Hydroelectric Energy

Ellis Dam studied as hydroelectric power site

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 09:05:00 +0000

Another private hydroelectric company is exploring the possibility of using Ellis Dam just south of Dresden to provide additional electric generation to nearby American Electric Power lines.

If those plans are carried out, however, the project also could have an effect on recreational boating on the river above the dam and endanger aquatic species, local officials said.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has accepted a preliminary application from American River Power of Collingswood, N.J., to conduct feasibility studies of the Ellis Dam area in Muskingum County and the Luke Chute area in Morgan and Washington counties.

Dave Mathew, current president of Dresden Village Council, said he was concerned with this current proposal and another offered previously by Free Flow Power, of Gloucester, Ma.

"If they are going to divert water, that could drop the water level in the upper pool (north of the dam) of the river, and that could impact boating," said Mathew, an avid boater.

He also said the outflow of water from the diversion canal could make boating just south of the dam difficult because of the change in current.

Free Flow Power announced plans in 2009 to study nine low-head dams and canals on the Muskingum River for the possibility of installing hydroelectric turbines, including at Ellis and Luke.

Pending the results of the study, that company could begin the formal permitting process with FERC sometime in 2012.

Public meetings were conducted earlier this year in Zanesville, McConnelsville and Beverly to gauge public reaction to the proposal.

Jon Guidroz, director of project development with Free Flow Power, previously said local comments would be considered as plans for the hydro projects are refined during the next year. Further environmental studies also will be conducted.

He said it could take three to five years to receive final federal approval for the project.

As for American River Power's proposal, the company has three years to determine whether to go forward.

American River Power is looking to spend up to $500,000 on the feasibility study of constructing a new power canal on the east side of the Muskingum across from Ellis.

The diverted water then would be used to power four generation turbines, and the generated electric would be channeled to local utility lines nearby by a new transmission line.

The facility is forecasted to generate 9.7 gigawatt-hours of energy annually, according to the permit application filed in August.

A phone message was left and email sent to John Henry, president/manager of American River Power, but Henry had not responded.

Marilyn Ortt, president of the Marietta-based Friends of the Lower Muskingum River, said members are concerned with increased sedimentation resulting from a change in the river flow if projects such as those proposed move forward.

"The sedimentation could bother the mussel beds that are really special to the Muskingum River and endanger other forms of aquatic life," Ortt said. "If a project like this is done, we want to make sure that is protected."

Ortt admitted she just learned of American River Power's proposal but also is worried how diverting large amounts of water for power generation could affect the surrounding areas.

"Think about all of the water that is needed for the shale gas development, and if they are using all of that water for six months a year for the power, that's a real problem," she said.

If Luke Chute also is to be studied by American River Power, Ortt said the group likely will stand up for that area again, because the FLMR has acquired through state funds and a conservation easement more than 60 acres of property in the area.

(source)

Volga Hydroelectric Power Station

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 08:56:00 +0000

The Volga Hydroelectric Station or Volga GES, is the largest hydroelectric station in Europe and is the last of the Volga-Kama Cascade of dams, before the Volga River flows into the Caspian Sea. Today, it is operated by the electricity company RusHydro.

Volga Hydroelectric Station consists of a 725-metre long, 44-metre high concrete dam that crosses the Volga river. Supporting it is a 3250-metre long landfilled dam with a maximum height of 47 metres. The Station also offers railway and road crossings of the Volga.

The present power rating of the station is 2,582.5 MW and annual energy output of 12.3 billion KW-hours. There are a total of 22 generators. 17 generators produce 115 MW each (four of which have recently received repairs and overhauls), three produce 125.5 MW each and two produce 120 MW. Three fishery paths drive additional 11 MW units each, but at present two are not functioning. Thus the initial output is slightly downrated.

The 4.9 kilometre dam forms the Volgograd reservoir. At present the station is managed by OAO Volzhskaya GES that is owned by OAO GidroOGK, a daughter company of the state organisation RAO AES Rossii.

The generators of the power plant are connected to the power grid in a somewhat unusual way as the machine transformers of the generators serve also as inverter transformers of the static inverter plant of HVDC Volgograd-Donbass, which is situated on the dam. In opposite to other static inverter plants, it has no harmonic filters.

Volga Hydroelectric Power Station
Official name	Волжская ГЭС
Location	Volga, Russia
Construction began	6 August 1950
Opening date	10 September 1961
Dam and spillways
Height	44 m (144 ft)
Length	725 m (2,379 ft)
Impounds	Volga River
Reservoir
Creates	Volgograd Reservoir
Capacity	31.5 km³ (8 cu mi)
Surface area	3,117 km² (1,203 sq mi)
Power station
Type	No
Turbines	17 × 115.0 MW 03 × 125.5 MW 02 × 120.0 MW 03 × 011.0 MW
Installed capacity	2,582.5 MW
Maximum capacity	2,604.5 MW
Annual generation	12,300 GWh

Dagangshan Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 09:28:00 +0000

The Dagangshan Dam is an under construction arch dam on the Dadu River near the village of Dagangshan in Sichuan Province, China. The dam will house a hydroelectric power station with 4 x 650 MW generators for a total installed capacity of 2,600 MW. Construction on the dam began in 2008 and the power plant in 2010, the first generator is expected to be online by 2015 and the entire project complete by 2016.

Dagangshan Dam
Country	China
Location	Sichuan Province
Status	Under construction
Construction began	2008
Opening date	2012 (est.)
Owner(s)	Dadu Hydropower Development Co., Ltd
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Arch
Height	210 metres (689 ft)
Length	610 metres (2,001 ft)
Crest width	10 metres (33 ft)
Base width	52 metres (171 ft)
Impounds	Dadu River
Reservoir
Creates	Dagangshan Reservoir
Capacity	724,000,000 cubic metres (586,956 acre·ft)
Max. water depth	205 metres (673 ft) (avg.)
Power station
Commission date	2015-2016 (est.)
Turbines	4 x 650 MW
Installed capacity	2,600 MW
Annual generation	11.43 billion kWh

Changheba Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 14:05:00 +0000

The Changheba Dam is an under construction concrete face rock-fill embankment dam on the Dadu River near Kangding in Sichuan Province, China. Initial construction on the dam began in 2006, it was officially approved in December 2010 and its power station is expected to be operational by 2016. In July 2009, a landslide at the construction site killed four people while causing damage and temporarily blocking the river.

Changheba Dam
Country	China
Location	Kangding, Sichuan Province
Status	Under construction
Construction began	2006
Opening date	2016
Construction cost	$3.46 billion USD
Owner(s)	Sichuan Datang International Ganzi Hydropower Development Company
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment, concrete face rock-fill
Height	240 m (787 ft)
Length	1,697 m (5,568 ft)
Impounds	Dadu River
Reservoir
Creates	Changheba Reservoir
Capacity	1,075,000,000 m³ (871,517 acre·ft)
Power station
Commission date	2016-2018 (est.)
Turbines	4 x 650 MW Francis turbines
Installed capacity	2,600 MW

Guanyinyan Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:55:00 +0000

The Guanyinyan Dam is an under construction gravity dam on the Jinsha River 30 km (19 mi) southwest of Panzhihua on the border of Yunnan and Sichuan Provinces in China. The purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and flood control. Construction on the dam started in 2008 and the river was diverted by 2010. The first generator should be operational in 2015 and the entire power station in 2016. When complete, the dam will support a 3,000 MW power station consisting of five 600 MW Francis turbine generators.

The Guanyinyan Dam will be a 159 m (522 ft) tall and 1,158 m (3,799 ft) long gravity dam. Of the dam's length, 838 m (2,749 ft) will be roller-compacted concrete and 320 m (1,050 ft) will be rock-fill embankment with this portion having a maximum height of 71 m (233 ft). The crest elevation of the dam will be 1,141 m (3,743 ft) above sea level and contain the power plant at the toe of its body. A spillway and two discharge openings are also included in the design.

Guanyinyan Dam
Status	Under construction
Construction began	2008
Opening date	2015 (est.)
Owner(s)	Datang Guanyinyan Hydropower Development Co.
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Gravity
Height	159 m (522 ft)
Length	1,158 m (3,799 ft)
Impounds	Jinsha River
Spillways	3
Type of spillway	Service, controlled chute
Reservoir
Creates	Guanyinyan Reservoir
Capacity	2,072,000,000 m³ (1,679,798 acre·ft)
Power station
Decommission date	2015-2016 (est.)
Turbines	5 x 600 MW Francis turbines
Installed capacity	3,000 MW

Goupitan Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:46:00 +0000

The Goupitan Dam is an under construction concrete arch dam on the Wujiang River, a tributary of the Yangtze River in Guizhou Province, southwest of China. The dam's hydroelectric facility will operate on five turbines, each with a hydroelectric generating capacity of 600 MW, for a total of 3,000 MW. Constructions began on 2003-11-08 and is expected to be completed in 2011.

Goupitan Dam
Official name	构皮滩大坝
Location	Guizhou, China
Construction began	November 2003
Opening date	2011
Construction cost	¥13.842 billion
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Arch
Height	232.5 m (763 ft)
Length	557.11 m (1,828 ft)
Impounds	Wujiang River
Reservoir
Creates	Goupitan Reservoir
Capacity	6,451,000,000 m³ (5,229,911 acre·ft)
Catchment area	43,250 km² (16,699 sq mi)
Surface area	94.29 km² (36 sq mi)
Power station
Turbines	5 × 600MW
Installed capacity	3,000 MW
Annual generation	9.667 TWh (est.)

Boguchany Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:16:00 +0000

The Boguchany Dam is a large hydroelectric dam currently under construction on the Angara River in Kodinsk, Russia. The Boguchany Dam is a 2,587 m (8,488 ft) long gravity dam, which includes reinforced concrete 774 m (2,539 ft) long segment for power station building and temporal ship lock. The power station will consist of nine turbines with a capacity of 330 MW each. It will generate 17.6 TWh of electricity per year. Turbines are manufactured by Power Machines. The power station is built by and will be owned and operated by OAO Boguchanskaya GES, a joint venture of RusHydro and Rusal. The energy from the plant will be used, among others, by a large Boguchany Aluminium Smelter (to be launched in 2013).

Boguchany Dam
Official name	Богучанская ГЭС
Location	Kodinsk, Russia
Construction began	1974
Opening date	2011
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Gravity dam
Height	79 m (259 ft)
Length	2,587 m (8,488 ft)
Crest width	20 m (66 ft)
Base width	212 m (696 ft)
Impounds	Angara River
Reservoir
Creates	Boguchany Reservoir
Capacity	1,612,000,000 m³ (5.69×10¹⁰ cu ft)
Power station
Turbines	9 × 330 MW
Installed capacity	2,970 MW
Annual generation	17.6 TWh

Nurek Dam - Nurek Hydro-electric Station

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 14:36:00 +0000

The Nurek Dam or Nurek Hydro-electric Station is an earth fill embankment dam on the Vakhsh River in the central Asian nation of Tajikistan. Construction of the dam began in 1961 and was completed in 1980, when Tajikistan was still a republic within the Soviet Union. At 300 m (984 ft) it is currently the tallest dam in the world. The Rogun Dam, also along the Vakhsh also in Tajikistan, may exceed it if completed.

The Nurek Dam was constructed by the Soviet Union between the years of 1961 and 1980. It is uniquely constructed, with a central core of cement forming an impermeable barrier within a 300 m (980 ft)-high rock and earth fill construction. The volume of the mound is 54 million m³. The dam includes nine hydroelectric generating units, the first commissioned in 1972 and the last in 1979.

The dam is located in a deep gorge along the Vakhsh River in western Tajikistan, about 75 km (47 mi) east of the nation's capital of Dushanbe. A town near the dam, also called Nurek, houses engineers and other workers employed at the dam's power plant.

A total of nine hydroelectric Francis turbines are installed in the Nurek Dam. Originally having a generating capacity of 300 megawatts each (2.7 gigawatts total), they have since been redesigned and retrofitted such that they now combine to produce 3.0 gigawatts. As of 1994, this formed most of the nation's 4.0 gigawatt hydroelectric generating capacity, which was adequate to meet 98% of the nation's electricity needs.

The reservoir formed by the Nurek Dam, known simply as Nurek, is the largest reservoir in Tajikistan with a capacity of 10.5 km³. The reservoir is over 70 km (40 mi) in length, and has a surface area of 98 km² (38 sq mi). The reservoir fuels the hydroelectric plant located within the dam, and stored water is also used for irrigation of local agricultural land. Irrigation water is transported 14 kilometers through the Dangara irrigation tunnel and is used to irrigate about 700 km² (300 sq mi) of farmland. It is suspected that the reservoir may be causing induced seismicity.

Nurek Dam
Locale	Nurek, Border of Khatlon and Sughd districts, Tajikistan
Construction began	1961
Opening date	1980
Owner(s)	Barqi Tojik
Dam and spillways
Height	300 m (980 ft)
Length	700 m (2,300 ft)
Impounds	Vakhsh River
Reservoir
Creates	Nurek reservoir
Capacity	10.5 km³ (8,500,000 acre·ft)
Surface area	98 km² (38 sq mi)
Power station
Operator(s)	Barqi Tojik
Turbines	9 x 335 MW Francis turbines
Installed capacity	3,000 MW

Gezhouba Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:08:00 +0000

The Gezhouba Dam or Gezhouba Water Control Project on the Yangtze River is located in the western suburbs of Yichang City in central China's Hubei province. The dam sits a few kilometers upstream from downtown Yichang, just downstream of the fall of the Huangbo River into the Yangtze. Construction started on December 30, 1970 and ended on December 10, 1988. The dam has a total installed electrical capacity of 3,115 MW.

After rushing out of Nanjin Pass, the Yangtze River slows down and widens from 300 metres (980 ft) to about 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) at the dam site. Two small islands, Gezhouba and Xiba, divided the river into three channels. There the Gezhouba Project was built.

The facility boasts a generating capacity of 3.11 GW along with three ship locks, two power stations that generate 14,100 GWh of electricity annually, the 27 gates of the spillway, and the no flowing Dam on both banks. The dam is 2,595 metres (8,514 ft) long with a maximum height of 47 metres (154 ft). The reservoir has a total volume of 1.58 cubic kilometres (1,280,000 acre·ft).

The navigation lock No.2 on the third channel was, when built, among the 100 largest in the world. The lock chamber is 280 metres (920 ft) long and 34 metres (112 ft) wide, with a minimum draft of 5 metres (16 ft) at the sill. It provides passage for 10,000 ton ships.

Gezhouba Dam
Locale	Yichang, China
Dam and spillways
Height	47 m (154 ft)
Length	2,595 m (8,514 ft)
Impounds	Yangtze River
Reservoir
Capacity	1.58 km³ (1,280,000 acre·ft)
Power station
Installed capacity	3,115 MW
Annual generation	14,100 GWh

Macagua Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 14:28:00 +0000

The Macagua Dam, officially known as Antonio José de Sucre, is an embankment dam with concrete gravity sections on the Caroní River in Ciudad Guayana, Bolívar State, Venezuela. It is 10 km (6 mi)upstream from the confluence of the Caroni and Orinoco Rivers, 81 km (50 mi) downstream of the Guri Dam and 22 km (14 mi) downstream of the Caruachi Dam. The dam's main purpose is hydroelectric power generation and it was later named after Antonio José de Sucre.

The Macagua Dam is a 69 m (226 ft) tall and 3,537 m (11,604 ft) long embankment dam with concrete gravity sections for each of the three different power stations. Macagua I was constructed from 1956 to 1961 and it contains 6 x 64 MW Francis turbine-generators for an installed capacity of 384 MW. Macagua II contains 12 x 216 MW Francis turbine-generators for an installed capacity of 2,592. Finally, Macagua III contains 2 x 88 MW Kaplan turbine-generators for an installed capacity of 176 MW. All together, the generation capacity is 3,152 MW. Both Macagua II and III were operational in 1996 and inaugurated in January 1997. Currently, Macagua I is undergoing a refurbishment in order to increase the capacity of each generator from 64 MW to 79.5. The first generator was complete in 2010, the second is expected to be completed in 2011 and another each year thereafter.

Macagua Dam
Official name	Hidroeléctrica Antonio José de Sucre
Country	Venezuela
Locale	Ciudad Guayana in Bolívar State
Construction began	1956
Opening date	1961
Owner(s)	CVG Electrificacion del Caroni CA
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Concrete gravity/embankment
Height	69 m (226 ft)
Length	3,537 m (11,604 ft)
Impounds	Caroní River
Reservoir
Creates	Macagua Reservoir
Capacity	363,000,000 m³ (294,289 acre·ft)
Surface area	47.4 km² (18 sq mi)
Power station
Commission date	Macagua I: 1961 Macagua II/III:1996
Turbines	20 Macagua I: 6 x 64 MW Francis turbines Macagua II: 12 x 216 MW Francis turbines Macagua III: 2 x 88 MW Kaplan turbines
Installed capacity	3,152 MW
Annual generation	15,200 GWh

Ilha Solteira Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 14:13:00 +0000

The Ilha Solteira Dam is an embankment dam on the Parana River near Ilha Solteira in São Paulo, Brazil. It was constructed between 1967 and 1973 for hydroelectric power production, flood control and navigation.

The dam supports hydroelectric power plant with an installed capacity of 3,444 MW. The power plant contains 20 generators with Francis turbines that broken down into three ratings: 11 X 170 MW, 5 X 174 MW and 4 X 176 MW. In 2005, the power plant produced 17.9 billion kWh of electricity.

Ilha Solteira Dam
Locale	Ilha Solteira, São Paulo, Brazil
Construction began	1967
Opening date	1973
Owner(s)	CESP
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment, concrete portion
Height	76 m (249 ft)
Length	5.6 km (3.5 mi)
Impounds	Parana River
Type of spillway	Service, gate-controlled
Spillway capacity	40,000 m³/s (1,400,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Ilha Solteira Reservoir
Capacity	21.2 km³ (5.1 cu mi)
Surface area	1,195 km² (461 sq mi)
Power station
Commission date	1973-1978
Type	Yes
Turbines	20 x Francis turbines
Installed capacity	3,444 MW
Annual generation	17.9 billion kWh (2005)

Tarbela Hydroelectric Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 16:29:00 +0000

Tarbela Dam on the Indus River in Pakistan is the second largest dam in the world by structural volume. It is located in Haripur District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) northwest of Islamabad. The dam is 485 feet (148 m) high above the riverbed. The dam forms the Tarbela Reservoir, with a surface area of approximately 250-square-kilometre (97 sq mi). The dam was completed in 1974 and was designed to store water from the Indus River for irrigation, flood control, and the generation of hydroelectric power.

The project is located at a narrow spot in the Indus River valley, at Tarbela in Haripur, shortly located at the point from where the District Swabi starts. Here the river formerly split around a large island close to the left bank. The main dam wall, built of earth and rock fill, stretches 2,743 metres (8,999 ft) from the island to river right, standing 148 metres (486 ft) high. A pair of concrete auxiliary dams spans the river from the island to river left. The spillways, located on the auxiliary dams, in turn consist of two parts. The main spillway has a discharge capacity of 18,406 cubic metres per second (650,000 cu ft/s) and the auxiliary spillway, 24,070 cubic metres per second (850,000 cu ft/s). The outlet works are a group of four tunnels that have been cut through the valley wall at river right, for uses of hydropower generation and flow control. These tunnels were originally used to divert the Indus River while the dam was being constructed. The fifth river outlet is situated on the left side of the dam and was completed in April 1976.

A hydroelectric power plant on the right side of the main dam houses 14 generators fed with water from outlet tunnels 1, 2, and 3. There are four 175 MW generators on tunnel 1, six 175 MW generators on tunnel 2, and four 432 MW generators on tunnel 3, for a total generating capacity of 3,478 MW. Tarbela Reservoir is 80.5 kilometres (50.0 mi) long, with a surface area of 250 square kilometres (97 sq mi). The reservoir holds 11,600,000 acre feet (1.43×10¹⁰ m³) of water, with a live storage of 9,700,000 acre feet (1.196×10¹⁰ m³). The catchment area upriver of the Tarbela Dam is spread over 168,000 square kilometres (65,000 sq mi) of land largely supplemented by snow and glacier melt from the southern slopes of the Himalayas. There are two main Indus River tributaries upstream of the Tarbela Dam. These are the Shyok River, joining near Skardu, and the Siran River near Tarbela.

The Tarbela Dam is the third largest in terms of dam volume in the world.

Tarbela Dam
Official name	Tarbela Dam
Locale	Tarbela, Pakistan
Construction began	1968
Opening date	1974
Construction cost	USD 1,497 Million
Dam and spillways
Height	143.26 metres (470 ft) from river level
Length	2,743.2 metres (9,000 ft)
Impounds	Indus River
Reservoir
Creates	Tarbela reservoir
Capacity	13.69 cubic kilometres (3.28 cu mi)
Catchment area	168,000 km²
Surface area	250 km²
Power station
Turbines	10 x 175 MW, 4 x 432 MW
Installed capacity	3478 MW
Maximum capacity	4200 MW

Pubugou Dam China

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 12:33:00 +0000

The Pubugou Dam is concrete face rock-fill embankment dam on the Dadu River, a tributary of the Yangtze River in Sichuan Province (located in southwestern China). The main purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and its total generating capacity is 3,300 MW.

Construction started on March 30, 2004, the first generator was put into operation in December 2009 and the rest by March 2010. In 2004, the construction site was overrun by tens of thousands of protesters, though the only eventual result was the delay of construction by one year. The protests were about evictions stemming from planned flooding.

Pubugou Dam
Status	In use
Construction began	2004-03-30
Opening date	2010
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment, concrete face rock-fill
Height	186 m (610 ft)
Impounds	Dadu River
Reservoir
Creates	Pubugou Reservoir
Capacity	5,390,000,000 m (1.7683727034×10¹⁰ ft)
Power station
Commission date	2009-2010
Turbines	6 x 550 MW
Installed capacity	3,300 MW

Myitsone Hydroelectric Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:54:00 +0000

The Myitsone Hydroelectric Dam is a large dam and hydroelectric power development project currently under construction on the Irawaddy River in Burma (Myanmar). If completed as planned in 2017, it will be the fifteenth largest hydroelectric power station in the world. The dam, planned to be 500 feet wide and 500 feet high, is being built by agents of the State Peace and Development Council and the China Power Investment Corporation. It is estimated that it will provide between 3,600 to 6,000 megawatts of electricity for Yunnan, China.

The Myitsone Hydroelectric Dam is located 3.2 km (2.0 mi) mile below the confluence of the Mali River and the N'Mai River about 42 kilometres (26.1 mi) north of Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, in northern Burma.

The source of both the N'mai and Mali Rivers is the Himalaya glaciers of northern Burma in the vicinity of 28° N. The eastern most of the two, N'mai river, is the larger stream and rises in the Languela Glacier north of Putao. It is unnavigable because of the strong current whereas the smaller western river, the Mali, is navigable, despite a few rapids.

The Irrawaddy Myitsone Dam is the biggest of seven large dams currently planned on the Mali River, the N'Mai River and the Irawaddy rivers. The China Power Investment Corporation is project manager of the Confluence Region Hydropower Projects. The seven dams combined total design installed capacity is 13,360 MW of electricity.

The Myitsone dam will provide electricity primarily to the China Southern Power Grid via its subsidiary, the Yunnan Power Grid Company, in Yunnan Province and then on to the power hungry eastern coastal areas of China, in conformity with the Chinese central Government's 'West to East Transmission Policy'. The hydropower project is being implemented under an agreement signed in late 2006 with the state-owned China Power Investment Corporation (CPI) and Burma’s Ministry of Electric Power No 1. The dam and reservoir planning and construction is managed by the Burmese military junta in cooperation with the China Southern Power Grid and several subcontractors.

On 16 June 2009, Myanmar Ambassador Thein Lwin and President of China Power Investment Corporation Lu Qizhou signed the Memorandum of Agreement between Department of Hydropower Implementation and China Power Investment Corporation for the Development, Operation and Transfer of the Hydropower Projects in Maykha, Malikha and Upstream of Ayeyawady-Myitsone River Basins.

The prime Burmese contractor is Asia World Company, founded by the drug lord Lo Hsing Han and now run by his son Tun Myint Naing] (Steven Law), one of the sanctioned financial operatives with strong links to the Burmese regime.

Additional Chinese participation comes from Yunnan Machinery Equipment Import & Export Company. At least one Japanese company is involved, Kansai Electric Power Company.

Design

The dam is planned to be a concrete faced rock-fill dam 152 m (498.7 ft) in both height and width, and is projected to produce it's design output of 3,600 megawatts (MW) of electricity by 2017. This is equivalent to 16% of the 22,500 MW output of the Three Gorges Dam In China, the world's largest electricity-generating plant of any kind.

Pre-construction

In 2002, the Irawaddy Myitsone Dam Multipurpose Water Utilization Project was written by the Myanmar Electrical Power Enterprise and the Agriculture and Irrigation Ministry. The Japanese Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) built a small weather station at Tang Hpre village, near the confluence. A KEPCO survey team came to the site twice in 2003. In February 2004 Yunnan Machinery Equipment Import & Export Company] (YMEC) and Kunming Hydropower Institute of Design, both from China, surveyed the dam site. In November 2005 the YMEC and Myanmar Ministry of Electricity signed a memorandum of understanding in Kunming for the N'Mai River Basin Development Cooperation.

In August 2006, Suntac Technologies Co. Ltd., a Burmese Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping contractor set up an office at the monastery in Tang Hpre village and surveyed the dam site. They also set up a temporary camp at Washawng village to facilitate transport of survey equipment from the YMEC company in China. In October 2006, the Asia World Company built a project implementation camp on a hill top at the dam site 3 mi (4.8 km) downstream from the confluence. when the camp was complete, Chinese inspectors stayed and surveyed the area for five months. In December 2006, The Ministry of Electric Power No. 1 and China Power Investment Corporation signed a memorandum of Understanding for the 3,6000 MW project at Myitsone and the 2,000 MW project at Chibwe. Asia World Company was also present at this ceremony.

In January 2007, the Changjiang Design Institute of China sent several groups of design personnel and conducted geological drilling, reservoir inspection and hydrological measuring near the dam site. surveyors photo, inspectors photo In April 2007, the groundbreaking ceremony was held for a small 65 KW power plant on Chibwe Creek that will supply power for construction of Myitsone and Chibwe dams. In May 2007, the New Light of Myanmar reported that the Ministry of Power No. 1 and CPI will build seven hydropower dams on the N'Mai and Irawaddy rivers. The Chibwe plant will supply power for construction of all seven dams. On May 1, an opening ceremony was held for the project supervisory office in Myitkyina.

In late 2007, Burmese Army Light Infantry Battalion #121 moved into the Myitsone area as security for the hydroelectric dam site. They moved into the library in Tang Hpre village, 5 km (3.1 mi) from the dam site and stayed there, rather than staying in their designated camp near the dam site. They extorted money from local merchants and took materials from shops. They also took vegetables from the villagers' farms and walked away with pigs and chickens. In January 2008, about 20 Chinese and a few Burmese engineers were working on the site, plus about 300 construction workers from the Asia World Company. In October 2009, about 2,000 Chinese labourers with the Asia World Company were logging, gold mining and digging tunnels at the project site. They were secretly transported there in groups at night through the Chinese border in Kachin State.

In November 2009, one hundred elephants were requisitioned by Asia World Company to pull logs from the forests near the hydropower project site to the log camps. On December 21, 2009, the official opening ceremony for the dam construction phase was held by officials of the military, China Power Investment Corporation and Asia World Company.

Impact of Myitsone Dam

If this large dam is built, it will flood 766 km² (295.8 sq mi)including 47 villages near the construction site and displace more than 10,000 ethnic Kachin people living in those villages. The large military security presence, forced relocations, deforestation and floods will follow hand-in-hand with its construction. The dam will also submerge historical temples, churches and cultural heritage sites important to Kachin identity and history. The natural heritage of the Kachin people in Myitsone area will be devastated.

Roads linking major towns in this remote area will be flooded by the planned reservoir having a negative impact on the transportation, communication and trade of the Kachin people in far greater numbers than those 10,000 physically displaced.

Other consequences of flooding by the reservoir include loss of farmland and loss of spawning habitat as fishes can not swim upstream anymore. The Kachin Development Networking Group, a network of civil society groups and development organisations in Kachin State warn this will lead to a loss of income for fishermen.fishing photo As with other large dam projects, the Myitsone Dam construction will alter the hydrological characteristics of the river and prevent sediment from enriching the traditionally highly productive agricultural floodplains downstream. This can affect fertility as far downstream as the Irrawaddy Delta, the major rice-producing area of Myanmar.

Ecological concerns focus on the inundation of an area that is the border of the Indo-Burma and South Central China biodiversity hotspot. The Mali and N'mai River confluence region falls within the Mizoram-Manipur-Kachin rainforests, including the1,472 square miles (3,810 km²) Khakaborazi National Park which is on the WWF list of outstanding examples of biodiverse regions.

Direct medical impacts anticipated from the project include increased incidence of malaria and shistosomiasis infection and methylmercury poisoning from submerged gold mining sites.

The energy produced by the dam will decrease the need for air pouting sources of energy such as fossil fuel. The construction and the maintaining of the dam will employ a large amount of people.

Environmental opposition

In February 2004 the Tanf Hpre villagers sent a letter of concern to leading Kachin organizations. In addition to environmental impacts, community displacement, and threats to cultural sites; local communities oppose a dam at Myikyina because it is less than 100 km (62.1 mi) from the major Sagaing fault line, posing a risk to basin inhabitants if an earthquake weakens the dam structure or causes landslides in the reservoir. If the Irrawaddy Myitsone Dam broke during an earthquake, it would endanger the lives of hundred of thousands of people downstream in Kachin State’s largest city, Myikyina. Recent earthquakes in the region, such as the 5.3 magnitude earthquake that struck near the Burma-China border on August 20, 2008, prompted Naw Lar, the coordinator of the Kachin Development Networking Group (KDNG) dam research project, to ask the junta to reconsider its dam projects.

In May 2007, 12 local leaders from Kachin State sent a letter to Senior General Than Shwe and the junta’s Ministry of Electric Power asking for the project to be cancelled.

In December 2007, the Burma Rivers Network also sent a letter to the Chinese government asking Chinese companies operating in Burma to conduct environmental and social impact assessments, publicly release information, and include affected communities in the decision-making process. Neither letter received a response.

On February 5, 2010, the UK-based Kachin National Organization (KNO) protested against construction of the dam in front of the Burmese Embassies in the UK, Japan, Australia and USA. That date was the 49th Kachin Revolution Day, commemorating the establishment of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the military arm of the Kachin Independence Organisation.

On April 17, 2010, three bombs exploded close to the site of dam, killing four Chinese workers. Burmese government blamed Kachin Independence Army for planting the bombs, KIA, however, has denied having anything to do with the Myitsone bombing.

Myitsone Dam
Locale	Kachin, Burma
Construction began	2007
Opening date	2017 est.
Construction cost	US$ 3.6 billion
Owner(s)	Myanmar Electric Power Enterprise, China Power Investment Corporation, China Southern Power Grid
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Concrete faced rock-fill dam
Height	152 m (498.7 ft)
Length	152 m (498.7 ft)
Impounds	Irawaddy River
Reservoir
Creates	Myitsone reservoir
Surface area	766 km² (295.8 sq mi)
Max. water depth	290 m (951.4 ft)
Power station
Installed capacity	3,600 MW
Annual generation	16,634 Gigawatt hours per year

Jinping-I Hydroelectric Power Plant

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 12:31:00 +0000

The Jinping-I Hydropower Station or Jinping-I Dam, Jinping 1st Cascade or Jinping No.1 Hydraulic Power Station is a large hydroelectric project on the "Jinping Bend" of the Yalong River (Yalong Jjiang) in Sichuan, China. Construction on the project began in 2005 and when complete, it will have a 3600 MW capacity to produce between 16 and 18 TW·h (billion kW·h) annually. Supplying the power station will be a reservoir created by a 305 m tall arch dam, soon to be the tallest in the world. The project's objective is to supply energy for expanding industrialization and urbanization, improve flood protection, and prevent erosion.

The Jinping 1 power station is on the border of the Yanyuan and Muli districts in the autonomous Liangshan Yi area of the Sichuan province. The Yalong River, which the dam will control, is the largest tributary of the Jinsha. For the project, approximately 7,500 inhabitants will be relocated.

The Jinping 1 power station will be supplied with water from a 7.7 billion m³ reservoir created by a 305m tall, 568m long thin double-curvature arch dam made of 7.4 million m³ of material. The power station will contain six 600 MW Francis turbines. Water discharged from the power station can then be diverted by the Jinping 2 Dam to the Jinping 2 Hydropower Station.

Jinping-I
Official name	Jinping-I Hydropower Station
Locale	Sichuan, China
Construction began	2005
Opening date	2014
Dam and spillways
Height	305 m (1,001 ft)
Length	568 m (1,864 ft)
Impounds	Yalong River
Reservoir
Creates	Jinping-I Reservoir
Capacity	7,700,000,000 m³ (6,200,000 acre·ft)
Catchment area	102,560 km² (39,600 sq mi)
Surface area	82 km² (32 sq mi)
Power station
Turbines	6 × 600MW
Installed capacity	3,600 MW
Annual generation	16-18 TWh

Xiaowan Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 12:12:00 +0000

The Xiaowan Dam is a large hydroelectric arch dam on the Lancang (Mekong) River in Yunnan Province, southwest China. It is the world's highest arch dam and will be the second largest hydroelectric power station in China after the Three Gorges Dam. Construction started on 1 January 2002. The river was dammed in October 2004. The first generator was commissioned in September 2009 and the dam was complete in March 2010. The first generator was commissioned in September 2009 and the dam was complete in March 2010.

Xiaowan Dam is the highest arch dam in the world with height of 292 m (958 ft). It creates a 15,000,000,000 m³ (5.3×10¹¹ cu ft) reservoir with an area of more than 190 km² (73 sq mi). The hydroelectric power station will eventually consist of six generating units with generating capacity of 700 MW each. The total generating capacity of the project will be 4,200 MW. The first generator went into operation in September 2009 and the last one is expected in 2013. The cost of the Xiaowan hydropower station is estimated at ¥32 billion (nearly US$3.9 billion). The hydroelectric power station is being constructed and operated by Huaneng Power International.

Xiaowan Dam
Official name	小湾坝
Status	In use
Construction began	1 January 2002
Opening date	March 2010
Construction cost	US$3.9 billion
Dam and spillways
Height	292 m (958 ft)
Reservoir
Capacity	15,000,000,000 m³ (5.3×10¹¹ cu ft)
Surface area	190 km² (73 sq mi)
Power station
Operator(s)	Huaneng
Commission date	2009 (first unit)
Turbines	6 × 700MW
Installed capacity	700 MW
Maximum capacity	4,200 MW

Laxiwa Dam China

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:18:00 +0000

The Laxiwa Dam is an arch dam on the Yellow River in Qinghai Province, northwest China. It is 32 km (20 mi) downstream of the Longyangxia Dam and 73 km (45 mi) upstream from the Lijiaxia Dam. The main purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and it supports the largest station in the Yellow River basin. The facility generates power by utilizing six turbines, each with a generating capacity of 700 MW, totaling to a capacity of 4,200 MW.

By the beginning of 2004, the Yellow River was diverted and in September of that year, excavation on the dam's abutment began. In April 2006, the first concrete was cast and on May 18, 2009, the power plant's first two generators were commissioned. A total of 79,571,000 cubic metres (2.8100×10⁹ cu ft) of earth and rock were excavated from the dam site.

Laxiwa Dam
Official name	拉西瓦大坝
Locale	Guide County, Qinghai, China
Opening date	2009
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Arch dam
Height	250 m (820 ft)
Length	460 m (1,510 ft)
Volume	3,681,800 cubic metres (130,020,000 cu ft)
Impounds	Yellow River
Reservoir
Creates	Laxiwa Reservoir
Capacity	1,079,000,000 m³ (875,000 acre·ft)
Power station
Commission date	May 18, 2009 (first two units)
Turbines	6 × 700MW
Installed capacity	4,200 MW
Annual generation	10.23 TWh (mean)

Paulo Afonso Hydroelectric Complex

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 13:50:00 +0000

The Paulo Afonso Hydroelectric Complex (Complexo Hidrelétrico de Paulo Afonso), also known as the Paulo Afonso Complex, is a system of three dams and five hydroelectric power plants on the São Francisco River near the city of Paulo Afonso in Bahia, Brazil. The complex exploits an 80 m (260 ft) natural gap on the river, known as the Paulo Afonso Falls. Constructed in succession between 1948 and 1979, the dams support the Paulo Afonso I, II, III, IV and Apollonius Sales (Moxotó) power plants which contain a total of 23 generators with an installed capacity of 4,279.6 MW.

Paulo Afonso I was the first large power plant constructed in Brazil and the complex constitutes the densest area of dams in Brazil. The complex provides electricity to areas in northeastern Brazil and is the main tourist attraction in the region.

Apollonius Sales (Moxotó)

The Appollonius Sales Dam and power plant were originally known as Moxotó but were renamed after Appollonius Sales, the founder of CHESF. The dam is a 30 m (98 ft) high, 2,825 m (9,268 ft) long rock and earth-fill embankment dam. The dam withholds a 1,200,000,000 m³ (4.2×10¹⁰ cu ft) capacity reservoir with a surface area of 100 km² (39 sq mi) and catchment area of 630,000 km² (240,000 sq mi). The dam and its reservoir are primarily intended to regulate water flow to PA I, II and III 4 km (2.5 mi) downstream. On the dam's west side, it supports a 20 floodgate spillway with a 28,000 m³/s (990,000 cu ft/s) capacity. The power plant is located on the east side of the dam near the reservoir's shore and contains four generators, each with Kaplan turbines. Each generator has an nameplate capacity of 100 MW for a total installed capacity of 400 MW.

Paulo Afonso I, II, III

Situated directly on top of the Paulo Afonso Falls, the Delmiro Gouveia Dam supports Paulo Afonso I, II and III. The dam is 20 m (66 ft) high, 4,707 m (15,443 ft) long and is a concrete gravity type. The reservoir formed by the dam has a 26,000,000 m³ (920,000,000 cu ft) capacity and surface area of 4.8 km² (1.9 sq mi). The dam has one uncontrolled spillway and a controlled spillway on its outer linings while also supporting four controlled spillways on the front of the falls. These four surface spillways when open, discharge water below and essentially recreate the falls.

All three power plants are about 82 m (269 ft) underground and adjacent to one another. PA I lies in the center and is housed in a 60 m (200 ft) long, 31 m (102 ft) high and 15 m (49 ft) wide cavern. It contains three 60 MW generators with Francis turbines, for an installed capacity of 180 MW. The generators are Vertical Sync-type and were manufactured by Westinghouse. The turbines were manufactured by Dominion Engineering Works. PA II is a 104 m (341 ft) long, 36 m (118 ft) high and 18 m (59 ft) wide power house. It contains six Vertical Sync-type generators with Francis turbines. Two of the generators are 70 MW, one is 75 MW and the remaining three are 76 MW, for a total installing capacity of 443 MW. The generators were manufactured by S. Morgan Smith and Hitachi while the turbines by Voith. PA III's power house is 127 m (417 ft) long, 46 m (151 ft) high and 18 m (59 ft) wide. It contains four 198.55 MW Vertical Sync-type generators manufactured by Siemens for an installed capacity of 794.2 MW. Each generator utilizes a Francis turbine manufactured by Voith.

Paulo Afonso IV

The Paulo Afonso Dam located 2 km (1.2 mi) southwest of the falls is 35 m (115 ft) high and 7,430 m (24,380 ft) long. The dam is an earth and rock-fill type but contains 1,053 m (3,455 ft) in length of concrete structures which include the power plant's intake and the spillway. The spillway is composed of eight floodgates and has a maximum discharge capacity of 10,000 m³/s (350,000 cu ft/s). The dam withholds a 127,500,000 m³ (4.50×10⁹ cu ft) capacity reservoir with a surface area of 12.9 km (8.0 mi). The reservoir receives water through a channel that originates near the southern end of the Appolonius Sales Reservoir and continues south, skirting the city. The PA IV power house is also underground and is 210 m (690 ft) long, 52 m (171 ft) high and 24 m (79 ft) wide. It contains six 410.4 MW generators for an installed capacity of 2,462.4 MW. Each generator is a SíncronoVertical-type manufactured by Siemens and utilizes vertical shaft Francis turbines that were manufactured by Voith.

Paulo Afonso Hydroelectric Complex
Country	Brazil
Locale	Paulo Afonso
Status	Operational
Commission date	1954–1979
Owner(s)	CHESF

Power station information
Generation units	23

Power generation information
Installed capacity	4,279.6 MW

Jinping 2 Hydroelectric Power Plant

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:44:00 +0000

The Jinping 2 Hydroelectric Power Plant or Jinping 2 Dam, is a large conventional hydroelectic project on the "Jinping Bend" of the Yalong River (Yalong Jjiang) in Sichuan, China. Construction on the project began in 2007 and when complete, it will have a 4800 MW capacity. While the Jinping 1 will rely on its large dam and reservoir to supply water, the Jinping 2 will rely on four 16.6 km long headrace tunnels that are supplied with water which is diverted by a much smaller dam, which located 7.5 km downstream of Jinping-I dam.

Harnessing hydropower on the Jinping bend of the Yalong River has been in planning for decades. The length of bend is 150 km but the downstream part of the river on the opposite side is only separated by 16 km. Between that distance, there is an elevation drop of 310 m, creating an excellent situation for hydroelectricity production. Two projects were planned for the bend, the Jinping I and Jinping II with a combined capacity of 8,400 MW. Planning for the projects began in the 1960s under the former Sichuan and Shanghai design institutes along with the Ministry of Water Resources and Electric Power. They produced the "Reinvestigation Report on The Yalong River bend (Jinping)". In July 1965, the Jinping Hydropower Engineering Headquarters was set up and designs for the Jinping 1 and Jinping 2 would progress with the East China Investigation and Design Instititute.

Construction on the Jinping 2 started on January 30^th of 2007 and is scheduled to be completed in 2014.

A 37 m tall, 162 m long sluice dam on the west-side of the Jinping bend will divert water into a 16.6 km long headrace tunnel towards the Jinging 2 Power Station. At the power station, the water will spin eight 550 MW Francis turbines with a total capacity of 4400 MW before being discharged back into the river. The dam will be made of 3.4 million m³ of material.

Jinping-II
Official name	Jinping-II Hydropower Station
Locale	Sichuan, China
Construction began	2007
Opening date	2014
Dam and spillways
Height	37 m (121 ft)
Length	162 m (531 ft)
Impounds	Yalong River
Reservoir
Creates	Jinping-II Reservoir
Capacity	14,200,000 m³ (11,500 acre·ft)
Catchment area	102,663 km² (39,638 sq mi)
Power station
Turbines	8 × 600MW
Installed capacity	4,800 MW

Nuozhadu Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:11:00 +0000

Nuozhadu Dam is an embankment dam on the Lancang (Mekong) River in Yunnan Province, southwest China. The dam will be 261.5 m (858 ft) tall, and will create a reservoir with a normal capacity of 21,749,000,000 m³ (17,632,000 acre·ft) at a level of 812 m (2,664 ft) asl. The purpose of the dam is conventional hydroelectric power production along with flood control and navigation. The Nuozhadu Dam will support a power station with nine generators, each with generating capacity of 650 MW. The total generating capacity of the project is 5,850 MW. The construction and management of the project is being implemented by Huaneng Power International Ltd., which has a concession to build, own and operate hydroelectric dams on China's stretch of the Mekong River.

Nuozhadu Dam
Locale	Puer, Yunnan Province
Opening date	2015 (estimate)
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment, central core, rock-fill
Height	261.5 m (858 ft)
Length	608 m (1,995 ft)
Crest width	18 m (59 ft)
Impounds	Lancang (Mekong) River
Type of spillway	Service, controlled side channel chute
Spillway capacity	31,318 m³/s (1,106,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Nuozhadu Reservoir
Capacity	21,749,000,000 m³ (17,632,000 acre·ft)
Catchment area	140,000 km² (54,000 sq mi)
Surface area	320 km² (120 sq mi)
Power station
Hydraulic head	187 m (614 ft)
Turbines	9 x 650 MW
Installed capacity	5,850 MW

Xiangjiaba Hydroelectric Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:29:00 +0000

The Xiangjiaba Hydorelectric Dam is a large conventional hydroelectric dam on the Jinsha River, a tributary of the Yangtze River in Yunnan Province and Sichuan Province, southwest China. Xiangjiaba Dam is the second largest hydropower project in China after the Three Gorges Dam. As part of a cascade of dams, including the Xiangjiaba, Baihetan, and Wudongde, the Xiluodu seeks to alleviate much of the sedimentation that has been rapidly accumulating behind the Three Gorges. Together with Xiangjiaba, it will generate 12.6 Gigawatts of energy, roughly equal to the Three Gorges's maximum capacity expected in 2015. It will also displace an estimated 180,000 people, mostly from the city of Zhaotong. The Xiangjiaba Dam facility runs on eight turbines, each with a capacity of 800 MW, totalling the generating capacity to 6,400 MW. When completed, it will be the fourth largest dam in China. Construction started on November 26, 2006, and is scheduled for completion in 2015.

Xiangjiaba Dam
Official name	向家坝
Locale	Yunnan, China
Construction began	2006-11-26
Opening date	2015
Dam and spillways
Height	161 metres (528 ft)
Impounds	Jinsha River
Power station
Turbines	8 × 800MW
Installed capacity	6,400 MW

Sayano–Shushenskaya Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:36:00 +0000

The Sayano–Shushenskaya Dam is conventional hydroelectric power plant located on the Yenisei River, near Sayanogorsk in Khakassia, Russia. It is the largest power plant in Russia and the sixth-largest hydroelectric plant in the world, by average power generation. The full legal name of the power plant, OJSC [Open Joint-Stock Society] P. S. Neporozhny Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP [hydro power plant], refers to the Soviet-time Minister of Energy and Electrification Pyotr Neporozhny. The head of the power plant is Valery Kyari.

The Sayano–Shushenskaya hydroelectric power plant is operated by RusHydro. As of 2009, it was the largest power plant in Russia and the world's sixth-largest hydroelectric plant by average power generation. It provides more than a quarter of RusHydro's generation capacity. The plant operated ten type РО-230/833-0-677 hydro turbines manufactured at the Leningradsky Metallichesky Zavod, each with a capacity of 640 MW at 194-metre (636 ft) head. The total installed capacity of the plant is 6,400 MW; its average annual production is 23.5 TWh, which peaked in 2006 at 26.8 TWh.

The station's constructions include the dam, a power plant building located near the dam, and an additional spillway which is under construction. The arch-gravity dam is 245.5 metres (805 ft) high. It has a crest length of 1,066 metres (3,497 ft), crest width of 25 metres (82 ft), base width of 105.7 metres (347 ft) and maximum head of 220 metres (720 ft). It consists of a solid left-bank dam 246.1 metres (807 ft) long, a power dam 331.8 metres (1,089 ft) long, a spillway dam 189.6 metres (622 ft) long and a solid right-bank dam 298.5 metres (979 ft) long. It is by far the larger of only two gravity-arch dams in Russia. Water pressure for the dam is approximately 30 million tons, of which 60% is neutralized by the dam's own weight and 40% is carried to rock on the bank

The dam is constructed to "safely" withstand earthquakes up to 8 on the Richter scale, and was recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records for the strongest construction of its type.

The dam supports the Sayano-Shushenskoe Reservoir, with a total capacity of 31.34 km³, useful capacity of 15.34 km³ and surface area of 621 km² (240 sq mi).

Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam
Locale	Sayanogorsk, Khakassia, Russia
Construction began	1961
Opening date	1978
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Arch-gravity dam
Height	246 m (807 ft)
Length	1,066 m (3,497 ft)
Crest width	25 m (82 ft)
Base width	105.7 m (347 ft)
Impounds	Yenisei River
Spillway capacity	13,600 m³/s (480,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Sayano-Shushenskoe Reservoir
Capacity	31.3 km³ (7.5 cu mi)
Surface area	621 km² (240 sq mi)
Power station
Type	Yes
Hydraulic head	194 m (636 ft)
Turbines	10 × 640 MW (initial) 03 × 640 MW (current)
Installed capacity	6,400 MW (initial) 1,920 MW (current)
Maximum capacity	2,560 MW
Annual generation	23.5 TWh

Longtan Dam - China

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 14:58:00 +0000

Longtan Dam is a large roller-compacted concrete (RCC) gravity dam on the Hongshui River in Tian'e County of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, a tributary of the Xi River and the Pearl River. The dam is 216.2 m (709.3 ft) high and 849 m (2,785 ft) long; it is the tallest of its type in the world. The dam is intended for hydroelectric power production, flood control and navigation. The dam contains seven surface spillways, two bottom outlets and an underground power station.

Formal construction of Longtan Dam began on the project July 1, 2001 and the river was diverted by November 2003. A total of 20,000,000 m³ (706,293,334 cu ft) of material were excavated from the dam site. Impounding of the 27,270,000,000 m³ (22,108,149 acre·ft) reservoir began in 2006 and the dam's first of three operational hydroelectric generating units was testing May 2007. In 2009, the last generator became operational and the installed capacity increased to 6,426 MW, its annual generation is estimated at 18.7 TWh.

Longtan Dam
Official name	龙滩大坝
Country	China
Locale	Tian'e County, Guangxi
Status	In use
Construction began	1990
Opening date	2009
Construction cost	US$4.2 billion
Owner(s)	Longtan Hydropower Development Co., Ltd.
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Gravity
Height	216.2 m (709 ft)
Length	849 m (2,785 ft)
Volume	7,670,000 m³ (270,863,494 cu ft)
Impounds	Hongshui River
Type of spillway	Service, controlled
Spillway capacity	27,134 m³/s (958,228 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Longtan Reservoir
Capacity	27,270,000,000 m³ (22,108,149 acre·ft)
Catchment area	98,500 km² (38,031 sq mi)
Power station
Commission date	2007-2009
Hydraulic head	179 m (587 ft) (max.)
Turbines	9 × 714 MW
Installed capacity	6,426 MW
Annual generation	18,700 GWh (estimate)

Ranganadi Dam

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 13:09:00 +0000

The Ranganadi Dam is a concrete-gravity diversion dam on the Ranganadi River in Arunachal Pradesh, India which serves a run-of-the-river scheme. The dam is intended for hydroelectric purposes and is part of Stage I of the Ranganadi Hydro Electric Project and supports the 405MW Dikrong Power House. The 68 m (223 ft) tall dam diverts water south into a 10.1 km (6.3 mi) headrace tunnel which is then transferred into a 1,062 m (3,484 ft) penstock before reaching the three 135 MW turbines. Since commissioning, the power house has been generating much less than its capacity because of drought.

Stage II of the project is designed to provide water storage for Stage I and includes a 134 m (440 ft) rock-fill embankment dam with a 523,000,000 m³ (1.85×10¹⁰ cu ft) storage capacity. This dam will support an additional 180 MW power house.

Ranganadi Dam
Locale	Arunachal Pradesh, India
Construction began	1988
Opening date	2001
Owner(s)	North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO)
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Concrete gravity, diversion
Height	68 m (223 ft)
Length	339 m (1,112 ft)
Impounds	Ranganadi River
Type of spillway	Service, gate-controlled
Reservoir
Creates	Ranganadi Reservoir
Power station
Owner(s)	North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO)
Commission date	January 2002
Turbines	3 x 135 MW
Installed capacity	405 MW

Gilgel Gibe II Power Station

noreply@blogger.com (Energetic) — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:04:00 +0000

The Gilgel Gibe II Power Station is a run of the river hydroelectric power station on the Omo River in Ethiopia. The power station receives water from a tunnel entrance on the Gilgel Gibe River. It has an installed capacity of 420 MW and was inaugurated on January 14, 2010. Almost two weeks after inauguration, a portion of the head race tunnel collapsed causing the station to shut down, repairs are expected to be complete in November 2010.

The Gilgel Gibe II consists of a power station on the Omo River that is fed with water from a headrace tunnel and sluice gate on the Gilgel Gibe River. The headrace tunnel runs 26 km (16 mi) under the Fofa Mountain and at its end, it converts into a penstock with a 500 m (1,600 ft) drop. When the water reaches the power station, it powers four Pelton turbines that operate four 107 MW generators. Each turbine is 3.5 m (11 ft) in diameter.

In 2004, the Government of Ethiopia secured €220 million from the Government of Italy for construction. The total cost of construction is €373 million with €50 million provided by the European Investment Bank, and the remaining €103 million from the Ethiopian Government. Construction on the power plant began on March 19, 2005, with Salini Costruttori as the main contractor. The power station was originally slated to be complete in late 2007 but was delayed because engineering problems encountered during construction. In March 2005, the contract to excavate the tunnel was awarded to SELI and in October 2006, a tunnel boring machine (TBM) hit a fault, delaying the project. On June 9, 2009, both TBMs met each other and the tunnel was ready for hydraulic testing that September. The tunnel is "considered one of the most difficult tunnel projects ever undertaken, due to the critical, and in some reaches, exceptionally adverse, ground conditions." The power station was inaugurated on January 14, 2010.

Tunnel collapse

The exact date is unknown but about ten days after the project was completed, about 15 m (49 ft) of the 26 km (16 mi) headrace tunnel collapsed. The collapse may have been attributed it to structural failure caused by expedited construction and a lack of proper studies. The official statement of the construction firm Salini Costruttori, released two weeks after the official inauguration was that "an unforeseen geological event provoked a 'cave in' and a huge rock fall involving about 15m of the 26km headrace tunnel." The tunnel is expected to be repaired by November 2010.