credits: GUGLER

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The two synchronous generators, which were fabricated by the Spanish manufacturer GAMESA ELECTRIC and have a rated apparent power of 10,590 kVA, ensure maximum levels of efficiency.

sign for the turbines and the associated infrastructure that was as simple and easy to maintain as possible. “Essentially the complete revitalisation made the plant less complex and susceptible to faults. We installed our tried-and-tested cooling system in place of the bearing cooling system which previously featured separate units, pumps, filters

and a vast quantity of lines and cables. In principle, our system is a closed-loop cooling circuit which uses heat exchangers installed in the tailwater to keep the oil used to lubricate the generator bearings at the optimum temperature,� explains Fleischmann, adding that the spiral housings of the turbines were provided with a special zinc-based protective

coating (ZINGA system) to protect them from the water containing lots of sediment.

BOOST IN PERFORMANCE Following the factory acceptance test at the end of July 2019, the turbines, which were manufactured at a Slovenian partner company, were ready to make the journey to Vietnam. To make installation on site as straightforward as possible, the guide vane mechanisms were already installed and preset at the factory. Including the obligatory customs formalities, the journey by sea and land to north-western Vietnam took around two months. Once the turbines arrived at the construction site, work to install the hydroelectric equipment began in October of last year. The installation work was carried out by local specialists under the guidance of a GUGLER supervisor. The client OCI provided all the electrical and control engineering equipment. A new indoor crane was erected in the powerhouse to install the synchronous generators from the Spanish manufacturer GAMESA ELECTRIC, each weighing around 40 tonnes. The generators and turbines, which each have a horizontal axis, were directly coupled together, which meant that separate turbine bearings were not required.

The forces which are produced on the run-

Hydro Generators 90 years of power generation 1930-2020

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ners by the rotation are absorbed by the oil-cooled bearings of the generators. To ensure that the used air from the air-cooled generators does not contribute to undesired heating of the powerhouse, it is discharged into the open air via a concrete shaft. When operating at full flow rate, each of the highly efficient turbines can utilise an extraction water quantity of 4.9 m³/s, with a gross drop of 194 m available. At full load, each of the turbines rotating at 1,000 rpm produces a bottleneck output of 8,734 kW. Thanks to the two turbines, the plant is ideally equipped to operate both at full load and at partial load.

As an annual average, the turbine utilisation (plant factor) is around 60 percent, and at peak times the machines can even be operated with an output of 110 percent. The power which is generated is fed via an overhead transmission line directly into the public power grid, and the annual standard capacity of the power plant is around 47 GWh on aver­ age.

FURTHER PROJECTS BEING IMPLEMENTED Following the smooth fitting and the final electrical engineering installation work, the fully revitalised Nam Tha 4 power plant be­ gan operating again in January of this year.

Fleischmann points out that the efficiency of

At full load, the two Francis machines produce a maximum output of more than 17.4 MW. At peak times, the turbines can be operated with 110 percent output.

photo credits: GUGLER

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the plant has been significantly improved by its complete renewal. “The old turbine units never delivered the performance that was calculated by the operator even when operating at full flow, and their function was also compromised by persistent vibrations. Our turbines now work perfectly and achieve maximum levels of efficiency in all operating

conditions and at all flow rates. The Nam Tha 4 power plant was the first GUGLER project in Vietnam; other assignments in the country are currently in the implementation phase. With this excellent reference, we are very confident that we will also be able to fit out more power plants in Vietnam in the future.”

• Worldwide active • Upgrading and modernization • Financing and AfterSales-Service • Water-to-wire solutions • Highest European quality and efficiency • Operator know-how • Long-time experience

Kaplan Turbines Pelton Turbines Francis Turbines up to 25MW

info@gugler.com www.gugler.com

Liquid Energy - Solid Engineering

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ENERGY PROVIDER FROM EASTERN SWITZERLAND BUILDS ON ITS OWN HYDROPOWER RESOURCES It was undoubtedly a huge project for EW Mels, which has been supplying its customers in the Sarganserland district with hydroelectric power for many decades: As part of a comprehensive renewal, renovation and expansion project in which the local community invested around 25.8 million CHF, on the one hand operational reliability was restored and on the other hand a considerable increase in production capacity of more than 7 GWh was achieved. As well as renovating the dam walls and renewing the traditional Chapfensee-Plons power plant, another three small-scale hydropower plants were constructed. After the bureaucratic process to secure a licence took more than 18 years and the subsequent process to obtain final building permission took another 3.5 years, the overall project was essentially completed in around two years. The new facilities have been operating since December 2018 and are proving their worth every single day.

T

he 8,600 residents of the municipality of Mels in the canton of St. Gallen have been relying on hydropower for decades.

To the present day, it still remains the backbone of the community’s power supply, for which the community’s own company EW Mels is responsible. EWM supplies around 4,600 customers via a 65-kilometre medium-voltage grid and a 208-kilometre low-voltage grid. A key role has always been played

here by the Chapfensee-Plons power plant, which began operating in 1948. The power plant utilises the 430,000 m3 storage capacity of Chapfensee reservoir and the natural drop of 550 m down to the powerhouse. When the licence ran out at the end of 1996, the people in charge at EW Mels decided to request an extension to the licence. “We never thought that it would take so long to achieve this. It took 21.5 years from the first letter requesting

photo credits: Rittmeyer

Frost damage and material fractures had caused such damage to the two dam walls that there were increasing incidences of water seeping through.

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Foto: zek

photo credits: Rittmeyer

The man-made Chapfensee reservoir at an altitude of 1,030 m above sea level has been utilised for power generation by the St. Gallen community of Mels for many decades. As part of a huge project, the two dam walls have now been renovated, the affiliated Chapfensee-Plons power plant has been renewed and expanded, and two upper stages have been added.

a renewal of the licence through to the final building permission being granted,” explains the director of EW Mels, Erich Riget.

ACTION NEEDED TO BE TAKEN Fundamentally, there was definitely an urgent need for action. Chapfensee-Plons power plant was showing its age and was requiring maintenance and repair work increasingly frequently; there was also a need for urgent renovation of the penstock and the two dam walls at Chapfensee reservoir. “If we had no longer been able to guarantee the safety of the plant, the power plant would have had to be switched off – with clear economic consequences,” says Erich Riget. To avoid a patchwork of expensive individual measures and at the same time to utilise its own hydropower resources even more efficiently, EW Mels made the decision to combine all renewal, renovation and expansion measures in one overall project. In 2015, a loan of 25.8 million CHF was taken out to cover the planned renovation and expansion works. The funding from the KEV (feed-in compensation at cost) which was secured beforehand ensured that the costs resulting from the investment were covered.

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The cross-flow turbine contributes 120,000 kWh to the overall power generation of EW Mels in a normal year.

Foto: EWA

amount protruding out of the landscape. At the heart of this “invisible” power plant is a powerful cross-flow turbine. For this purpose, the traditional all-round hydropower company Wasserkraft Volk AG (WKV for short) from Gutach in the Breisgau region supplied a 420 kW crossflow turbine which was designed for an extraction water quantity of 1,780 l/s and a drop of 29 metres. The turbine with two guide vanes of different sizes drives a 3-phase synchronous generator from Hitzinger via a coupling. In total, the “power couple” will supply around 1.7 GWh to the grid in a normal year.

The turbine for the Chapfensee power plant was likewise chosen with careful consideration. First of all, the operators were keen at this point to install a very low-maintenance machine which was also efficient and operationally reliable. In addition, the turbine also boasts another quality feature that is rarely found with comparable turbines: It remains connected to the grid for a very long time even when there is little water.

Erich Riget says: “We wanted to know precisely and tested at what point the machine stops operating. We reduced the load down to 8 kW and it was only below this that it dropped off. This is less than 2 per cent of the nominal power output, I have not encountered such a low capacity with any other machine.” Given that in January and February very little water is available, this is an advantage that should not be underestimated.

MACHINE MEETS EXPECTATIONS However, the biggest gain when it came to increasing production capacity was achieved with the expansion and renewal of the existing Chapfensee-Plons power plant. Contrary to the initial plans, the developers from Mels decided not to convert the old power plant building in Plons.

“The original plan was to have a machinery ensemble, consisting of two different machine units. This would inevitably have involved converting the existing central building. But we changed the plans, and with the type of turbine that we chose we found a solution that we could fit into the existing cubic space in the building – even if this meant that the new machine is today oriented diagonally in the powerhouse,” says Erich Riget.

The model chosen was thus a single turbine which should be ideally suited to the prevailing high-pressure conditions: a 2-nozzle Pelton turbine made by WKV which offers a persuasive choice not just thanks to its high levels of efficiency, but also thanks to its exceptionally smooth running. “The machine is so quiet that you can easily have a conversaAll of the control engineering for all power plants was provided by Rittmeyer AG from Baar.

Foto: Rittmeyer photo Foto:credits: EW Mels Rittmeyer

POWER FROM THE INVISIBLE POWER PLANT Finally, a previously unused cascade was presented as another upper stage for the existing Chapfensee-Plons power plant. Here too a new, modern small-scale hydropower plant was to be integrated. What makes the concept of the Chapfensee power plant particularly elegant is the fact that all the components of the power plant were created under­ ground – and even the underground powerhouse has only a very small photo credits: Rittmeyer

Foto: zek

Foto: Rittmeyer

SOURCES UTILISED FOR POWER GENERATION The pre-project also involved drawing up various options for the upper stage in order to determine how the individual bodies of water could best be utilised, or which possible combinations would make sense in terms of generating energy efficiently. In the end, one option emerged and the overall design also included utilising the springs of Mädems.

Previously the water in the Mädems area had been collected, but not utilised for hydroelectric purposes. The plan now envisaged creating the new Weissenstein power plant at an altitude of 1,065 m above sea level in which the water from the Mädems equalizing basin is channelled through the turbine. This involved creating the Mädems equalizing basin, a storage basin at an altitude of 1,655 m above sea level with a capacity of 500 m3 into which several sources flow. From the equalizing basin, a penstock was laid to the Weissenstein central facility to produce a maximum discharge of 130 l/s. The 2,750 m long pipe traverses a natural height difference of 583 m.

In the central building at a height of 1,065 m above sea level, a 2-nozzle Pelton turbine with a horizontal shaft from the company Andritz was installed. With a nominal pressure of 59 bar, the machine achieves a power output of 650 kW. The turbine is coupled directly to the end of the shaft of the 3-phase synchronous generator from Hitzinger which is driven at the high rated speed of 1,500 rpm. In a normal year, since the machine unit at the new Weissenstein PP started operating, it has been delivering around 2.36 GWh of clean electricity to overall production.

Today the drinking water which is fed from the high-level sources into the new Mädems equalizing basin can likewise be utilised – at least partially – for producing hydroelectric power. For this purpose, a drinking water turbine was also installed before the mouth feeding into the small basin. The turbine of the Mädems drinking water power plant is designed for 70 l/s with a drop of 46 m. The cross-flow turbine delivers 21.5 kW of power. At any rate, in a normal year the machine contributes 120,000 kWh to the overall power generation of EW Mels.

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At the heart of the new installation is a 2-nozzle Pelton turbine manufactured by WKV. The machine drives a 3-phase WKV synchronous generator. In comparison to the old machine, which was designed for 4.5 MW, the new turbine delivers a power output of 7.2 MW.

tion while standing next to it,” enthuses Erich Riget. He refers to “real German craftsman­ ship” which exceeded all expectations. The two control nozzles and the deflector are ope­ ned via hydraulic cylinders, and they are clo­ sed by spring force. The installation has a hydraulic speed regulator unit which is suit­ able for island operation and is noted for very fast response times. “This turbine really does respond very quickly thanks to the special re­ gulator unit and the Rittmeyer controller, which is a vital prerequisite for island opera­ tion. It is a real Ferrari,” says Joachim Kipp, Senior Commissioning Engineer at WKV, with great delight.

MACHINE TECHNOLOGY FROM ONE SOURCE With a drop of 529 m and an extraction water quantity of 1.5 m3/s, the WKV turbine is de­ signed for an installed capacity of 7.2 MW. The impeller drives the rotor of the directly coupled 3-phase synchronous generator which

was likewise produced by WKV itself. The ge­ nerator weighing 35 tonnes has water cooling with a closed heat cycle and is designed for 8,000 kVA. In addition, the powerful energy converter has an external oil lubrication sys­ tem for lubricating the generator bearings.

Moreover, with a view to stable island operati­ on an extra flywheel mass is attached to the generator shaft.

The ball valve, which is likewise supplied by WKV, is opened via a hydraulic cylinder and closed via a drop weight. In addition, a small bypass system with a shut-off valve and energy dissipation valve was installed for draining the complete penstock. The order package for WKV generally included all the installation work, including commissioning. There were very good reasons why a single equipment supplier was trusted to deliver the machine unit for the new Chapfensee-Plons power plant, as Erich Riget explains: “It just makes sense to have a single point of contact if there

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Foto: Rittmeyer

Foto: Emch + Berger

Foto: zekcredits: EW Mels photo

A very special arrangement of the Coanda rakes (Wild Metal) can be found inside the new Cholschlagerbach catchment. The water flows here from the middle via the Coanda systems which are arranged on the left and right.

are any problems with the machine. We have been really impressed with the machines from WKV.” On behalf of KeK, the Swiss electrical enginee­ ring and automation specialist Rittmeyer AG from Baar drew up a ground-breaking control engineering concept which was designed to guarantee maximum communication and control possibilities. The control engineering was designed to reflect the latest criteria and the individual requirements of the operators.

STEP TOWARDS SELF-SUFFICIENCY In December 2018, all the relevant works on the major project in Mels were completed and the power plants started trial operation. Erich Riget is evidently proud of successfully com­ pleting the huge project, which at its peak had up to 13 construction sites operating simulta­ neously. He is particularly pleased that it was implemented in a net construction time of around 14 months and he is keen to emphasi­ se the excellent cooperation between the part­ ners involved. “If you consider that the lead time through to obtaining final permission was 21.5 years, the delivery of the actual con­ struction was a piece of cake in comparison,” says the director of the company.

He also mentions the significant boost to elec­ tricity production which is attributable to the renewal of the Chapfensee-Plons power plant and the delivery of the small-scale power plants upstream. In total, around 7 GWh more are delivered to the grid in an average year. “In our grid, we have so far sold 34 GWh of our own power. Thanks to our new facili­ ties, today we feed on average 35.5 GWh of electricity into our distribution grid. This ­means that we have managed to make an im­ portant leap beyond ‘energy neutrality’ and in purely mathematical terms we are now self-sufficient,” says Erich Riget with delight.

In contrast to the penstock and the machine equipment, the central building remained unchanged.

photo: photozekcredits: EW Mels

Foto: Rittmeyer

photo credits: Rittmeyer

HYDRO

May 2020

11.05.2020 17:34:48

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HYDRO

photo credits: BBB d.o.o. Sipovo

Hydropower plant Glavica in Western Bosnia and Hercegovina was built between 2017 and 2019. The facility has a long history and was developed in accordance with stringent landscape conservation and environmental protection criteria. Equipped with two Kaplan turbines by Voith Hydro, it has an annual output of around 9.5 GWh.

AUSTRIAN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING COMPETENCE PROVES ITS WORTH IN BOSNIA-HERCEGOVINA Last April a prestigious small-scale hydropower plant in the western region of Bosnia and Hercegovina was connected to the grid.

What makes run-of-river plant Glavica on the banks of the Vrbas stand out is its mechanical equipment. Two structurally identical double-regulated Kaplan turbines by Voith Hydro are used to drive two modern synchronous generators, which are provided by long-standing manufacturer Hitzinger from Linz. In a normal year, the two machine combinations supply a total of 9.5 GWh of clean energy to the Bosnian power grid – a sizeable contribution to the country’s ambitious energy targets.

T

he facility that went on-line in Western Bosnia and Hercegovina last year is a real showcase example of modern hydropower utilisation: the Glavica hydropow-

er plant – a project with an interesting history. More than 50 years ago, back when the country was still part of Yugoslavia, there were plans to build a hydraulic power plant

photo credits: Voith Hydro

The two steel draft tubes were also delivered by Lower Austrian hydropower specialist Voith Hydro.

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at the same site, around two kilometres west of the city of Šipovo. These plans called for a 30 m high dam wall, which would have pushed the reservoir head back to where the Pliva river rises from two sources, around 5 kilometres away from the plant site. “This was where various measurements and geologic tests were conducted on both sides of the river. A 30 m exploratory tunnel from back then still exists today,” the operators of project firm BBB d.o.o. Šipovo told zek HYDRO. In 1954 a water measuring station was set up at the site. During the following decades regular detailed water measurements were taken. As BBB d.o.o. explain, these long-term sample data are rather more detailed than the measurements taken at other hydropower sites in the region. “These measurements showed that the Pliva river has one of the most steady discharge flow rates in all of Europe.

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explains, “As far as financing was concerned, we were able to win domestic investors, who provided the necessary funds from their own resources and bank loans.”

An aspect of particular importance to the project’s stakeholders was the matter of choosing the appropriate equipment for the facility.

BBB d.o.o. had a clear policy: “As we had already gone to great lengths in our planning to keep everything eco-friendly and environmentally sound, we took great care in selecting suitable suppliers for the power plant equipment. Apart from cost efficiency, our main requirements were long-standing expe-

POWERFUL YET COMPACT “To take full advantage of the hydrological conditions on the Pliva, the customer decided in favour of two vertical double-regulated Ka-

The power house is home to two structurally identical machine units.

KW Glavica_e.indd 49

rience and high manufacturing quality standards. Overall we invited twelve turbine manufacturers to the tender process. After careful deliberation we decided to have our small-scale hydropower plant equipped with the latest technical solutions from Voith Hydro. As for generator technology, we put our trust in the know-how of Hitzinger as our provider of choice.

photo credits: BBB d.o.o. Sipovo

CAREFUL SELECTION OF SUPPLIERS Financing was, of course a key element of the project, and one that was not to be left to foreign investors. As BBB d.o.o.’s spokesperson

One of the two synchronous generators is carefully lifted into the installation site.

Foto: Glanzer

PERFORMANCE BOOST OVER PREVIOUS PROJECT The proposed new solution included a 235 m longitudinal sill to divert the water flow near the left riverbank towards the hydropower plant. This version raised the performance to around 1.5 MW, clearly more than the previously planned solution. Eighteen smaller lateral sills along the right riverbank now enable fish to migrate undisturbed upstream and downstream. A further aspect of the concept concerned the construction work in the tailwater area. A 600 m stretch of the riverbed had to be cleared from decades’ worth of accumulated bedload. This would increase the net head by 1.5 m. Next, the project plan was presented to governmental representatives and ministers, who finally gave it their thumbs-up. The fact that it then took almost ten years to get all the required permits is due mainly to the relatively young administrative bodies to whom this type of approval process was still unknown territory.

photo credits: BBB d.o.o. Sipovo

AS ENVIRONMENTALLY COMPATIBLE AS POSSIBLE “The original project would have destroyed the site’s natural beauty up to the Pliva’s springs. So the idea with the 30 m barrage was dropped. After all, this stretch of the Pliva and the surrounding area are real natural treasures that enjoy a high level of protection, and deservedly so,” explains the spokesperson of BBB d.o.o., which is owned by the Lujic family. It was still before the breakup of Yugoslavia in the late 1980s that a new hydropower project at the same site was envisaged. This time the plan was to put up a small-scale hydropower plant with a 5 metre high transverse structure and an installed capacity of 0.97 MW. However, this plan, too, was never realised.

Next, the owners of BBB d.o.o., who are locals themselves, set about to develop their own concept, which was to enable a carefully balanced, environmentally friendly utilisation of hydropower. The ecosystem and natural beauty of the Pliva area were to be left undisturbed. “Design firm Encos of Sarajevo helped us to develop our initial concept draft further. This allowed us to preserve the landscape and ecosystem of the Pliva river and the surrounding area while achieving an even greater level of hydropower utilisation than projected in the plans from the 1980s,” explains BBB d.o.o’s spokesperson.. The firm had already been granted a permit for the Glavica site in 2006.

Foto: Glanzer

HYDRO

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HYDRO

photo credits: Voith Hydro

“Marrying” the generator and turbine. The operators opted for high-quality mechanical equipment from Austria. Two double-regulated Kaplan turbines by Voith Hydro each drive a Hitzinger synchronous generator. Together they achieve a bottleneck capacity of around 1.5 MW.

plan turbines,” recalls Voith Hydro’s project manager, Dipl.-Ing. Zijad Bajramovic. Apart from the turbines, the well-established turbine specialist also delivered the two Hitzinger generators and the entire hydraulic equipment. In addition, the Austrian hydropower specialist was

also entrusted with the supervision of the installation and start-up precess. In the end, the Lower Austrian engineers were able to leverage their extensive know-how and underscore their well-deserved reputation as a competent, experienced hydropower engineering partner. This was confirmed by the project planners at BBB d.o.o., who stated that “We are very pleased to have chosen a turbine manufacturer who supported us with their technical solutions and expert assistance throughout the entire project implementation process.”

One crucial aspect concerning the turbines’ design is their compact dimensions. “Protecting the environment was a key requirement, one that demanded the height of the power house to be kept to an absolute minimum. Meeting this criterion was possible mainly thanks to an extra-compact construction of the vertical Kaplan turbines,” explains Bajramovic. The turbines are specially designed, with the runner on a cantilevered generator shaft. By eliminating the usual bearing loss, this design improves the facility’s efficiency compared to a classic vertical Kaplan turbine arrangement. Where the turbine design was concerned, Voith’s engineers went for four-bladed Kaplan runners with a diameter of almost 1.6 m to ensure optimum utilisation of the water resources. “The main challenge was to simplify the manufacturing and installation processes while maintaining the high efficiency levels of the Voith hydraulics,” explains the manufacturer’s design engineer in charge, Jürgen Grill. As he points out, the entire machine concept was re-engineered to facilitate the installation process as much as possible. Thanks to the new compact design it was possible to speed up the installation and concrete work, and as a result the overall implementation.

CUSTOM-BUILT MACHINES Each of the two machine units is designed for a gross head of 6.9 m with a design flow rate of 14 m3/s, providing a rated output of up to 813 kW. Running at a rotational speed of 273 rpm, each of the two structurally identical turbines drives a modern, powerful Hitzinger generator. The three-phase generators provided by high-profile manufacturer Hitzinger of Linz, are each designed for a rated output of 1,000 kVA. Reliability and performance are not the only qualities that make Hitzinger’s generator technology stand out. An essential strength of the generators lies in the fact that they are no ‘off-the-shelf ’ products. On the contrary: Hitzinger’s generators are custom designed and manufactured to meet the customer’s needs and operational conditions. Everything is custom-built, from the machine’s magnetic design to its insulation system. In this respect Hitzinger have always kept to the motto,

To keep the natural water passageways as natural as possible for aquatic wildlife, a wide fish pass with multiple sills was installed on the orthographic right-hand riverbank.

Technical data • Torrent: Pliva

Foto: BBB d.o.o. Sipovo

•

50

Flow rate: 28 m3/s

• Plant type: run-of-the-river hpp • Net head: 6.5 m

• Turbines: 2 pc.

• Turbine type: Kaplan

• runner diameter: 1,590 mm

• Runner blades: 4

• Manufacturer: Voith Hydro

• Nominal output each: 813 kW

• Generators: synchronous

• Rotation speed: 273 rpm

• Manufacturer: Hitzinger

• Nominal output each: 1.000 kVA

• Full Load: 260 d/y

• Level of utilisation: 85 percent

• Administration procedure: 10 y

• Construction time: 2 y

• Annual capacity: 9.52 GWh

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“Better design conservatively.” As a result, the machines come with extra capacity reserves built in – which distinguishes them from other industrial generators that are constantly operated at their capacity limit. One of the most significant advantages is Hitzinger’s in-house software, which has been refined over decades.

They are optimised to enable the engineers to design the required machines with a high level of precision and speed.

9.5 GWH OF CLEAN ENERGY PER YEAR One unique characteristic of the Glavica hydropower plant is its relatively low design flow level. This means that the ratio of the turbines’ design flow rate to the Pliva’s average water flow rate is relatively low, which translates into a high efficiency level. On average, the machines are running under full load on 100 days per year, resulting in an overall utilization of the water resources of around 85 percent. Says Zijad Bajramovic, “Thanks to the relatively flat discharge line of the Pliva river, it is possible to operate one machine unit under full load on an average 260 days per year.”

With the project completed, the project developers at BBB d.o.o. Šipovo can look back on a satisfying experience: “The construction of hydropower plant Glavica has taken a lot of cost and effort to complete. But in the end we

photo credits: Wikipedia

HYDRO

The Pliva river has a long tradition of hydropower utilisation.

The image shows restored watermills near Sipovo.

were able to put up a beautiful facility, so it was all worthwhile.” In a normal year, the new runof-river plant generates around 9.5 GWh or clean power, enough to provide more than 2,700 average households in Bosnia and Hercegovina with energy. As a result, the hydropo-

wer plant not only helps to raise the share of renewables in the Balkan country to the planned level. It also contributes to the overall expansion of hydropower, which is to replace coal-fired energy in the long run. However you look at it, Glavica is a model facility.

HYDRO POWER

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KW Glavica_e.indd 51

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HYDRO

RENEXPO INTERHYDRO 2020 - CLEAN HYDROPOWER ENERGY FOR A SECURE FUTURE Expert talks, discussions & exciting lectures at the Hydro Forum

photo credits: Habring/MZS

For the 12th time, the (small) hydropower industry get-together with conferen­ ce will inform about the contribution hydropower makes to a safe, sus­tainable, affordable and climate-neutral power supply. In 2020, from 26 to 27 November, Europe‘s get-together for the hydropower industry will once again provide a unique platform for knowledge transfer, exchange of experience and networking.

I

n order to be able to continue to guarantee the energy supply security status quo in the future, energy system with a rapidly growing share of fluctuating, renewable energies, it will be necessary to balance out surpluses and shortfalls in the electricity grid. Hydropower as a storable and flexible energy source will play a central role here. At the trade fair, many new impressions and solutions can be presented repeatedly, especially for planners and operators of (small) hydroelectric power plants.

BURNING ISSUES OF HYDROPOWER The theme of this year‘s event is how the industry can face up to media and energy policy developments in our changing times. For example, at the opening ceremony and the subsequent Energy Talk, well-known representatives from politics, business and associations will discuss the topic.

Salzburg Province’s Deputy Governor, Dr. Heinrich Schellhorn, patron of the event, knows about the importance of hydropower for the entire region in the context of­­­SALZ-

BASIC INFORMATION

BURG 2050 climate and energy strategies – and also underlins the significance of ­RENEXPO INTERHYDRO as a key gathering for discussing issues and exchanging ideas. “Climate protection and an energy transition across the province of Salzburg, indeed throughout Europe, can only be achieved by working together. We need to make joint efforts and guarantee a broad exchange of expertise, information and experience. The RENEXPO INTERHYDRO makes an important contribution by encouraging discourse on the status quo and necessary future developments.”

The challenges for the industry in this regard are obvious, because after all, it is a political and municipal obligation to secure the energy supply and to curb climate change. It is thus

all the more important to use the existing capabilities of hydropower and to expand them safely and rapidly, always with aquatic ecology in mind.

STRONG PARTNERS Once again in 2020, more than 25 trade associations from 4 continents with more than 100 expected exhibitors will join forces to ma­ke this leading event a success. The future of hydropower will be discussed at the 5th Eu­ropean association get-together at the­­­RENEXPO INTERHYDRO. The industry representatives will meet in Salzburg. The focus will be on highlighting the great advantages of hydropower and how it can be expanded in an ecologically friendly way. National and European legislation will also be discussed.

Small hydropower secures tomorrow‘s energy future!

• Date: 26-27 November 2020

• Place: Salzburg Exhibition & Congress Centre, Am Messezentrum 1, 5020 Salzburg, Austria

For inquiries, please contact: Christian Hannes Marx – project communication

T: +43 (0) 662 2404-57 M: + 43 (0) 664 88 30 96 56 marx@messezentrum-salzburg.at

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photo credits: Habring/MZS

• Online: www.renexpo-interhydro.eu

May 2020

Projekt Renexpo Vorbericht Internat 2020 Neu.indd 52

06.05.2020 12:44:37

HYDRO

photo credits: EKZ

The run-of-the-river power plant on the Grien-Insel in the town of Dietikon was comprehensively modernised and equipped with state-of-the-art technology. The operator, EKZ, invested approximately 39 million Swiss Francs in the large-scale modernisation project which also included the construction of an auxiliary residual water power station and a number of ecologically-friendly measures.

DIETIKON LIMMAT POWER STATION OFFICIALLY OPENS WITH +18 PERCENT OUTPUT In October 2019, the comprehensively modernised Dietikon run-of-the-river hydroelectric plant with its new residual water utility system was tested for the first time under real conditions – around 18 months after building work commenced. The official opening ceremony for the plant took place on the 6th March this year, with production output having been boosted by approximately 18 percent. In addition to the modernisation of the electromechanical infrastructure, the project also involved the implementation of several ecological compensatory measures. To ensure fish passage in compliance with ecological standards, two fish ladders were installed – one at the main power plant and one for the residual water basin – both of whose intake infrastructures were fitted with fish-friendly horizontal rakes. All steel weir and channel components were provided by the Bavarian industry specialist Muhr. The horizontal rake for the main power plant is around 33 m long and 6.5 m high, making it one of the largest of its kind in Central Europe.

PROTRACTED LICENSING PROCEDURES In 1999, just ahead of the new millennium, EKZ began preparations to have the license for the long-serving hydropower station renewed. Tensions between economic and ecological demands are very familiar to hydroelectric power plant operators, and in the case of the Dietikon power station they led to extremely protracted proceedings – before the Canton of Zurich finally authorised construction plans in 2017. Alfredo Scherngell, Chief Hydropower Officer and Central Project Coordinator at EKZ, recounted that consideration of all the licensing issues had been a protracted process due to the multiplicity of

As was the case at the main power plant, the intake section of the new auxiliary residual water power plant below has also been equipped with a fish-friendly Muhr horizontal trash rack.

Projekt KW Dietikon zek Hydro Internat 2020 ENG V1.indd 53

parties’ interests involved – including authorities, clubs, associations and local residents.

Moreover, following the introduction of the subsidised green electricity tariff in 2009, the EKZ added the construction of a residual water power station at the Wehrsporn part of Grien Island to the overall plans for modernisation, leading to further delays. The relicensing process required an increase in the permitted volume of residual water which could now be used for electricity generation – up to 15 m³/s. The average annual power output of the Dietikon station was raised by 18 percent.

Ecologically, the licensing proceedings were contingent upon the implementation of a

photo credits: EKZ

D

ietikon is situated approximately 12 km west-north-west of the canton’s capital city, Zurich, where there is a long tradition of hydroelectric power usage in the industrial sector. The Grien Insel in the heart of the city first became an island when a diversion channel was excavated parallel to the Limmat between 1857 and 1860. Its hydroenergetic potential was first exploited from 1860 onwards, being used to drive textile factory mechanical transmission infrastructure.

The first electric turbines were integrated into the power plant in 1888; and in 1894 the authorities authorised the installation of an additional three turbines. 14 years later, ownership of these power plants passed into the hands of the EKZ (Canton of Zurich Electricity Works). Ultimately, in the early 1930s extreme infrastructural deterioration led to a comprehensive programme of renewal and expansion, including the widening of the banks and underwater channelling, as well as the building of a new dam and machine room – which subsequently accommodated two vertical-shaft Kaplan turbines. This constellation enabled the plant to produce electricity reliably for over eight decades until the implementation of the recent renovation measures.

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11.05.2020 17:51:21

ANDRITZ Hydro provided three highly-effective machine groups for the main and auxiliary residual water power plants. The machine room of the main plant has again been fitted with two vertical Kaplan shaft turbines with directly coupled synchronous generators. Each turbine produces a maximum of 1.75 MW from a gross head of 4.5 m and a pro-turbine maximum flow volume of 47.5 m3/s.

whole series of compensatory measures. As well as the obligatory up-and-downstream fish ladders, the operators were also required to conduct comprehensive rewilding in riverside forest areas protected by environmental legislation – as is the case for the northern half of the Grien Island.

ALL TURBINES FROM ANDRITZ HYDRO As before, the main station machinery consists of two identically constructed Kaplan shaft turbines with directly-coupled synchronous generators, and as with the residual water power station, ANDRITZ Hydro also bid successfully to supply the entire range of electromechanical infrastructure. Electricity is used by exploiting the potential of a per-turbine gross head of 4.5 m, as well as a maximum flow volume of 47.5 m³/s for each turbine.

Working at maximum water availability, each of the double-regulated turbines can achieve a stable maximum power output of 1.75 MW. In order to keep noise emissions to a minimum the generators, each of which has a nominal output of 1900 kVA, were fitted with a water-cooling system. The residual water power station at the southern end of Grien-Insel

ensures drops in output at the Dietikion plant can be more than compensated, despite the release of larger volumes of residual water. The new infrastructure allows 10 m³/s to be processed by the turbines between October and March, and 15 m³/s between April and September, raising overall annual production significantly from the original 17 GWh up to 20 GWh. The main reason for this jump in productivity is the horizontal-shaft Kaplan bulb turbine. Working with a gross head of 3.5 m at maximum water flow volume, the machinery has been set up to deal with a capacity flow volume of 25 m³/s for a stable maximum power output of 770 kW. Of course, during the structural and electromechanical renewal phase at the Dietikon hydropower station there was a comprehensive update of all the electrical, electronic and control infrastructure. The design and installation of the all-round automation packages for the main and subsidiary plants were conducted by the Swiss specialists in the sector, Rittmeyer of Baar.

LARGE-SCALE HORIZONTAL TRASH RACK In order to maximise environmental protection of river life over such a broad area around

photo credits: zek

The horizontal trash rack at the water intake of the main dam measures 33 m x 6.5 m. It is one of the largest of its kind in Central Europe. The narrow-gap, fish-friendly trash rack was produced by Muhr, the Bavarian engineering specialists also awarded the order for all structural steel components.

54

A loading crane with a timber grab was added to the rake cleaner at the main plant’s water intake to remove bulky floating debris.

photo credits: zek

photo credits: EKZ

HYDRO

the plant, horizontal, fish-friendly trash racks were installed at the main dam station and the residual water unit. All steel engineering components, including trash racks and trash rack cleaning machines, gates, stop logs, hydraulic power units and mitre gates were provided, delivered and installed by Muhr – South-German hydropower steel engineering experts from the Bavarian town of Brannenburg. “At a length of around 33 m and a height of 6.5 m, the horizontal trash rack at the main power plant is one of the largest of its kind in Central Europe. On top of its sheer size, what really made this project so challenging was the degree of manufacturing precision required to ensure fish-friendly rack bar distancing of just 30 mm – and 20 mm interior spaces between the bars. The flow volume lost due to the fine-mesh trash rack is compensated by the rack size, by the sophisticated stream­lining of the shape and positioning of the rack bars, and that of the twelve supports. This solution ensures the interests of fish ecology and productive economics are both served harmoniously”, explained Muhr’s engineering editor Florian Kufner, adding that the trash rack – serving approximately 211 m² around the intake – was kept free of debris by a HYDRONIC H-8000 V series trash rack cleaning machine (TRCM). The TRCM is equipped with a low-maintenance Omega chain drive with around 30 kN of propulsion force to ensure reliable cleaning performance in all conditions. This infrastructure was also augmented with a loading crane and timber grab to remove floating bulky or long timber debris, flotsam and jetsam, from the intake section.

Similarly, they facilitate the installation and removal of stop logs for the bypass intake.

Kufner stated that the EKZ’s demands on the mitre gate regulating the flow of water to the station’s bypass channel were particularly strict. The floating debris removed by the

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Projekt KW Dietikon zek Hydro Internat 2020 ENG V1.indd 54

08.05.2020 11:36:54

TRCM is transferred to the mitre gate and ultimately channelled off via the bypass. As drive system powering the mitre gate only one overhead hydraulic cylinder had to be used. Rounding off, Mr. Kufner stated: “At an overall height of 6,6 m and a maximum water level difference of 6 m this demands an extremely rigid and sturdy construction. In addition, we had to equip the mitre gate with to integrated regulating valves to regulate the bypass feeder and enable fish swimming downstream at various water levels in a species-appropriate manner.”

At a length of 26 m and a height of 3.2 m, the horizontal trash rack on the residual water channel plant is roughly half the size of its counterpart servicing the main dam set-up. It was fitted with the same flow-optimised, fish-friendly bars. A HYDRONIC H-5000 V series TRCM with a comb bar drive and 20 kN of thrust is used to clean the trash rack. The overall scope of delivery for Muhr comprised three hydraulic power units, each of which installed in the TRCMs to power the drives and the lifting cylinders of the rakes. At the main dam TRCM, the hydraulic power unit also guarantees sufficient oil pressure for the hydraulic loading crane. Another hydraulic power unit in the main power plant drives the mitre gate cylinder and the flow control flap gate. Kufner summarises that the key challenge this project had posed for Muhr had been in the immense scope of delivery required – and the large range of individual items this entailed. This set tough challenges for the entire project organisation team – in the project planning phase, in construction management, in purchasing, and all the way through to manufacturing, assembly, installation and documentation.

OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY THIS MARCH The official opening ceremony was held in the attendance of several illustrious guests on 6th March 2020. “When the project commenced, just before the beginning of the new millennium, we couldn’t have

photo credits: Muhr

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View from above the lock gate at the beginning of the bypass channel. This was also included in Muhr’s scope of delivery and enables river inhabitants to travel downstream while debris is diverted by the intake rake for the main plant.

known that the opening of a power station run on a renewable energy source – water power – would have become so acutely relevant to today’s debate on the issue of climate protection”, explained EKZ CEO Urs Rengel. “Back then, who could have predicted the closure of nuclear power plants – or that we would be backing the use of renewable energies like hydroelectrics?” Martin Neukom, senior civil servant and EKZ advisory board member, stresses the significance of hydropower because, in contrast to solar power, water is available throughout the entire year. From an energy technology point of view, the investment of approximately 39 million Swiss Francs will definitely pay off; particularly since power output is now almost a fifth greater than before, and because now the EKZ can self-dependently produce an energy volume equating to the annual power consumption of around 4500 average households.

TRASH RACK CLEANING SYSTEMS HYDROMECHANICAL EQUIPMENT COOLING- & PROCESS WATER TREATMENT FISH PROTECTION TECHNOLOGIES

CATRONIC SH monorail screening system, Germany

HYDROCON sliding gate, France

HYDRONIC M multifunctional trash rack cleaner, Germany

ERHARD MUHR GMBH

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83098 BRANNENBURG GERMANY ☏ +49 8034 90 72 0

INFO@MUHR.COM WWW.MUHR.COM

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HYDAC was founded in 1963 as a company for hydraulic accessories and is today an international, family-run company group with over 9000 employees, 50 subsidiaries and 500 sales and service partners worldwide.

photo credits: HYDAC

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HYDAC - YOUR PROFESSIONAL PARTNER FOR THE HYDROPOWER INDUSTRY

Today, hydro-electric power stations make an important and sustainable contribution to the world‘s energy supply. HYDAC is determined to play its part in enabling people to gain maximum benefit from hydropower. In opening flood gates and intake gates. And in efficiently regulating and protecting turbines and generators. HYDAC proves its expertise with hydraulic and filtration solutions in all sectors.

H

YDAC has decades of experience in oil hydraulics and process water treatment. With individual components constantly being added to the product range, such as filters, accumulators, valves, pumps, coolers and sensors, HYDAC has built up an extensive and complete product portfolio over the years that leaves nothing to be desired when it comes to designing systems for the hydropower industry. In addition to supplying individual components, HYDAC also provides complete systems for almost all hydropower applications. These are comprehensive systems which are specially tailored to suit the customer‘s needs. HYDAC was founded in 1963 as a company for hydraulic accessories and is today an international, family-run company group with over 9000 employees, 50 subsidiaries and 500 sales and service partners worldwide. Our motto is: global yet local. HYDAC components and

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HYDAC develops bespoke accumulator and sensor solutions for hydropower plants.

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systems can be found in all sectors of industrial and mobile hydraulics.

For closed cooling circuits that work with water glycol, HYDAC has developed a compact system (WGK) that is made up of a motor-pump unit, an expansion tank, a mixing valve and sensors.

COMPREHENSIVE PRODUCT PORTFOLIO In the hydropower industry, HYDAC is represented in the following applications for both large and small hydropower stations: • Hydraulic steel structures and trash rack cleaners: hydraulic

units and cylinders for gate, sluices, weirs and trash rack cleaners •

Shut-off devices: hydraulic systems for ball valves, shut-off valves and needle valves, piston and bladder accumulator stations for storing closing power and water-powered servo motors with corresponding protective filters

•

Turbines: bearing lubrication systems, hydraulic turbine controllers, piston and bladder accumulator stations for the emergency shut-down function

• Process and cooling water treatment: for the filtration of seal

water, cooling water and extinguishing water, the required components – e.g. the automatic back-flushing filter RF3 –

are mounted on a compact frame (skid) •

Please contact us via our website or directly using the following e-mail address: hydro-power@hydac.com. The HYDAC team looks forward to receiving your enquiry!

Generators: lifting and brake cylinders, oil lubrication cooling systems and cooling water systems, high-pressure discharge systems (HP systems), brake lifting systems, oil mist separators.

WORLDWIDE SERVICES HYDAC also supplies products for Condition Monitoring, such as sensors for monitoring water content (Aqua Sensor), metallic contamination (MCS Sensor) and the automatic monitoring oil cleanliness (CS Sensor) along with service instruments for maintenance such as dewatering units (FAM), offline filtration units (OLF), nitrogen charging units for accumulators (N2 server) and mobile units for measurement and data acquisition (HMG). The HYDAC portfolio is rounded off with extensive fluid engineering services which help to optimise your key components and fluid power systems. We are very happy to support you in areas such as energy efficiency, process and system reliability, conservation of resources and system availability.

In addition to customised hydraulic units, HYDAC supplies standard units in various sizes and versions with its Hydrobox system. This is especially suitable for small hydropower stations.

Components & Systems for Hydro-Electric Power Stations

Hydraulic accumulators

Advantages

Filtration

Coolers

Pipe fittings & ball valves

Directional valves

Many years of experience in all aspects of fluid power applications in hydro power Back-flushing filter

Worldwide service from initial start-up to proper maintenance

Servo motor

Sensors

Continuous development of our products and systems Internationally active, family-run company group www.hydac.com

Pumps

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Mounting technology

Measurement devices

HYDAC International GmbH, Industriegebiet, 66280 Sulzbach Tel.: +49 (0)6897 509-226, hydro-power@hydac.com

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TRM DUCTILE IRON PIPE SYSTEMS – A PRODUCT OF PRACTISED SUSTAINABILITY Quality and cost effectiveness have long been among the best-known plus points of products made by Tiroler Rohre GmbH. Ductile iron pipe and pile systems made at the factory in Hall moreover impress through their sustainability and environmental value.

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PRUDENT USE OF RESOURCES Ductile iron pipe and pile systems made by TRM can be viewed as part of a cyclical process. “We obviously melt down old pipes too, irrespective of whether they are grey cast or ductile iron. In each case we end up with high-quality ductile iron, which could just as easily be used to make an engine block,” says Harald Tschenett, clarifying why every old cast iron pipe contains the basis for a new one.

As much emphasis is placed on the prudent use of resources at TRM as is placed on conserving the environment. As a result, our exhaust air treatment process is permanently kept up-to-date and the waste water required

for the production process is fed into a cycle, at the end of which it is filtered and cleaned by modern filter systems. “We moreover attach great importance to noise control. In order to minimise exposure for our neighbours, the entire factory site is surrounded by a tall noise barrier,” observes company spokesman Christof Mairinger.

WASTE HEAT WARMS TYROLEAN HOUSEHOLDS One by-product of smelting iron is the waste heat that is released, which also represents a valuable energy resource. “Our waste heat is fed into the Wattens-Hall-Innsbruck district heating system. It can be harnessed to provide

photo credits: zek

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t the facility of Tiroler Rohre GmbH (TRM) in Hall in Tirol, high-quality pipe and pile systems made of ductile iron are manufactured for the water industry and deep foundations. The products of Tiroler Rohre GmbH have been proving their worth on European markets and all over the world since 1947. In line with its mission statement, TRM consistently focusses on quality, safety, mutual trust and respect. Particular significance is attached to its sustainability strategy, which is practised by the traditional company with no ifs or buts.

“Fundamentally, the sustainability of our product comes down to its nature and is a matter of great importance for us,” explains Harald Tschenett, Director of Production. He points to the fact that 100 percent of the materials used to produce the pipe and pile systems are recycled. Between 40,000 and 45,000 tonnes of scrap iron passes through the smelter at the facility in Hall each year. The required scrap metal does not travel long distances either, being sourced and delivered by a regional company operating in the local area. The mode of transport similarly contributes to the small environmental footprint: TRM has its own railway siding, meaning the scrap metal wagons can roll right up to the scrap hall.

Here the material is picked up by a powerful magnet and taken for processing.

photo credits: zek

Foto: zek

Sustainability is not a characteristic, but an attitude. Here at the long-established Tiroler Rohre GmbH, they are conscious of this and continue to abide by a strict sustainability strategy. It starts as early as the production phase, in which scrap metal makes up 100 percent of the raw materials used, harnesses energy produced by renewable means and even covers the use of by-products accrued during production. Optimisations are made on a continuous basis as part of a comprehensive energy management system. A research project is currently underway to investigate whether metallurgical coke – hitherto an essential element in steel production – could at least in part be replaced by Tyrolean charcoal. This would be a fantastic milestone. In Hall, they are never content to accept the status quo.

May 2020 The pipes are made using 100 percent recycled material.

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all. Ultimately the longevity of a product equates to its sustainability, as Christof Mairinger confirms: “if a pipe system is designed to last for 100 years, then its sustainability compared with other systems is a distinct advantage, especially given the uncertainty over whether it can be recycled.”

Director of Production Harald Tschenett adds that the knock-on effects should also be taken into account: “we must not forget the investment required in terms of machinery and equipment as well as the logistical and financial aspects when streets have to be ripped up because of defective or obsolete pipelines. At this point the question must be raised as to whether an inexpensive solution really is sustainable too. In relation to this point, any pipe system for which a 100-year service life is the rule rather than exception has huge benefits where sustainability is concerned.

EMPLOYEES: OUR GREATEST ASSET The issue of sustainability also shines through in TRM’s company culture. We are not only aware that our employees are our greatest asset – it shapes how we operate too. TRM values and practises open and honest communication. No wonder, then, that our members of photo credits: Selina

photo credits: zek

staff identify strongly with the company.

“Employee loyalty is our number one priority.

On average, our members of staff stay with us for around 14 years. Due to the relative low staff turnover, the company is able to retain the know-how of its employees. To this end we train our workforce ourselves at our facility. We are a government-certified training organisation,” explains Christof Mairinger.

TRM furthermore supports its employees with their further training. It is not without reason that the company has a reputation as one of the best employers in the region.

TYROLEAN CHARCOAL INSTEAD OF COKE? Persisting with the status quo would be a regression, Harald Tschenett believes. He is referring to the development work that happens at every level. “We have a very efficient energy management system: all of the energy data that it produces are continuously managed and monitored. If we spot the potential to make an improvement, we try to make the most of that too,” explains Harald Tschenett, highlighting a new research project at the Hall factory in which Tyrolean charcoal is used instead of metallurgical coke. “We use metallurgical coke as an energy source and a The company has a very low employee turnover rate. On average, employees stay at TRM for around 14 years.

Foto: zek

Foto: Glanzer

LONG-LASTING IS SUSTAINABLE In an age when the catchword “planned obsolescence” is sometimes heard in conjunction with industrial products, the longevity of pipe and pile systems made by TRM remains one of the most important quality criteria of them

Scrap metal is delivered straight to the scrap hall by railway.

photo credits: TRM

thermal energy for 650 households,” explains Harald Tschenett. Using the waste heat from the smelting process saves around 3,100 tonnes of CO2 annually. This equates to the exhaust emissions of roughly 7,200 empty articulated lorries that cover the stretch between Hall and Vienna. Another by-product that emerges from the furnace is slag. This too is recycled: it is used as a raw material by Tyrolean cement producers.

The importance attributed to renewable energy by TRM is demonstrated by the firm’s own photovoltaic system. “With a panel surface area of 9.000 m2, our facility boasts the largest PV system in the Tyrol. It produces an output of 851 kWp,” according to Christof Mairinger. At least some 300 households in the region can be supplied with the green energy that we feed into the grid. The PV system still only covers part of the roof of the facility.

photo credits: zek

Foto: Glanzer

Roughly 40,000 to 45,000 tonnes of scrap metal from the local area are melted down each year.

A powerful magnet picks the metal pieces out of the heap.

Covering 9.000 m2, the largest photovoltaic system in the Tyrol has been erected on the roof of Tiroler Rohre GmbH’s scrap hall.

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terial.

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photo credits: zek

photo credits: zek Foto: Glanzer

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Director of Production Harald Tschenett uses graphs to demonstrate the steps that TRM is taking in order to manufacture its products with as little harm to the environment as possible.

metallurgical ingredient in the smelting process, and we source it principally from Italy and Poland. This has been indispensable until now. The addition of Tyrolean charcoal could represent a further step towards increased sustainability. The project is at present still only in an early research phase, however.

It would therefore be premature to declare this as a new milestone.”

RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENT Tiroler Rohre GmbH’s approach to sustain-

ability is firmly anchored in the company philosophy. The production process for its pipe and pile systems is based on the environmental management system certification in accordance with Standard ISO 14001.

This is the most widely recognised international standard for environmental management system, which proves that the producing company is making an active effort to minimise the environmental impacts of its processes, products and services. TRM is also one of the first ductile iron pipe and pile

The finished product impresses not least owing to its unrivalled flexibility.

manufacturers to possess an “Environmental Product Declaration”, or EPD for short.

This certification gives quantifiable environmental information about the life cycle of a product in order to facilitate comparisons with similar products. Environmental and energy management have steadily increased in importance at TRM over the last few years. They are part of a modern mission statement that is moving forward with full awareness of its responsibility towards the environment and future generations.

ZMU-Austria strong, safe, reliable

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Hydropower plant Gries, a joint operation of VERBUND and Salzburg AG, was constructed over a three-year period between June 2016 and May 2019. In a normal year the new power plant on the mid-section of the Salzach river generates around 42 GWh of clean energy.

VERBUND AND SALZBURG AG CELEBRATE INAUGURATION OF JOINT HYDROPOWER PLANT GRIES It was in mid-June under a glorious blue sky when VERBUND and Salzburg AG celebrated the official inauguration of their new joint power plant in the Gries district of the city of Bruck an der Glocknerstrasse. With its two vertical Kaplan turbines and a combined maximum capacity of 8.9 MW the new power plant on the Salzach is expected to supply more than 10,000 households with clean energy. Extensive structural and technical adjustments reduced the overall costs by 20 percent to ensure the project’s economic viability. As for electromechanical equipment and hydraulic steelwork engineering, the operators relied on the competence of well-established hydropower specialists. optimisation of the construction process.

What is more, the updated construction plans

A series of complementary infrastructure and flood protection measures were implemented as part of the plant construction project.

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opened up more flexible design options in terms of the machine arrangement and the

photo credits: VERBUND

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ith the environmental impact assess­ ment completed already in the sum­ mer of 2010, hydropower plant Gries was finally given building permission in January 2013. In view of the low electricity tariffs at the time, however, it turned out that the construction costs would have rendered the approved power plant concept unprofit­ able. To be able to go ahead with the project after all, the project team had to work out the constructional and technical adjustments needed to cut the costs by about 20 per cent.

In addition to reducing the required cuba­ ture, the constructional modifications had to enable the installation of cost-efficient equip­ ment. The revised power plant concept called for two vertical Kaplan turbines, each in its own power house on either side of the river, with two weir gates in the middle. Not only did this concept provide the required econo­ mic advantages, it also allowed a considerable

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in a bottleneck capacity of 4.45 MW under maximum flow rate conditions. Thanks to their special design the double-regulated machine units cover a wide operational range both under full and partial load, which ensures a high level of efficiency at varying flow rates.

photo credits: VERBUND

Each of the two double-regulated vertical Kaplan turbines achieves a maximum capacity of 4.45 MW under maximum water flow conditions.

corresponding overall constructional design of the facility. Where the plant’s operation was concerned, the operators expected the symmetric architectural geometry to ensure significant advantages in terms of bedload transport while the plant is in operation. In 2015 the planned changes were submitted for permission, which was granted already in April 2016, allowing construction work to commence soon after in June.

photo credits: zek

OPTIMISED SUCTION PIPE SAVES COSTS When the water flow rate rose above average levels during the inauguration ceremony, that provided an opportunity to verify that the floodway was working properly. Although each of the weir gates is designed to handle the maximum flood water flow on its own, both locks were fully opened for security reasons during the ceremony. Thanks to the arrangement with a power house on either side of the river, it was possible to install two Kaplan units with vertical shafts and directly coupled generators instead of the originally

planned horizontal pit type bulb turbines.

Switching to this turbine model extended the range of possible suppliers to include a number of internationally renowned small-scale hydropower specialists. At the same time, this turbine version required a considerably lower constructional effort compared to vertically aligned machines. A further reduction in construction costs was to be achieved by modifying the design of the draft tubes to reduce the required excavation volume. The calculations and model designs for the alternative draft tube concept were provided by the Institute for Hydraulic Fluid Machinery at the Graz University of Technology. To ensure that the intended changes would not deteriorate the turbines’ performance, the modifications were tested out by way of a numerical fluidity simulation. In the end, the engineers settled on a draft tube design based on a trade-off between acceptable turbine efficiency and sufficiently low construction costs. Each of the turbines is optimised for a design flow rate of 57,5 m³/s and a gross head of 8.9 m, resulting

Technical Data

A fish pass in the form of a near-natural bypass channel was installed in the head race area.

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CUSTOM-BUILT GENERATORS Two synchronous generators coupled directly to each of the turbine shafts ensure the efficient transformation of the turbine runners’ kinetic energy into electric energy. The generators were manufactured by electrical engineering specialist ELIN Motoren GmbH, who enjoy a world-wide reputation as providers of high-quality machines for industrial and power plant environments. Weighing around 60 tons each, the generators are among the heaviest components of the facility. Like the turbines, the multi-poled generators run at a speed of 150 rpm, which allows them to achieve an apparent power of 5,200 kVA and a nominal voltage of 6,300 V. Cooling is by way of an air-to-water heat exchanger, which uses forced ventilation to provide the cooling air stream for the generators. The project managers at ELIN Motoren GmbH emphasize that the generator for the Gries power plant was a highlight in Austria‘s hydropower sector. Custom tailored to the limited height of the power houses, the generators also had to be easy to maintain. Due to the structurally optimised height of the power houses, the machines had to be dimensioned as small as possible, which required a solution other than the usual standard designs. The result was a modified technical design where the exciter and the support and guide bearings are built into the machine casing. As another special feature, the axial bearings for the drive unit featured a split design and were installed accordingly. In consultation with the customer, the design of the cooler unit was adapted

• Flow rate: 115 m3/s • Gross head: 8.9 m • Turbines: 2 x Kaplan • Nominal speed: 2 x 150 rpm • Output: 2 x 4.45 MW • Manufacturer: Kochendörfer • Generators: 2 x Synchron • Output: 2 x 5,200 kVA • Voltage: 2 x 6,300 V • Manufacturer: ELIN Motoren GmbH • Total average capacity: ca. 42 GWh/a

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to the limited spacial conditions in the power houses. Once assembled, all the high-tech devices had to undergo a series of elaborate tests at ELIN Motoren GmbH’s ultra-modern testing facilities. Transporting the machines from Styria to the Pinzgau region in Salzburg in vertical position required a specially built transport frame.

CLEAN ENERGY FOR 10,000 HOUSEHOLDS Based on a classic block diagram, a Siemens transformer was used for each of the machine units to step up the 6.3 kV of generator power to the 30 kV line voltage required for the grid of Salzburg Netz GmbH. To connect the plant to the grid and to deliver the power, a 1.5 km underground line was installed, which provides the required connection to the near­ est distribution station. Thanks to the outstanding coordination and cooperation be­ tween the almost 100 project partners, hydropower plant Gries went into regular operation a few months ahead of schedule. In a normal year the new facility on the mid-­ section of the Salzach river generates around 42 GWh of clean energy, which corresponds to the average annual energy requirement of 10,000 households.

The new power plant in the Pinzgau region, which is operated jointly by VERBUND

photo credits: zek

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Each of the two synchronous generators has an apparent power capacity of 5,200 kVA. Both units were adapted to the constructional and technical requirements of the power houses by their manufacturer, ELIN Motoren GmbH.

and Salzburg AG, has many exemplary qualities, in addition to its exceptional electrical engineering equipment. Excellent communication with the official bodies and local residents throughout all project stages al­ lowed a series of additional tasks to be completed as well. These include, first and foremost, several ecological compensation measures as well as infrastructural traffic

measures around the facility, in addition to required flood protection structures. With the completion of hydropower plant Gries, VERBUND and Salzburg AG have underscored their leadership in the responsible expansion of renewable energy sources, while contributing significantly to the progress towards meeting Austria’s ambitious climate and energy goals.

Long term operation of plants requires careful consideration of interfaces.

At ELIN Motoren, lifecycle partnership means taking care of products throughout the entire product lifecycle as well as the generation of high added value: from consulting, throughout development and manufacturing up to on-site service.

We are your lifecycle partner for rotating electrical machines and solutions, working for the best companies around the world.

WE KEEP THE WORLD IN MOTION. www.elinmotoren.at

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IIOT FOR ELECTRIC ACTUATORS: HOW CLOUD SOLUTIONS FACILITATE PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE With the help of modern cloud solutions, managers of hydropower plants can use data from their actuators to enable predictive, condition-based maintenance of actuators, valves and penstocks, optimize their operations and ensure long-term plant availability.

[Author: Kevin Nietupski, AUMA]

AUMA actuators are intelligent field devices that log a wide variety of device and diagnostic data. The AUMA Cloud serves as a central platform to collect, interpret and exchange this data, allowing hydropower plant managers to optimize maintenance and maximize plant availability.

such as motor starts, run times, temperatures, vibration, torques, warnings and faults.

This data provides a lifetime picture of the operating patterns of both the actuator and the shut-off or control device – a complete history of their mechanical, electrical and thermal life. It can help to predict when a valve or actuator will next need maintenance, and when to take remedial action in time to prevent unexpected downtime. Despite its

The AUMA Cloud allows an operator to gather and evaluate a maximum of data on all the actuators in their plant. Actuators can be grouped to create a virtual digital image of the site. Performance indicators such as uptime allow operators to check the condition of all their devices at a glance.

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oday, cloud-based solutions make it increasingly easy to exchange and analyse the vast amounts of data available from intelligent field devices. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) empowers the development of new solutions to take advantage of this wealth of data to optimize processes, avoid downtime, cut costs and increase plant availability. These are key advantages for hydropower plants, dams and pipelines, where remote monitoring and unattended operation are common, and plant availability is critical during times of peak power demand.

Thanks to their built-in intelligence, electric actuators are ideally suited to IIoT applications. Modern electric actuators are not only robust and reliable; they also come with builtin sensors, flexible communications, and powerful diagnostics to monitor and protect not only the actuator but also the associated shutoff or control device, for example a butterfly valve or penstock. Actuator controls use time-stamped event logs to automatically store a multitude of operational and device data

obvious value, this information has in the past largely been restricted to special situations and to experts using specialist software. That situation is now changing. Cloud computing and the techniques of “big data” have made it easier for plant managers to extract actionable information from gigabytes of log files.

EMPOWERING THE HYDROPOWER PLANT MANAGER With its AUMA Cloud, actuator manufacturer AUMA provides a powerful platform allowing managers of hydropower plants to gain in-depth insight into the status and condition of their actuators and valves. Facilitating efficient asset management, the AUMA Cloud helps to save money and cut plant downtime.

Any plant manager can benefit directly from this new tool, free of charge and with virtually zero setup. Only a few simple steps are necessary to read out the device and diagnostic data stored in the actuator controls and upload them to the AUMA Cloud.

Thanks to built-in intelligence, the log data is analysed and evaluated within the AUMA Cloud. Performance indicators such as uptime, number of motor starts and the most frequent faults are calculated automatically, allowing the plant manager to detect excessive loads or potential maintenance requirements at an early stage and take remedial action in time to prevent unexpected failures. The

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A detailed view of the actuator data shows performance indicators and other key figures from the log files, plus technical documentation for this specific device. Users can also upload photos and other documents to aid identification and maintenance.

AUMA Cloud thus helps to minimize premature wear and extend the lifetime of actuators and valves, prolonging the plant’s life.

Asset management is simplified, since it takes only a few steps to set up a digital overview of all the actuators and valves in a hydropower plant.

The AUMA Cloud stores all the necessary information, including serial number, product name and type, while additional information such as log files and photos can also be attached. Actuators can be grouped and assigned to individual parts of a site, making it easy to locate particular devices and monitor the condition of entire plant sections.

The AUMA Cloud also makes it easy for plant managers to get expert help when required: Service requests can be sent from within the AUMA Cloud to AUMA Service. Device information such as data and photos can be directly attached to the request to aid detailed analysis.

Additional benefits include online access to all the device-specific documentation for each AUMA device. This comprises operating instructions, technical data sheets, wiring diagrams and order sheets. Tedious searching for printed documentation is no longer necessary.

EASY TO USE Getting started with the AUMA Cloud is simple: As a web application the AUMA Cloud runs in a standard web browser, requiring no installation at the user’s desktop and no changes to the IT infrastructure or the control system. Each plant manager can immediately use the AUMA Cloud after simple registration. The basic version is free of charge, with extra functionality available at a cost.

Users can upload their actuators’ diagnostic and operating data to the AUMA Cloud via the AUMA Assistant App, another free and easy-touse tool. This app uses a secure Bluetooth connection to harvest data from actuators around the plant. This is a secure offline approach that takes into account concern about the security implications of having field devices with permanent data connections to the outside world.

If desired, however, permanent connections to the AUMA Cloud with continuous access to actuator data are also possible.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY Actuator and valve data uploaded to the AUMA Cloud is automatically analysed by intelligent algorithms. Performance indicators are calcu-

lated for each actuator and presented in ways that make immediate sense to plant managers and maintenance engineers. Uptime is the most important indicator. By checking the uptime values, plant managers can see at a glance whether everything is fine, or if a deeper analysis or action are required.

Other useful performance indicators include the total number of motor starts, the average torque, and the maximum temperatures experienced.

The AUMA Cloud also calculates the average motor operating mode – important for confirming that an actuator is correctly specified – and shows the most frequent faults. The detailed view of actuator performance allows plant managers to detect excessive loads or maintenance requirements of individual actuators at an early stage. If a device shows problems, analysis via the AUMA Cloud also helps with troubleshooting, thus speeding up repairs. This is illustrated in the examples below.

EXAMPLE 1: CORRECTING LIMIT SWITCH SETTINGS A plant manager in Sweden contacted AUMA Service when an actuator showed an uptime of only 91 percent shortly after installation.

A detailed analysis in the AUMA Cloud revealed that torque faults occurred frequently when the valve was approaching its closed position.

Torque faults are particularly critical since excessive torque may reduce the lifetime of both actuator and valve. Possible reasons for torque faults include incorrect actuator sizing or faulty setting of the limit switches. In this example it was the latter.

Armed with this knowledge, the customer solved the problem easily by adjusting the limit switching for the closed position, so that the actuator now stops earlier during the valve travel. Thanks to data analysis in the AUMA Cloud the plant manager was thus able to detect incorrect actuator configuration and prevent premature wear of both actuator and valve, while increasing plant availability.

EXAMPLE 2: OPTIMIZING CONTROL PARAMETERS The AUMA Cloud also proved beneficial to a customer in France who contacted AUMA Service when an actuator motor was found to be overheating frequently.

Uploading the data log file from the actuator and subsequent analysis in the AUMA Cloud revealed an uptime of only 71 percent, and 912 “thermal faults” in just a few weeks.

Troubleshooting was facilitated by a performance indicator calculated by the AUMA Cloud: the average motor operating mode. In this case

Example 2: The order data sheet revealed that the actuator was designed for a 25 percent duty cycle, whereas the actual operating figure was 50 percent.

Example 1: Once revealed by AUMA Cloud analysis, frequent torque faults were easily solved by adjusting the limit switch in the closed position.

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the actuator was found to be operating in the “intermittent duty” regime (S4) with an average duty cycle of 50 percent.

A look at the order sheet – easily accessible via the AUMA Cloud – revealed that the actuator was designed for the S4 regime but with a 25 percent duty cycle. With significantly less idle time available for cooling, it’s no surprise that the actuator was overheating.

AUMA Service thus recommended checking the control parameters for the setpoint control.

By adjusting settings in the plant’s control system, the customer could reduce the number of actuator movements without compromising process accuracy.

Another check two months later showed 99 percent uptime and an average motor operating mode in the “short time duty” (S2) range, corresponding to a run time of just 6 minutes per hour.

the plant operator can always see the status of all their current and past requests. In addition, keeping all the technical information in the AUMA Cloud means that nothing gets lost, so the time spent dealing with service issues is minimized.

POTENTIAL FOR THE FUTURE Experience shows that compared with other tools the AUMA Cloud provides plant operators with unprecedented transparency when it comes to the condition of actuators. The combination of a clear overview of plant assets plus straightforward and up-to-date performance indicators allows plant managers to identify problems early on, troubleshoot more easily, and introduce appropriate maintenance strategies.

Even though AUMA actuators are robust devices designed for long service lives and requiring little maintenance, a regular check of the performance indicators by collecting and uploading actuator data to the AUMA Cloud can ensure that plant availability remains high.

Doing this shortly after commissioning also makes sure that the new actuators are set up correctly and that processes are running at their optimum.

Maintenance strategies can include regular physical inspection of actuators, accompanied by data collection for upload to the AUMA Cloud; optimization of spares inventory; and any specific measures needed to ensure plant availability. True condition-based, predictive maintenance becomes possible.

For managers of hydropower plants, the AUMA Cloud provides an easy-to-use self-service tool. At the same time, it makes it easy to get expert help from the manufacturer’s experienced service engineers when required. Digital services such as the AUMA Cloud can be combined with conventional on-site services. For example, plant operators can carry out asset management and data collection themselves or, if they are short on personnel, they can delegate this to AUMA Service, either as an individual service task or within the framework of a maintenance agreement.

For the future, cloud-based solutions offer enormous potential to take digitalization even further, enhancing automation and improving process efficiency. The future IIoT for electric actuators may encompass devices that continuously send live data into the cloud, which in turn will detect maintenance issues automatically and order service visits or the appropriate spare parts. AUMA is continuing to invest in enhancing these technologies and developing tailored solutions in close cooperation with plant managers.

AUTHOR

AUTHOR

EXPERT NETWORKING In situations that need expert help, for example when a maintenance engineer requires spare parts or replacement actuators, or is uncertain about whether a particular data trend is cause for concern, the AUMA Cloud provides a quick and direct link to the manufacturer’s service organization. Plant personnel can send service requests, operating data, photos and other supporting documents via the AUMA Cloud. An AUMA expert can get on the job straight away and suggest a remedy, request more information, or arrange a visit from an engineer in AUMA’s worldwide service network.

Each service request, message and file attachment is documented in the AUMA Cloud, so

Example 2: A new analysis after changing the control parameters shows the motor running well within its design limits – and no more overheating.

AUMA Cloud AUMA Assistant App The AUMA Assistant App allows users to read out device and diagnostic data from AUMA actuators via a Bluetooth connection.Other features include fast and easy setting of the actuators’ operating parameters via the app, saving time and cost during commissioning.The AUMA Assistant App is available for free download via the QR code above.

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The AUMA Cloud provides an interactive platform to collect and evaluate data from all the AUMA actuators in a plant, helping plant managers to optimize maintenance and enhance plant availability.

As a web application the AUMA Cloud runs in standard web browsers and requires no installation. The basic version is free of charge. Further information can be found under www.aumacloud.com or by scanning the QR code above.

About the author: Kevin Nietupski Product Management Service 50858 Köln, Germany Tel.: +49 2234 2037 9019

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AUMA Riester GmbH & Co. KG

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kevin.nietupski@auma.com

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photo credits: illwerke vkw

The special desanding solution on the underground Coanda set-up theWasserfassung new Alvierbach Mithilfe von Bruchsteinen und Schüttungen wurdeatdie power plant minimises the negative effects on theim operation of theBrandnertal downstream für das neue Kraftwerk Alvierbach Vorarlberger infrastructure. residual is used hereFebruar for flushing purposes. naturnah The gestaltet.

Diewater Anlage, die seit letzten Jahres in Betrieb ist, erzeugt grünen Strom für rund 1.700 Haushalte.

PIONEERING SOLUTIONS FOR A MODERN POWER STATION IN WESTERN AUSTRIA Vorarlberg is consistently pursuing the expansion of its hydroelectric capacity. The new Alvierbach Oberstufe power plant officially commenced operation mid-February of last year. A stretch of the river upstream from the more than 100-year-old Alvierwerk power plant in the village of Bürs has now been equipped to generate hydroelectric power. A multi-partner group power plant was realised according to the latest industry criteria under the supervision of illwerke vkw. The expertise of the industry specialists of Wild Metal from South Tyrol had to pass some extreme tests concerning the construction of the water catchment infrastructure which required the development of a new custom-built solution. Today, the new machine room houses a 6-nozzle Andritz Hydro Pelton turbine that produces sufficient electricity to serve around 1700 households in the Austrian province of Vorarlberg.

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ustria’s Brandnertal is a valley that runs from the highest peaks of the Rätikon mountain range all the way down to the town of Bludenz, not far from the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Lake Lünersee is the largest alpine lake in the Province of Vorarlberg and the picturesque scenery of the Brandnertal has made it a well-establis-

photo credits: illwerke vkw

Boulders and bulk filling were used to ensure the water catchment area for the new Alvierbach power plant in Vorarlberg was landscaped as naturally as possible.

The plant itself has been in operation since February last year and produces green electricity for around 1700 households.

hed tourist hotspot in a region also known as the ‘Ländle’. The natural water supply of the Brandnertal flows down the Alvierbach, a lively natural source river. The lowest section of this body of water is channelled through the Alvierwerk I hydroelectric power station. The original infrastructure here dates back to 1911 and constitutes one of the oldest small-scale hydropower plants in Vorarlberg. However, above 830 m above sea level, apart from a tiny watermill for self-sufficient power generation, the Alvierbach has not been used to produce electricity. This changed radically with the plans submitted by Illwerke VKW. “An official group partnership had to be established to implement the Alvierbach power station plans. Alongside Illwerke VKW, the main initiators with an 80 percent share, the project also involves the villages of Brand and Bürs, the town of Bludenz, the Bürs Agricultural Cooperative and six private individuals. Proof that a wide range of bodies and interests can harmonise extremely well”, declared Rainer Salomon (Ing.), retired former head of the bureau for small scale hydropower plants.

TOPOGRAPHY POSES A LOFTY CHALLENGE “The site for project implementation was officially announced long ago. Local topography, a catchment area of 33.7 km² and the relatively constant flow volumes carried by the Alvierbach, meant conditions

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The Pelton wheel is powered by 6 nozzles. Nozzle needle adjustments are made via electric propulsion drives offering a hook-up voltage of 24 V.

were well-suited to the needs of a small-scale power plant,” stated Project Manager Martin Neuhauser (Ing.) from the engineering department for small-scale hydropower plants at Illwerke VKW. An economically viable and technically practicable plan to exploit a stretch of the Alvierbach above the existing Tschappina basin of Alvierwerk I, and a total available drop of 138.5 m, was drafted in cooperation with the planning office at Breuß Mähr Bauingenieure GmbH in Koblach. The concept involved the installation of a diversion plant that would draw its works water from a 3.1 km diversion channel leading from the catchment basin at +/-1000 m above sea level and down to the new machine room. This entailed solving a number of special technical challenges, particularly those regarding the penstock. “The topographical conditions on site forced us to guide the course of the penstock up a considerable rise after the first 2 km. After around 1.2 km the water had to be conveyed over a distance of about 800 metres from markedly lower point up to its maximum height. Due to the steep banks along the course of the channel, without raising it to this height it wouldn’t have been possible to install the piping along the course of the river”, explains Rainer Salomon.

photo credits: illwerke vkw

SPECIAL WATER CATCHMENT The works water collects in a compact Tyrolean-type weir. From here it cascades over an overflow edge into a small pool designed to slow flow-

Foto: zek

At the small inauguration ceremony in Oct. '19: Helmut Mennel – Illwerke VKW board director.

Beim BauHarald der Wasserfassung Sonderegger im – President Gemeindegebiet of the Regional von Brand Parliament. war man Stefan bemüht,Kaufden mann Spielbetrieb – CEO at amKleinkraftwerk direkt angrenzenden Alvierbach Golfplatz GmbH.nicht Martin durch Neuhauser die Bauarbeiten – ProjectzuManager. stören.

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Foto: illwerke vkw

photo credits: illwerke vkw

The Pelton wheel rotates at 500 rpm and drives the directly-coupled water-cooled Hitzinger synchronous generator and is set up to provide a nominal output of 2200 kVA.

speed, and where a gravel trap is also installed, and then on to a desanding zone. The underground desanding installation consists of two parallel rows of Grizzly Optimus Coanda rakes, a popular product sold by the South Tyrol-based steel component hydroengineering experts at Wild Metal. The works water flows left and right from a central channel over a slot sieve to separate out fine floating debris and the system has a maximum intake of 1.8 m³/s.

The planner Markus Mähr declared that the basic maxim for planning the collection system was to reduce the number and length of rinsing cycles to a minimum: “The reason for this was because processed works water is then fed directly into the collection system of the down-river power station. In order to ensure its operation was disturbed as little as possible it was necessary to reduce flushing cycles to a minimum.” The solution for each part was an in-line series of 12 Coanda rakes. Natural push and organic drift usually ensure the debris is continually flushed past. During project conceptualisation, great emphasis was placed on ensuring the prescribed volume of residual water was also used for flushing purposes. “We designed the volumes of the distributor channels to be significantly less than those of conventional desanding chambers.

That’s why we can flush everything through faster at lower water volumes.” Another advantage in deploying Wild Metal Coanda rakes was the more compact set-up of the desanding infrastructure, since the Coanda system doesn’t rely on lower flow speeds to settle out fine sedimentation.

Technical data • Flow rate: 1,800 l/s

• Gross head: 138.50 m

• Net head: 127.00 m

• Bottleneck capacity: 2 MW

• Rotation speed: 500 rpm

• Turbine: 6-nozzle Pelton turbine

• Number of buckets: 20

• Manufacturer: Andritz HYDRO

• Generator: synchronous

• Nominal output: 2,200 kVA

• Current: 1,840 A

• Manufacturer: Hitzinger

• Penstock length pt1: 1.9 km DN1000

• Material: ductile cast-iron pipes Duktus

• Penstock length pt2: 1,2 km DN1200

• Material: GRP Amiblu

• Planning: breuß mähr bauingenieure

• Construction time: 1 y

• Coanda rake: Wild Metal

• Coanda type: Grizzly Optimus

• Annual capacity: 8.5 GWh

• Commissioning: Februar 2019

photo:illwerke zek vkw Foto:

Foto: vkw zek Foto: illwerke

photo credits: illwerke vkw

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Each of the two quarter-channels conveys the water via the 12-in-a-row Grizzly Optimus Coanda rakes made by the hydro engineering experts at Wild Metal.

To assure maximum turbine efficiency, the globally-active hydroelectric industry business chose to mill the Pelton wheel from a single steel block. It has 20 Pelton wheel buckets – crafted according to the latest design standards for hydraulic infrastructure. Another special quality of this machine is its small-load capability. “The machine group can keep supplying power to the mains grid, even during the coldest winter months of January and February when works water availability is low.

The power plant is still capable of producing electricity using a single nozzle and an output of 5 – 10 percent”, explains Stefan Geiger, Project Manager for Andritz Hydro. The turbine is directly coupled to the shaft of the generator rotor. In regular operation it will rotate at 500 rpm.

The 3-phase-AC generator was manufactured by a well-established engineering business, Hitzinger of Linz, and set up for a nominal power output of 2200 kVA.

photo credits: zek

Foto: zek

1-YEAR IMPLEMENTATION The planning phase for the Alvierbach plant commenced in 2013.

However, it took a number of years before all the requisite permits for project-related building work had been granted. Work began for real in the summer of 2017. “Obviously, construction work couldn’t be carried out in the winter. Nevertheless, we managed to complete the plant construction in a net building time of one year. As Martin Neuhauser points out: “We commenced electricity production at the plant at the beginning of 2019.” He also provided a very positive summary for the first year of operation: “In the initial year we produced in excess of 10 GWh, approximately 20 percent more than the forecasted annual output of 8.5 GWh.” In an average year, this provides clean energy for approximately 1700 households in Vorarlberg.

6-NOZZLE EFFICIENCY The compact machine room directly above the Tschappina basin now houses an extremely sturdy machine group consisting of an Andritz Hydro 6-jet vertical-axle Pelton turbine and a directly coupled Hitzinger synchronous generator. As well as the need for efficiency, the experienced operators placed great emphasis on ensuring the infrastructure required minimal maintenance and guaranteed extreme longevity. The turbine was customised to process a maximum flow volume of 1.8 m³/s with a net head of 127 m and has a nominal output of around 2 MW.

A MAJOR STEP TOWARD ENERGY AUTONOMY IN 2050 Overall, the Ländle-region project partners invested around €7.5 million in the new Alvierbach power plant. At the end of last October, investor representatives, political functionaries and a veritable horde of decision-makers gathered at the plant for a modest official inauguration ceremony. During the ceremony, Harald Sonderegger, President of the Regional Parliament, declared the power plant to be another significant step towards the goal of energy autonomy for 2050. He reasserted the commitment of Vorarlberg’s provincial government to the continued expansion of hydroelectric capacities in the region. Illwerke VKW chairman – Helmut Mennel, the CEO of the newly-founded Kleinkraftwerk Alvierbach GmbH – Stefan Kaufmann, and the Project Manager – Martin Neuhauser all provided a very positive review of project implementation.

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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photo credits: Viennahydro

The high-profile audience during the opening session of the most recent Viennahydro in November 2018. Standing behind the lectern is Prof. Dr. HeinzBernd Matthias, who was being honoured for his long-standing involvement in the Viennahydro.

VIENNAHYDRO 2020 TO BE HELD UNDER THE MOTTO “QUO VADIS, HYDROPOWER?”

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he invitation to the “International Seminar on Hydropower Plants” (the “Viennahydro”) regularly attracts conference attendants from all over the world to Laxenburg at the outskirts of Vienna. This year the event will be held from November 11-13 – a time slot that hydropower insiders will have marked in their calendars already since last year. By now, this bi-annual hydropower conference is considered one of the foremost and best established event of its kind, both nationally and internationally.

Traditionally, the conference is organised and hosted by the University of Technology Vienna, specifically its Institute for Energy Systems and Thermodynamics, and is chaired by department heads Prof. Dr. Christian Bauer and Dr. Eduard Doujak.

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QUO VADIS, HYDROPOWER? The main focus of Viennahydro 2020 will be a broad but nonetheless fascinating question: What kind of roll will Hydropower play within the energy mix between now and 2050?

In times of radical change on multiple levels, Hydropower will be called upon to reorder several of its priorities. It was this prospect that prompted the subtitle of this year’s event, “Quo Vadis, Hydropower?”. Now, where is this oldest form of regenerative energy use headed? Will it be able to play a leading part in the overall restructuring of the existing energy systems – or is it destined to become altogether obsolete? “The industry as well as researchers and users are faced with the following questions, Where is Hydropower going to position itself among all the renewables?

photo credits: Viennahydro

November 11–13 this year is the time scheduled for the 21st edition of the renowned hydropower conference, “International Seminar on Hydropower Plants” (or “Viennahydro” for short). Held again at the historical venue of Laxenburg Castle, this high-profile hydropower event has been in preparation for months. Led by Prof. Dr. Christian Bauer, the team of organisers from the Institute for Energy Systems and Thermodynamics at the Vienna University of Technology have once again managed to come up with a list of highly interesting topics. Besides broad issues such as digitalisation, the main focus will be on the question, “What future role is Hydropower going to play within the energy mix between now and 2050?”

The two hosts and organisers of the conference: Prof. Dr. Christian Bauer (left) and Dr. Eduard Doujak.

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Foto: Glanzer

By tradition, Laxenburg Castle has been the venue of choice for the bi-annual event.

to cover virtually every aspect of the vast spectrum of topics related to Hydropower. The experts are a great help, especially when it comes to reviewing. They provide critical assessments of the submitted scientific papers to make sure only the best make it to the presentation sessions at the conference,” as Eduard Doujak explains.

As he is quick to point out, Viennahydro is the first event of its kind to offer graduate students from all over the world an opportunity to present their scientific work to a broad scientific community. This program has been growing in popularity ever since it was introduced some six years ago. As in previous years, the organisers are expecting another rise in the number of applicants this year. “We offer post-graduates an excellent opportunity to present their work on a high international level. We’re extremely pleased to see this offer growing in popularity. By now we’re getting applications from all over the world,” says Christian Bauer, adding that he is particularly photo credits: Viennahydro

PRESENTATION OF THE BEST PAPERS Especially where scientific technological research is concerned, Viennahydro’s event program is second to none, worldwide. The main reason for this impeccable reputation is the fact that submitted talks and papers must undergo a rigorous review process before they can be put on the event agenda. “We owe this high-level quality assurance to our international organising committee, which currently consists of 35 people. They are a group of renowned scientists and industry representatives from all over the world, which allows us

Foto: Glanzer

and Which services will Hydropower be able to shoulder in the short and medium term? At the upcoming Viennahydro we will try to find answers, or at least identify emerging tendencies with respect to these questions,” says Prof. Bauer.

Of course, apart from these questions there will be a list of other hydropower-specific topics for discussion as well. Topics on that list will include, for example, items such as “Small-scale Hydropower and Future Technologies”, “Physical Models and Numerical Simulation”, “Pumped-Storage and General Energy Storage”, “Design Specifications, Standards and Legal Aspects”, “Experimental Research Using Models and Prototypes”, “Flexibilisation and Smart Grids”, “Hydraulic Systems and Transient Behaviour”, and “Sustainability and Ecological Impact”. In addition, there will be two categories of topics dedicated to questions concerning the technological aspects of Digitalisation on the machine level and on the system level, respectively. This year’s selection of topics once again underscores the general perspective of the event with its clear focus on the future of Hydropower.

photo credits: Viennahydro

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pleased about the papers that have been lined up for the upcoming conference: “Of course we’re happy about every single submission we receive. As always, there are two basic ways of applying: As usual, the application process is based on the submission of an abstract, with academic papers being subjected to a full review. The academic papers from the two most recent conferences are collated and published as a special volume sponsored by the Hydropower industry.

REFERENCE VOLUME WITH 10,000 PAGES Laxenburg Castle, the traditional conference venue, provides a refined atmosphere for attendants to establish new contacts and cultivate existing ones. Moreover, visitors like to leverage the professional vintage of the Viennahydro to present their products and services to key players in the hydropower industry.

By now, the collected body of knowledge from the previous 20 events fills more than 10,000 pages of conference proceedings. All the corresponding data have recently been archived and made available in digital format.

Since the last conference, each attendant has received a USB stick containing the volume, which serves both as a an official record and reference work. A further chapter in the history of the “International Seminar on Hydropower Plants” is set to be opened from November 11–13 this year, when the event will open its doors for the twenty-first time.

November 11-13 2020 Foto: Glanzer

A definite highlight at the 2018 conference was the tour of the fluid-flow machinery laboratory at the Science Center in the Arsenal in Vienna.

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One of Europe’s largest artificial river waves for river surfers of all proficiency levels has been put in operation in early May in Ebensee in the Upper Austrian Salzkammergut region. Four and a half years of planning and elaborate negotiations with the local authorities went into the implementation of this spectacular project, which was spearheaded by a team of river surfing enthusiasts led by the project’s initiator, Max Neuböck.

The facility’s core element is the so-called “wave shaper”, a 16-ton gate construction made from solid steel, which was manufactured and installed by Upper Austrian hydraulic steelwork engineering specialist Braun Maschinenfabrik.

Well-known for their “classic” hydro steel constructions, the seasoned hydro steelwork engineers from Vöcklabruck were able to leverage their vast experience and know-how in this ambitious project.

photo credits: Braun

THE “WAVESPHAPER FROM VÖCKLABRUCK” IS CREATING EUPHORIA AMONG RIVER SURFERS

A modern wave channel for river surfing is being constructed in Ebensee, Upper Austria. Last February, the engineers from Braun Maschinentechnik installed the facility’s core component: a 16-ton valve construction needed to maintain a constant standing wave in the channel.

t was in 2007 when young Upper Austrian Max Neuböck was captivated by the thrill of riding a standing river wave. He has never lost that initial fascination. “I used to surf the natural waves on the river Traun at an early age. That was a formative experience for me. It sparked my vision of setting up an artificial wave to let enthusiasts of any age share in that terrific river surfing experience,” says Neuböck. Together with a small team he went ahead and took “Project The RiverWave” off the ground and into the initial planning stage around five years ago. Right from the start they were faced with the double challenge of having to solve the implied technical and ecological issues while carrying the project through a stringent planning permission procedure. “We’d been in contact with the authorities early into the process, so we knew straight away what was required to do the project,” says Neuböck. “In the end, that helped us get through the official proceedings without any problems.”

cluded a sufficient drop over a short distance, as well as the required flow rate. “The spot we found meets all these conditions to a tee. It’s got a 1.30 m drop over a 50 m stretch with a sufficient water flow, as it’s located just a little downstream of the Traun and Ischl confluence. Incidentally, the site is just about 400 m from where I used to surf the Traun. It’s like things have come full circle, starting with my initial fascination with the sport, to the vision that grew out of it and leading to its final implementation here,” says the project’s initiator.

Talking of which, he mentions how, early into the project, he was able to win a specialist in artificial river waves to join the team: Ben Nison, who works with US-based industry specialist McLaughlin Whitewater Design Group (MWDG) from Colorado. Says Neuböck, “With the assistance of Ben Nison from MWDG we were able to start model testing already in the late autumn of 2017. Overall we took some 1,000 water level measurements and ran numerous tests, which took us around 700 working hours – all to make sure we’d be getting the best possible wave.” That done, the preparations for the new surfing wave were complete.

August 7 last year. Immediately after that the dredgers went busy at the construction site on the Traun. Late November last year marked the achievement of the first project milestone: the base plate, which incorporates around 250 cubic metres of concrete and 13 tons of steel, was finally complete. The artificial channel was slowly taking shape. Just before the end of the year the entire concrete work for the wave channel was finished. The base structure was now ready. The only thing missing at that point was the project’s core element – the so-called “wave shaper”, which would be installed a few weeks later.

For obvious reasons, the operator kept all their care and attention focussed on the very component that actually generates the standing wave. “We searched the Upper Austrian hydro steel engineering market – until we finally found the perfect partner for our project: Braun Maschinenfabrik of Vöcklabruck.

We realised pretty quickly that Braun not only has vast experience in hydropower construction. They were also open to projects like ours, as they had done quite a few special installations before,” explains Neuböck, adding that Braun’s engineers came up with some crucial improvements themselves.

GETTING A US EXPERT ON BOARD The first and most pressing need was to find the optimum installation site. Key criteria in-

WANTED: HYDRO STEEL ENGINEERS With all official permits granted, the official kick-off to the construction went ahead on

WAVESHAPER IS MAKING WAVES The WaveShaper is basically a valve construction consisting of two laterally coupled, mo-

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photo credits: Braun

Foto: Glanzer

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Moving the double-valve construction into place is a task that requires utmost precision.

wave as their ability allows, with the wave moving only sideways.

It is crucial for the construction to be movable and able to adjust to the highly fluctuating water levels of the Traun river. “Here at the wave site we have water levels between 1 m and 2.80 m. The movable valves adjust to the current water level automatically, so that we get a constant, optimum wave, even at high-water mark,” says Max Neuböck with a smile.

MODEL TESTING IS ESSENTIAL To allow the “WaveShaper” to be designed to the exact site-specific conditions, Neuböck and his team had to measure the water levels regularly for a whole year. In addition to a two-dimensional model, the engineers constructed a real-life model at a 1:8 scale to research important details for the design of the channel and the “WaveShaper”. “Based on photo credits: Braun

vable steel valves with a combined weight of 16 metric tons. “The upstream, smaller one of the two valves is basically a weir baffle of the kind used in hydropower facilities. It regulates the water flow into the channel,” as Max Neuböck explains. “The downstream valve is freely hinged to the upper one and varies the water discharge angle. The ramp has a small attachment to divert the water flow upwards.”

Thanks to this arrangement, the valve unit creates what is known as a “hydraulic jump”, which is needed to form the standing river wave. This physical phenomenon, says THE WAVE’s initiator, is achieved by sending water at high speed over a ramp and into a body of stagnant water. If the water stream flows downward, the water forms a sort of roll. But if it is directed upwards, as in this case, it creates a standing wave. The important thing for the river surfers is that the wave never breaks.

This is necessary to enable them to ride the

IDEAL DESIGN THROUGH HIGH-TECH It was already during the initial meeting between the river surfing visionary and the hydro steelwork engineers that they came up with a rough construction concept for the “WaveShaper” “As time went on, the geometric characteristics were taking shape, reflecting the customer’s constantly refined model test results. We worked out or own drafts, and together with Max Neuböck and his team we went step by step to find the optimum solution for the valve construction,” as Roman Un-

Technical data: Valve No 1 (impounding flap)

Inner width: 10 m

Clear height: approx. 2.3 m

Weight: approx. 5.5 tons

Steel construction with seal welded trapezoid bodies Valve No 2 (surf flap)

Inner width: 10 m

Clear height: approx. 4.9 m

Weight: approx. 10 tons

Steel construction with seal welded trapezoid bodies

The front valve is responsible for impounding, with the other one creating the actual wave. The coarse trash rack is used mainly to ensure personal safety.

Manufacturer: Braun Maschinenfabrik

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the results and the measurement data we were able to go ahead with the design of the valve construction, together with our wave engineer from Colorado and Braun’s engineers.

It took a lot of brains, brawn and know-how to get everything right. The resulting design is crucial for the wave generator to work as it should,” says the operator.

But there was yet another aspect to take into account: the ultimate safety of the surfers, who had to be protected from the drive cylinders. These were flush-mounted into recesses in the concrete wall and covered with protective plates to prevent both injuries to the surfers and the collection of sediment in this area. “This was another issue where we were happy to have the team from Braun Maschinenfabrik to contribute their constructive ideas.” Braun’s project manager, Roman Unterberger, agrees, adding that “this project allowed us to bring our decades worth of expert knowledge to bear. That included the experience from past special projects, which we were able to apply and develop further. One of the biggest challenges for us was the lack of proper documentation on specific problems that we had to solve in this particular installation. In the end that helped to spur on our own creativity and imagination.”

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“Wave initiator” and river surfing pioneer Max Neuböck (right) and his right-hand man, Martin Oberleitner, are satisfied with the project’s progress.

“The River WAVE” went into operation in early May.

terberger remembers. This process also involved the use of numerical methods, such as the Finite Element Method (FEM) or Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).

Special attention was paid to the joint-type link between the two valves. For this purpose the two components were joined already at Brown’s construction facilities, which allowed giving them a “dry run” to test the movements required for generating the wave. On February 18, the time had finally come. With the high-voltage supply switched off, the two valves were mounted into place without any major difficulties and in beautiful sunshine. For Max Neuböck and his team it was the completion of one of the project’s biggest milestones.

SOFTWARE FROM THE HYDRO STEELWORK PROS It was not just the manufacture and installation of the large core components, such as the

valves, bearing blocks, drive unit support, protective covers, safety rack and hydraulic units, that required the expertise of an experienced hydraulic steelwork engineering firm. That know-how was also crucial in designing the controls for the valve system. After all, the valves had to be self-adjustable to the water levels of the Traun river to maintain a constant wave quality. “Our specialists had to wire and assemble the switchgear. Besides that, the required software for controlling the “WaveShaper” is also a product of our in-house electrical engineering department,” explains Roman Unterberger.

Everything is controlled either directly via switches in the switch control box or remotely over the Internet using a mobile device. This allows an operator to stand next to the facility and adjust the wave to the surfers’ needs. At high-water mark, the valve unit can be shifted

Innovations for waterpower all over the world.

photo credits: zek

photo credits: Neuböck

River surfing enthusiasts can now enjoy Europe’s largest standing wave on the Traun river. Picture showing project initiator Max Neuböck.

at a simple push of a button to transform the surfing channel into a discharge outlet.

RIVER SURFING – A NEW TRENDY SPORT Before the facility could be taken into operation in early May, the engineers had to put the finishing touches on the fish ladder – a vertical-slot pass – which was installed next to the wave channel. Also, the workers had to put down the turf, erect the seating steps on the riverside and complete the toilet units. Overall, Max Neuböck and his co-initiators invested €1.5 million in their dream project. With the project complete, river surfing on the Traun is now set to become the next cool, trendy sport in the area.

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

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Surprisingly sustainable.

VIS IO N A RY POW E R FROM AUSTRIA

THE PASSION FOR HYDROPOWER IS IN OUR DNA GLOBAL Hydro is the primary contact worldwide for innovative hydropower technologies and a reliable partner throughout the entire lifecycle of your power plant.

Turn Key Solutions

SCADA

Refurbishment

www.global-hydro.eu

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Troyer offers high-quality construction of water turbines and hydroelectric power plants.

For generations, our tailor-made solutions have helped our customers optimizing energy generation from waterpower in a safe, efficient, eco-friendly and sustainable way.

Troyer SpA info@troyer.it Tel. +39 0472 765 195

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SMALL AND MINI HYDROPOWE R SOLUTIONS “FROM WATER-TO-WIRE“

ANDRITZ is the world’s leading provider on the small and mini-hydropower plant market and provides a full spectrum of electro-mechanical equipment based on predefined modular components supporting the entire lifecycle of a hydropower plant – “from water-to-wire”.

We offer optimized solutions for the electro-mechanical equipment of all types of small hydropower plant, up to an output of 30 MW per unit.

In more than 30 years, ANDRITZ has supplied more than 3,000 generating units with a total installed

capacity of about 10,000 MW. Every year ANDRITZ is commissioning about 120 renewable and sustainable generating units worldwide.

ANDRITZ - your global partner for hydropower generation.

Hydro Power from the Desert: HATTA HPP NBA Star builds Bosnian Flagship Hydro Power Plant Aosta Valley – the unknown Hotspot of Italian Hydro Power Efficient Hydro Power Plant in Salzburg has been commissioned Austrian Turbine Specialist refurbishes ravaged Power Plant in Vietnam

ANDRITZ HYDRO GmbH ⁄ www.andritz.com/hydro

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