New projects |


j and stabilising energy costs,” said Diane Archie, Northwest Territories’ Minister of Infrastructure.


Utilitising non-powered dams in the US Natel Energy is to develop, finance and construct three


non-powered dam sites along Louisiana’s Red River in partnership with Nelson Energy – with plans to install between 60 and 90 of its Restoration Hydro Turbine’s (RHT) to retrofit the three existing dams and add 80MW of renewable power to the grid. Nelson Energy, a Minneapolis-based firm that has successfully developed and licensed over $250 million of hydroelectric projects in the US, will act as an advisory partner on the project. “Nelson Energy’s hydroelectric development goals


Above: TBM breakthrough has been achieved at Rio Tinto’s Kemano T2 hydropower project. Image courtesy Rio Tinto


have been to identify projects, establish their feasibility, obtain a FERC license and to then find a partner to carry the project forward through design, financing, construction and operation,” said Doug Spaulding, president of Nelson Energy. “Nelson has teamed with Natel based on their demonstrated experience and staffing to move projects from a licensed concept to an operational project.” Natel will install up to 30 of its fish-safe RHTs at each of the Red River Lock & Dam sites 3, 4 and 5. Two of the projects will connect to points within the Midcontinent Independent System Operator Transmission System and one project with the Southwest Power Pool. The projects have been licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and are expected to be built in 2024 and 2025. “The Red River Projects mark a major addition to our Energy Platform development portfolio – an effort that Natel is undertaking to scale deployment of our Restoration Hydro Turbines and digital forecasting tools to advance the potential of modern, sustainable hydropower, enabling a climate-resilient future,” said Gia Schneider, CEO and co-founder of Natel. “We are excited to partner with Nelson Energy – one of the leading firms in advancing hydropower projects from concept to licensing.” Nelson Energy laid a foundation by obtaining the FERC licenses and completing initial project diligence for Natel to expedite retrofitting the existing dams on a timeline that can bring clean, renewable energy to the grid more quickly, in an expansion of Natel’s Energy Platform development portfolio. The Red River project builds off of the success of


Natel’s Monroe Hydro Project in Madras, Oregon, which demonstrates how Natel’s sustainable RHT technology can be integrated with existing water infrastructure. The RHT’s direct-drive, low-head, modular design is an ideal fit for the Red River Project’s three existing Army Corps of Engineers lock & dam sites with drop heights between 25-31ft.


Small hydro for Russia RusHydro announced in October that it is to build


three new small hydropower plants in the Northern Caucasus, following a competitive selection process. The 23.2MW Verkhnebaksanskaya plant will be


situated in Karbarnio-Balkarian Republic on the Adyr- Su River. Since the river has a number of knickpoints the hydropower plant will utilize a derivation system with 400m high water pressure, the second highest following Zaramagskaya hydropower plant. The plant will also be one of the few hydropower plants in Russia


28 | November 2021 | www.waterpowermagazine.com


to employ Pelton-type turbines. RusHydro will bring the facility online in 2027.


Nikhaloyskaya will be RusHydro’s second facility in the Chechen Republic with 23MW of installed capacity. The hydropower plant will be located in the mountainous region of Itum-Kalinsk on the Argun River slightly below Bashennaya plant, which RusHydro plants to inaugurate in 2024. The water, which will be devoid of sand following passage through Bashannaya, will flow directly via derivation to Nikhaloyskaya. This engineering decision allows RusHydro to skip onstruction of the water-intake facility improving the efficiency of the power plant. This facility is also expected online in 2027. The 49.8MW Mogokhskaya plant will be constructed in Dagestan on the Avarskoye Koisu River. The facility will utilize the hydropower potential of the river between Gotsatlinskaya and Irganayskaya hydropower plants. The station is engineered using the dam-derivation system including 20m dam and derivation via tunnel pipeline. It is scheduled for commissioning in 2028.


Indian delays


In August 2021 the Indian Standing Committee on Energy issued its report on the Delay in Execution/ Completion of Power Projects by Power Sector Companies. The committee noted that there are 24 hydroelectric


projects over 25MW that are under construction with a total capacity of 11342MW, having either time or cost over-runs in 11 states. The time delays in these hydro projects ranges from 12 months to 189 months and cost over-runs amount up to 472.92%. The main issues involved in the execution and completion of hydroelectric projects are: i) Land Acquisition Issues: The committee says that land acquisition is a “persistent issue” involved in the implementation of hydro projects. It adds that acquisition of land for various locations of the project such as the dam, head race tunnel, powerhouse, switchyard etc. delay the commencement and progress of works.


ii) Environment and Forest issues: Due to the considerable time taken for environmental and forest clearances, the committee said that “commencement of construction works of hydro projects often gets delayed”.


iii) Rehabilitation & Resettlement Issues: Dislocation of the people from their houses and workplaces etc and their resettlement “is a sensitive issue and involves a lot of time and money”. In many instances the committee says that “this issue leads to court cases resulting in delay in project execution/completion”.


iv) Inadequate Infrastructural Facilities: Hydro projects are normally located in difficult terrain having poor accessibility. As such, substantial time is lost due to lack of adequate infrastructural facilities at the project site allotted to a developer by the state government.


v) Law & Order/Local issues: Protests by the local people against the construction activities like blasting, muck disposal etc and demands for employment, extra compensation etc often create law and order problems which delays the commencement and affects progress of the works.


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