Refurbishment |
Regional overview of modernisation needs by number of stations and installed capacity Low need
Medium need Region
North Africa West Africa East Africa
Central Africa Southern Africa TOTALS
Stations 0 3 6 5
16 30
Capacity (MW) 0
1268 538 923
6800 9529
Stations 7 3 6 5
15 36
Capacity (MW) 3094 430 938 666
4961 10,089 High need
Stations 0 4 7 3 7
21
Capacity (MW) 0
2103 625
1557 337
4621
References
The full report Africa Hydropower Modernisation Programme: Continent-wide mapping of Hydropower Rehabilitation Candidates (June 2023) can be downloaded at
www.afdb.org/en/documents/ africa-hydropower-
modernisation-programme- continent-wide-mapping- hydropower-rehabilitation- candidates
Maximum reservoir depth was at or below the 50m screening threshold for six of the sites. Deeper reservoirs may add complexity and cost to the mooring and anchoring system for the floating structure. Bathymetric surveys would need to be carried out to study design and installation constraints properly. Reservoir water level variations for several sites exceeded the scoring threshold of a maximum of 25m, another factor impacting anchoring and mooring. Seven reservoirs were single purpose, suggesting a low likelihood of other reservoirs restricting the use of floating panels. However, most of the multipurpose functions were for flood control and irrigation, which would not necessarily impact use of the floating panels. Maximum wave heights were generally below 1 m, which poses no particular constraint, and the distance between the reservoir and switchyard was below 3km for most sites. Longer distances would add cabling cost to connect the floating PV system but would not necessarily preclude projects. In some cases, other tie-in points may also exist nearer the reservoir sites. Some extent of spare transmission capacity at the hydropower stations’ grid connection was identified.
Most of the hydro stations had Francis turbines which would provide more ramping flexibility to accommodate solar output fluctuations.
Right: Aswan High Dam in Egypt
The study shows that “floating solar hybrids could be a valuable means of improving generation at hydro sites during drought events. They also provide a quick win, given their relatively short deployment timescales”.
Future recommendations Looking to the future, the report recommends that the
next steps include further investigation into investment needs, the scope of works and conducting feasibility studies for selected projects when consideration must be given to any potential additional barriers, as well as other opportunities, that could be included in a proposed modernisation. One specific point that the report highlighted was that in many cases, access to spare parts for even routine maintenance was identified as a barrier to the overall asset management strategy at African hydropower plants. It is recommended that this should be addressed by encouraging plant owners to work directly with equipment manufacturers who have experience with sourcing and supplying spare parts in Africa. “The Africa Hydropower Modernisation
Programme along with this landmark report, paves the way for accelerating investments in Africa’s ageing hydropower fleet,” said João Cunha, Head of SEFA at the African Development Bank. “Hydropower modernisation is not just about upgrading infrastructure – it’s about decarbonising and enhancing the flexibility and resilience of power systems, critical ingredients for a successful energy transition”
32 | September 2023 |
www.waterpowermagazine.com
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