hydro-africa


Aswan High Dam Location: Egypt Operator: Hydro Plants Electricity Production Co Configuration: 12 X 175 MW Francis Operation: 1967-1971 T/G supplier: LMZ, Voith, Electrosila EPC: Hydropower Institute Quick facts: The High Dam is up to 111m high and it is almost 1,000m long. Construction began in 1960 and one third of the total cost (estimated to be over $1bn) was provided by the Soviet Union: 400 Soviet engineers were used on the job. In July 2003, LMZ and Voith Siemens Hydro were awarded a contract for the reconstruction of the 12 generators, a program expected to last six years. The €85-million program is funded by KfW. Lake Nasser, the multipurpose reservoir behing the dam, is about 565 km long. In areas now partially inundated were temples built by Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II around 1200 BC. During the construction of the High Dam, some of the temples were moved -- a unique and difficult job -- but other monuments were submerged causing worldwide comment. Photograph copyright by and courtesy of Ioan Triponescu Posted 2 Jun 2004	Awash II & III Location: Ethiopia Operator: Ethiopian Electric Power Corp Configuration: 4 X 16 MW Francis Operation: 1966-1971 T/G supplier: Voith, Elin Quick facts: The three Awahs plans were the first large hydro power stations built in Ethiopia. The units at Awash II and III were overhauled by Ingea. Photograph courtesy of Ingea spol sro Posted 25 Aug 2007	Gilgel Gibe I Location: Ethiopia Operator: Ethiopian Electric Power Corp Configuration: 2 X 61.3 MW Francis Operation: 2004 T/G supplier: Voith EPC: Enelpower, Electroconsult, Salcost Quick facts: This plant is near Jimma 260km southwest of Addis on the Gilgel Gibe River. Development began in the early 1960s and the site was selected after planning studies in the 1970s and 1980s. Construction by a consortium of Ethiopian and North Korean firms began in 1988, but work stopped in 1994 before the dam was completed. In 1995, the government signed a new agreement with an Italian consortium to undertake an environmental impact assessment and complete design and construction. Funding from the World Bank was used to complete the plant. A 9.2km tunnel goes from the 40m dam to the powerhouse. Photograph courtesy of Enel SpA Posted 16 May 2004

Jebel Aulia Location: Sudan Operator: National Electricity Corp Configuration: 30.4 MW matrix turbines Operation: 2004-2005 T/G supplier: VA TECH, Elin EPC: VA TECH Quick facts: The Jebel Aulia dam was built from 1933-37 for irrigation and flood control. The site is on the White Nile 40km south of Khartoum. The dam is 5km in length with the highest head measuring 22m. The matrix turbine installation consists of 80 individual turbine units, divided into 8 groups, each with 10 turbines arranged in modules of two turbines each. Photograph courtesy of National Electricity Corp Posted 3 Jul 2010	Kapichira Location: Malawi Operator: Electricity Supply Corp of Malawi Configuration: 2 X 32 MW Francis Operation: 2000 T/G supplier: Voith, Impsa EPC: TAMS Consultants Photograph courtesy of American Consulting Engineers Council Posted 25 Jul 2001	Khasm El Girba-2 Rebuild Location: Sudan Operator: National Electricity Corp Configuration: 2 X 3.9 MW Kaplan Operation: 1964 T/G supplier: Ansaldo EPC: Enelpower Photograph courtesy of Enel SpA Posted 15 Feb 2004

Kidatu Location: Tanzania Operator: Tanzania Electric Supply Co Configuration: 4 X 50 MW Francis Operation: 1975-1980 T/G supplier: Voith, Listroj, Koncar Photograph courtesy of Koncar Posted 17 Aug 2004	Lower Kihansi Location: Tanzania Operator: Tanzania Electric Supply Co Configuration: 3 X 60 MW Pelton Operation: 1999-2000 T/G supplier: Kvaerner, ABB EPC: Norplan, Impregilo Quick facts: This 25m dam on the Kihansi River, a tributary to Kilombero river, impounds a small reservoir. The dam is equipped with sediment flushing gates and an intake structure with trash-racks and gates. The intake connects to the headrace tunnel via a circular unlined 500m vertical headrace shaft. Photograph courtesy of Matest Posted 19 Mar 2006	Merowe Dam Location: Sudan Operator: Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resource Configuration: 10 X 125 MW Francis Operation: 2009-2010 T/G supplier: Alstom EPC: China International Water & Electric Corp, Sinohydro Corp, Harbin Power Engineering Co, Jilin Province Transmission and Substation Project Co, Lahmeyer International Quick facts: During its implementation, this was the largest hydro construction project in Africa and it was China’s largest overseas electricity project to date. The scheme is at the Nile’s Fourth Cataract and has a 60m concrete dam approximately 520m long supported by rock- and earthfill dams on either side stretching 11km in total. In Aug 2001, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development, and other development funds in Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia pledged a total of €560mn to the Merowe project. The China Import Export Bank later added €240mn with the Sudanese government expected to make up the balance for the €1.2bn project. Resettlement was required for up to 70,000 people affected by dam and reservoir construction. A 400km, 500kV transmission line runs from the site to a new 220kV substation at Khartoum. Construction started in Jun 2003.The first two units went commercial in Mar 2009 and the last unit was commissioned by President Omer Al-Bashir in May 2010. Photograph courtesy of China Intl Water & Electric Corp Re-posted 19 Jul 2009

Naga Hammadi Location: Egypt Operator: Hydro Plants Electricity Production Co Configuration: 4 X 16 MW bulb Operation: 2008 T/G supplier: VA Tech EPC: Lahmeyer, Orascom Construction, Vinici, Bilfinger-Berger Quick facts: The 330m long dam at Naga Hammadi in Upper Egypt replaces a structure built between 1927 and 1930. The seven-gate dam raises up to 8m for irrigation and hydroelectric power. The £445 project included a 1.1km canal and a 23km, 220kV line to connect to the grid. Photograph courtesy of DSD Noell Posted 29 Aug 2009	Nkula Falls-A Location: Malawi Operator: Electricity Supply Corp of Malawi Configuration: 3 X 8 MW Francis Operation: 1966-1967 T/G supplier: English Electric EPC: Knight Piesold Quick facts: Voith Siemens is leading a refurbishment project at the "A" plant which will result in a slight increase in output. Photograph courtesy of Voith Siemens Hydro Posted 3 Aug 2005	Tekeze Location: Ethiopia Operator: Ethiopian Electric Power Corp Configuration: 4 X 75 MW Francis Operation: 2009 T/G supplier: China Wanbao Engineering Co EPC: MWH, Energoproject-Hidroinzenjering, SinoHydro, China Gezhouba Construction, Sur Construction Quick facts: In mid-2001, EEPCo issued a bid to build a 300-MW power plant at the TK5 site on the Tekeze River in Tigray state 80km west of Mekele. This project had a lengthy history as the engineering consortium for Tis Abay-II produced feasibility studies, designs and tender documents for a plant that turned out to be essentially on the border with Eritrea. This location was abandoned and the project was reborn at a different site. In Jun 2002, EEPCo awarded the EPC contract to CWGS Joint Venture. At the time, the $224mn contract was the largest cooperative project between China and an African country. The main structure is a 185m, double-curvature concrete dam which id now the tallest in Africa. Over 3,500 workers were involved in plant construction, of which 750 were expats from four countries. Power generation started in Aug 2009 despite the fact that the reservoir was not completely filled. Photograph courtesy of Ethiopian Electric Power Corp Posted 18 Nov 2009

	Turkwel Location: Kenya Operator: Kenya Electricity Generating Co Ltd Configuration: 2 X 54 MW Francis Operation: 1991 T/G supplier: Neyrpic, Alsthom-Jeumont EPC: Sogreah, Spie-Batignolles Quick facts: This project was a major engineering accomplishment and includes a thin, double-cambered arch dam with a maximum height of 150m, a 5.5km headrace and penstock, and an underground powerhouse 250m deep. The project was built in six years and cost Ksh7.5bn, substantially more than originally estimated. Photograph courtesy of Kenya Electricity Generating Co Ltd Posted 25 Jul 2007