| North America
will reduce the amount of concrete needed for the powerhouse by 60% as compared to Lock 12. The controls for the plant will be housed in a control building high on the riverbank, which is 20ft wide and 42ft long, and will be 28ft tall at its peak. The control building will contain switchgear, transformers, air compressors and the controls needed to operate the hydroelectric plant. The control building will be connected to the powerhouse and on to the nearby Jackson Energy distribution system. Construction of the project has already begun with equipment being fabricated off-site, and on-site work is scheduled to begin later this year. The Lock 14 project should take about two years to build and should be producing power by May 2024. “This project has world-class engineering from AHA, Kleinschmidt and Voith as well as Jackson Energy and other forward-thinking partners with the shared vision of a more sustainable future,” said Judge Wilson II, Berea College general counsel. “We are thankful to everyone involved, including the Kentucky River Authority and our trustees, who have been very supportive from the beginning.” As with Lock 12, revenues generated by the project will help support Berea’s mission of educating students of limited financial means from the Appalachian region and beyond.
Markland hydro station upgraded Output at the Markland hydroelectric station near
Florence, Indiana, US, has been increased by 10% following Duke Energy Indiana’s completion of upgrades to its three hydroelectric turbines, generators and other equipment. Work on the project commenced in early 2017, following approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. The project took four and a half years to complete and cost approximately $152 million – well within the company’s projected cost estimate. With the completion of these equipment upgrades, Markland Hydroelectric Station can now generate up to 65MW of renewable, carbon-free energy, depending on the flow of the river, which is enough to power 52,000 homes. The facility’s annual energy output has increased by 39GWh per year. “The low-cost, carbon-free power generated at
Markland Hydro Station is an important piece of our diversified portfolio of generation sources,” said Stan Pinegar, president of Duke Energy Indiana. “By embracing new advancements in technology and innovation, we’re able to expand clean energy production for our customers while also maintaining the reliable service they expect.” The upgrades included replacing turbine runner hubs and runner blades with a more efficient design. The company also replaced a number of other parts and components, including discharge rings, wicket gates, generator rewinds, generator excitation controls and relay protection, station controls, intake and draft tube gates and the main power transformer. Crews also overhauled the high- and low-voltage electrical distribution systems at the station. Situated along the Ohio River, Markland began operations in 1967. It was the first nongovernmental hydroelectric station built on the Ohio River, and it played a vital role in the development of hydropower on the waterway.
New hydro for Alaska The Alaska Energy Authority (AEA), in partnership with
the Railbelt utilities, filed a license amendment in early May with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as an initial step in pursuing the Dixon Diversion. The addition of Dixon Diversion would be the largest hydropower development project on the Kenai Peninsula since the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project was first developed. The proposed project would be located five miles southwest of Bradley Lake, approximately 27 miles northeast of Homer on the Kenai Peninsula. AEA owns the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project,
the largest hydroelectric plant in Alaska. This 120MW facility generates 10% of the total annual electrical energy used by Railbelt electric utilities and provides some of the lowest-cost power in the state to about 550,000 Alaskans.
Following the successful completion of the Battle
Creek Diversion project in 2020, which increased Bradley Lake’s output by about 10%, AEA is studying the Dixon Diversion to optimize Bradley Lakes’ energy potential further. Similar to Battle Creek, the Dixon Diversion would divert water from the East Fork of the Martin River into the Bradley Lake reservoir. The Dixon Diversion project, as planned, could increase the power output at Bradley Lake by almost 50 percent. Bradley Lake currently electrifies the equivalent of 54,000 homes. The Dixon Diversion Project has the potential to power an additional equivalent of up to 30,000 homes. The development timeline includes five years of studies and permitting, followed by five years of construction. The project is projected to create significant job benefits in construction and operations over its lifespan. The project’s estimated construction cost is between $400 and 600 million. The construction funding source is yet to be determined. “I am planning for the near-term rapid growth of
renewables on the Railbelt,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy. “The Dixon Diversion has the potential to be the largest renewable investment within the Railbelt since the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Project was built 30 years ago. Natural gas prices have only risen while the cost of renewable energy has plummeted, and Alaska needs to consider where it will be 20 years from now. The Dixon Diversion is a big step towards energy independence.” “We and our Railbelt utility partners are also planning
to upgrade transmission and energy storage capacity to improve reliability and resiliency,” said Curtis W. Thayer, AEA Executive Director. “These improvements will facilitate and increase the benefit from new renewable generation on the Railbelt, such as the Dixon Diversion.” “I appreciate the Governor’s vision and leadership on this important topic,” said Tony Izzo, CEO of Matanuska Electric Association and the Chair of the Bradley Lake Project Management Committee. “The Bradley Lake Project Management Committee works to ensure the reliable operation of the biggest renewable asset in Alaska. Alaskan leaders and visionaries of the 1950s and 60s recognized the power generation potential of this glacier fed lake. Because of their vision and expertise, ratepayers benefit from the low-cost power of Bradley Lake hydro today. With the Governor’s support, we are working to diversify our energy mix, including clean, renewable energy for future Alaskans.” ●
Below: Berea College has announced it is to develop its second hydropower proiect. The new site is to be located on Lock and Dam 14 in Kentucky
www.waterpowermagazine.com | June 2022 | 19
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