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declared a Climate Emergency and stand alongside Woodbridge Town Council and East Suffolk District Council in their ambitions to help build awareness of the importance of adopting sustainable energy sources,” added Woodbridge Tide Mill Charitable Trust Chair, John Carrington. “We hope this project will show visitors sustainable ways that energy can be generated and reconsider existing behaviours to think about what changes they may be able to make to conserve the natural surroundings as well as consider how their lives can be enhanced”. The project has been part funded by the Coast & Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Amenity and Accessibility Fund.
Scotland
Scottish micro hydropower plant fully operational A 92kW hydroelectric scheme located on the banks of the River Ness in the Scottish Highlands is now fully operational, providing electricity to local facilities. The Hydro Ness scheme features a 92kW
Archimedes screw turbine which will generate over 500,000 kWh of renewable energy each year. The electricity generated will feed the nearby Inverness Leisure Centre, providing roughly 50% of the site’s electricity demand. “I am delighted to see the turbines operational. The project team have been thorough in their monitoring of the scheme, and it is really exciting to be up and running,” said Leader of The Highland Council Councillor Raymond Bremner. “The river levels, in accordance with SEPA guidelines, will dictate when the turbines are operational, but it is fantastic to know we are now generating renewable electricity to help power Inverness Leisure. “Electricity prices are increasing rapidly, and this project, and others like it, are vital in mitigating against market increases to help ensure the council, and our partners, continue to offer first-class services to the public.” Director of Sport and Leisure at High Life Highland Douglas Wilby added: “This is a great milestone for what was a hugely ambitious project. “Inverness Leisure is a unique building in its operation and offering; it caters for over 800,000 customer visits annually and we are an organisation that is determined to try and minimise our footprint whilst ensuring we continue to provide a vital function for the community. Hydro Ness is a project that helps us do that and it is very exciting to benefit from the electricity generated just a few hundred meetings from the building.” The site will also feature an interactive visitor
experience that will showcase how science and nature can work together, and encourage visitors to think about their personal impact on the environment.
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Germany Voith’s HyCon GoHybrid achieves successful first year of operation Voith Hydro’s HyCon GoHybrid hydraulic unit for turbine governors in hydropower has been successfully operating for just over a year at the site of SWU Energie GmbH in Wiblingen, Germany, with the product also successfully operating at Fortum’s Nain project near Hagfors in Sweden. The HyCon GoHybrid was launched to the
market by Voith Hydro in May 2021, with its first installation for SWU Energie GmbH (a subsidiary of Stadtwerke Ulm/Neu-Ulm GmbH) providing significant savings in energy. The company said it was highly satisfied with the variable-speed pump drive’s consumption of only 100kWh since commissioning, requiring 92% less energy in operation compared to previous solutions. Swedish energy company Fortum has also benefitted from the installation of HyCon GoHybrid at its Nain project on the Uvån River. Nain features Francis twin turbines with a capacity of 6.8MW commissioned in 1944, and these proved to be suitable for the GoHybrid’s smallest design size. The turbine governor for Nain was successfully tested at Voith Hydro’s headquarters in Germany in the summer of 2021 – shortly after its market launch – and was commissioned and handed over to the customer in November. “The HyCon GoHybrid is a compact unit that contains less oil, has low energy consumption and exact control. Since the GoHybrid makes no noise during regulation or pump operation and requires very little space, it has improved the working environment in the power station a lot,” explained Fortum project manager Per Jansson. “Since commissioning in November 2021, we have had no problems and are very satisfied with both the turbine governor as well as with Voith’s support.”
US TVA completes Boone Dam remediation project Tennessee Valley Authority has announced it has completed the Boone Dam project in Tennessee, US, on time and under budget. The seven-year dam remediation project was undertaken after starting in 2015 after TVA discovered seepage below the dam in 2014 and immediately lowered the lake’s water level to ensure public safety. The $326 million project involved construction of a composite seepage barrier created in several phases – which included the highly visible, two-year, round-the-clock construction of an underground cutoff wall. Following completion of the underground work, TVA restored the crest of the dam to its previous elevation and constructed a floodwall. Paving and fencing, along with site
restoration, round out the project. TVA Chief Operating Officer Don Moul said the project is a major geotechnical engineering feat.” TVA has delivered on its promise to the Tri-Cities region,” he said. “At the onset of this project, we made a commitment that we would complete this effort safely within seven years and we would do it right the first time with a high-quality repair.” “The Boone Dam project exemplifies all
three aspects of TVA’s mission of service,” added Jeff Lyash, TVA president and chief executive officer. “Environmental stewardship by providing a beautiful recreational area for families to picnic, swim and relax this summer; economic development with a lake that helps communities in the Tri-Cities region prosper from fishing tournaments to boating activities and much more; and electricity that is clean, reliable and generated right here at the Boone Dam hydropower facility.” Energy generation from Boone Unit 1, which was shut down during construction, will return to normal operations this summer. At the project reopening ceremony in
late May, TVA recognized three partner groups: Tennessee Wildlife Resources Association (TWRA), Boone Lake Association and Boone Dam Repair Coalition. TWRA partnered by planting grasses and shrubs, creating nurseries for fish, and stocking the lake with F1 largemouth bass. TVA worked closely with its neighbors in the Boone Lake Association and Boone Dam Repair Coalition on community outreach efforts throughout the project. Together, they reached more than 25,000 people at various events.
Mozambique IFC to support Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower project, Mozambique The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is to collaborate with Mozambique’s Ministry of Mineral Resource and Energy (MIREME), through the Mphanda Nkuwa Hydroelectric Project Implementation Office (GMNK), on the development of a 1500MW hydropower project.
IFC will work with GMNK to structure the Mphanda Nkuwa project, including the review of technical design, environmental safeguards, commercial and financial structuring. The goal is to help mobilize competitive private investment to bring the project into commercial operation and support the country’s sustainable energy transition. The estimated US$4.5 billion project will comprise a dam, a powernstation, and a high voltage transmission infrastructure of 1300km from the project site in Tete Province to Maputo, Mozambique’s capital. The project is scheduled for completion in 2031. Once complete – expected in 2031 – the hydropower project is expected to supply
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