Water Power and Dam Construction. Issue June 2010

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32 JUNE 2010 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION

LICENSING

N the US, there is renewed interest in small scale hydro devel-

opment and new interest in hydrokinetic and wave projects,

driven in a large part by national policies that promote invest-

ment in renewable energy. For instance, the recent March

2010 MoU among the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the

Department of the Interior, and the Department of Energy focused

on facilitating the development of private hydro facilities at federal

dams. Non-federal hydro projects that meet certain criteria must

be licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).

Licensing a project, however, can be a long and costly process that

can be especially burdensome to small scale developers.

The question is, what can applicants of both small and large scale

projects do within the current regulatory framework to help facili-

tate the licensing process? The Louis Berger Group (LBG) provides

environmental and engineering support to FERC, including adequacy

reviews of applications and preparation of environmental documents

for compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

We have provided NEPA support to FERC for more than 150 licence

applications since 1997. Over the past 13 years we have seen all types

of applications, ranging from those with minimal information – typi-

cally small projects – to massive lings for the relicensing of large,

complex multi-development projects.

Based on our experience with all types of applicants and projects

for both FERC and private utilities, we can offer several observations

about how to navigate the licensing process. First of all, FERC can act

on applications relatively quickly (in less than two years). Secondly,

early consultation and a concise and accurate licence application can

facilitate the review and action on a licence application. And nally,

proactive developers can nd exibility in the licensing process.

ACTING QUICKLY

An example of FERC’s ability to act on applications relatively quick-

ly is the Meldahl Project (FERC No. 12667), proposed by the City

of Hamilton, Ohio, at the US Army Corps of Engineers’ Anthony

Meldahl locks and dam.

The city filed an application in October 2006 for a 105MW

project, including a new intake, approach channel, powerhouse,

tailrace channel, and an 8km long transmission line. Before ling

the application, the city thoroughly compiled the existing informa-

tion about the resources in the project area, consulting early and

often with resource agencies, and using that information to address

resource agencies’ concerns. FERC staff conducted scoping and issued

a request for additional information (AIR) in December 2006. The

city replied in March 2007, but the ready for environmental analysis

notice (REA) was not issued until November 2007. The delay in issu-

ing the REA notice resulted from a combination of factors, including

other projects having higher priority at the commission.

LBG was tasked to prepare a draft EA and nal EA in early 2008.

Shortly thereafter, FERC staff became aware that the city needed to

commence construction by 1 July 2008 to be eligible for tax incen-

tives. Asked to accelerate our schedule, we prepared the single EA in

little over one month. The commission issued the EA in April 2008

and the licence in June 2008, meeting the deadline faced by the city.

The project is now under construction.

In this example, early and frequent consultation with the resource

agencies and submission of an adequate application helped to facili-

tate the proceeding. However, communication with FERC staff about

the use of tax incentives earlier in the proceeding might have elimi-

nated the six-month delay between submission of the AIR responses

and issuance of the REA notice.

CONCISE AND ACCURATE

The Baker River project demonstrates the importance of early consulta-

tion and a concise and accurate licence application in facilitating the

review and action on an application. Located in the Cascade Mountain

Range, northeast of Concrete, Washington, the 170MW project

includes two developments, Upper and Lower Baker Dams, currently

operated for power generation, ood control and recreation.

Upper Baker Dam, located on Baker Lake, is approximately 95m

high and 366m long. Water is conveyed from the intake at the dam

via two 98m long penstocks to the powerhouse that discharges into

Lake Shannon. Lower Baker Dam is approximately 87m high and

168m long. Water is conveyed from the intake at the dam via a 179m

long penstock to the powerhouse, which discharges into a tailrace

channel that extends almost 1.5km to the Skagit river.

LBG and Meridian Environmental Inc were retained by Puget Sound

Energy (PSE) to review the initial consultation document that contains

detailed information on the project facilities, operations and existing

environmental impacts; to prepare the applicant-prepared environ-

mental assessment; and to prepare the application for relicensing.

LBG joined the Baker Solution Team (composed of the resource

agency and stakeholder representatives) and participated in the tech-

nical working groups addressing aquatic, cultural, historical, wildlife,

terrestrial, recreational and aesthetic issues. We also provided key

stakeholders, tribes, non-governmental organisations and govern-

ment agencies with guidance and insight into the relicensing process.

Notably, the AIR issued by FERC contained only four items that

PSE was able to address very quickly. In addition, FERC staff were

able to use more than 90% of the applicant-prepared EA because it

conformed to commission EA/EIS guidelines and objectively disclosed

the potential effects of the proposed measures.

Every applicant should expect a request for additional informa-

tion (we have not seen any that have escaped that step), but there is a

huge difference in time and costs between a short AIR with a 30- or

90-day response deadline, and a request for additional information

with a schedule calling for studies or other activities that could take

180 days or more to complete.

Lessons on licensing

Patricia Weslowski, director of international consulting rm The Louis Berger Group,

helps readers to navigate through the hydro power licensing process in the US.

View of Baker Lake. The project demonstrates the

importance of early consultation in a licence application

WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM JUNE 2010 33

FLEXIBILITY

Finally, proactive developers can find flexibility in the licensing

process. The Mississippi river hydrokinetics projects offer a lesson

in proactively pursuing licensing, in addition to the importance of

understanding the issues that drive concerns about resources.

LBG assisted FERC in scoping and developing study plans, and

issuing a study plan determination for the multiple-project EIS

involving 55 hydrokinetic projects proposed by Free Flow Power.

If licensed as proposed in their pre-application document (PAD),

the projects would span 1756km of the Mississippi river between

St. Louis and New Orleans and would add 180,000 turbine-gener-

ators to produce 1800MW of average operating generation, with

a total installed capacity of 7200MW. Each project would consist

of multiple arrays of turbine-generators mounted on pilings below

the depth required to avoid affecting river navigation in this key

transportation corridor.

Only cursory information was provided in the PAD for these

projects about the potential effects of electromagnetic elds (EMF)

on sh, even though information about these effects is available. The

applicant ended up having to conduct EMF studies when a more

thorough search of existing literature and description of potential

effects in the PAD may have eliminated that need. The PAD offers an

opportunity to convey that the applicant understands the issues that

drive the concern for specic resources, and to provide more detailed

study plans that allow resource agencies to determine if the studies

will meet their protocols.

In this unique approach to a multi-project EIS, Free Flow Power

Corporation proposes to obtain licences for seven of the proposed

projects located in Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas,

Mississippi and Louisiana under the default integrated licensing proc-

ess (ILP). This approach recognises the diversity of habitat along the

Mississippi river and is designed to make sure all of the key issues are

identied and, to the extent possible, that studies conducted at the

ILP sites provide sufcient information to address these issues at the

remaining sites.

The remaining projects would be approached using the traditional

licensing process, and the EAs are expected to tier off of the multi-

project EIS. This example demonstrates the exibility available to

proactive developers who communicate their concerns and objectives

early with FERC staff.

CONSULTATION

Based on our experience, we suggest that if you want to facilitate

approval of a licence application within the current regulatory frame-

work, you should: engage in early and frequent consultation with the

resource agencies and FERC; prepare a PAD that answers more ques-

tions than it raises; and le an application that is complete, accurate

and objective. These steps should be especially helpful to developers

of small scale hydro projects.

In a press release issued by FERC on 15 April 2010, it recognised

the need to make its process more user friendly, introducing ‘a series

of web-based tools to help [small hydro] developers understand the

licensing process, help improve coordination with other agencies,

and help applicants complete the licensing process more quickly and

efciently.’ The commission is also working to update its MOU

with the USACE to address projects involving dams managed by the

USACE. It is also working with other agencies, which have man-

datory conditioning authority on MOUs, to better coordinate the

NEPA and permit processes that need to be completed before a

licence can be issued.

Patricia Weslowski, Director, The Louis Berger Group,

Email: pweslowski@louisberger.com

IWP& DC

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LICENSING

34 JUNE 2010 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION

NORTH AMERICA

ROWING recognition of the strategic importance of

marine and hydrokinetic technologies within hydro

power has led the US Government to use funding

programmes to draw in a number of federal science

laboratories to help accelerate R&D in those sectors, while also

supporting performance improvement in conventional hydro.

Marine hydrokinetics offers great potential but the industry is, for

now, too small to have enough capital and resources to drive forward

R&D at a rate and scale that would help meet the greater expecta-

tions being placed upon the huge resource and nascent technology.

As it is seen as capable of signicantly supporting efforts to improve

energy security and also increase the non-carbon share of the genera-

tion mix to help offset climate risks, the US Government has been pro-

viding funds through the Department of Energy (DoE) to help drive

forward the R&D. The strategic objective has, in part, drawn upon the

capabilities of national laboratories, and other organisations such as

academic institutions, to amass more muscle to accelerate progress.

DOE RES EARCH DRIVE

Last year, in the third quarter – around when the rst US com-

mercial hydrokinetic project (Hydro Green Energy’s in-stream tur-

bine in Minnesota) began operations – DoE announced a number

of laboratory-led projects to be funded under its Advanced Water

Power Projects initiative.

Competitive bids had been made under the programme, which

aims to help push commercial viability, market acceptance and envi-

ronmental performance of both new marine and hydrokinetic sys-

tems but also conventional hydro. Total funding from DoE for the

projects is up to US$11M annually for three years.

The labs chosen to do the work by DoE include National Renewable

Energy Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, Pacic Northwest

National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory and Oak Ridge

National Laboratory.

Earlier in 2009, through its Wind and Hydropower Technologies

Program, DoE had released its marine and hydrokinetic technology data-

base. Then, in September last year, following on from the engagement of

the national labs, DoE then announced a further round of awards – 22

projects in ve topic areas funded up to a total of US$14.6M. The topics

cover grid services, university research, conversion devices or compo-

nent design and development, site-specic environmental studies, and

market studies including life-cycle cost analyses.

The push on marine and hydrokinetic technologies took off in 2008

following the Energy Independence and Security Act being signed in

December 2007, through which DoE was authorised to accelerate

development of wave, tidal and current-driven hydro power.

This year the momentum has continued with a report on the poten-

tial environmental effects of marine and hydrokinetic technologies,

and another further funding round – for the Readiness Advancement

Initiative. The initiative was launched to help further drive forward the

marine and hydrokinetic technology sectors, and is focused on two

areas: concept development; and, advancing part-developed systems.

SANDIA’S ROLE

Sandia won the most bids among the national laboratories award-

ed contracts under the DoE’s Advanced Water Power Projects – it

is leading two of the four topic areas and providing technical sup-

port to a third topic.

In a statement, Jose Zayas, manager of Sandia’s Wind and Water

Power Technologies group, said: ‘We will perform fundamental

research to develop and assess technology breakthroughs and help

promote a vibrant industry that is currently in its beginnings.’

The work, which began in January, sees water power research

added to Zayas’ portfolio that was previously dedicated to wind

power. Drawing upon resources from a range of departments within

its organisation – such as materials and manufacturing, environmen-

tal monitoring and stewardship, performance modelling, and testing

– Sandia is focused on marine hydrokinetic technologies.

Other laboratories looking at aspects of marine hydrokinetic tech-

nologies are Pacic Northwest, National Renewable Energy and Oak

Ride laboratories.

Together, through an integrated approach, the partners will look

at a range of technological design aspects, such as Sandia examin-

ing materials, coatings, adhesives and manufacturing. The aim is to

improve both reliability and cost effectiveness of the components and

assembled systems.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory is focused on mechani-

cal engineering, machine performance, hydrodynamics, sediments,

materials and system simulation.

In terms of output from the research, the projects will deliver their

results into the public domain, says Zayas. Then, should private com-

panies and researchers active in hydrokinetics conceive opportunities

to take forward some aspects then they can do so with the aim of

developing intellectual property, and possibly may be able to secure

particular arrangements for technical support from the national labo-

ratory network.

Oak Ridge is also collaborating with Sandia on research into per-

formance improvement for conventional hydro power, as is Argonne

National Laboratory. Overall, about 90% of the entire research work

will be on marine hydrokinetics, leaving about 10% on conventional

hydro studies, says Zayas.

HY DROKINETIC R&D

The cost-effectiveness and reliability of marine hydrokinetic systems

ranging from wave, current and tidal to thermal energy conversion

are to be investigated by Sandia and partners. Sandia has a lake that

has been used for large-scale wave testing and will have it evaluated

for the water power research.

Rich Jepsen, Sandia’s water power technical lead, highlights two

R&D surge in hydrokinetics

US federal science laboratories are helping

to accelerate R&D in hydrokinetics.

Report by Patrick Reynolds

The Sandia National Laboratory team working on the DoE’s Advanced Water

Power Projects initiative are (L to R): Rich Jepsen, water power technical

lead; Jose Zayas, manager of the Wind and Water Power Technologies group;

and, Jesse Roberts, specialist in sediment transport and hydrology.

WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM JUNE 2010 35

NORTH AMERICA

areas of research for marine hydrokinetics – cost of energy and water

tunnel testing.

A representative set of reference models is to be developed to help

establish the baseline cost of energy, and evaluate key cost reduction

paths, for components or systems to be used in marine hydrokinetic

technologies. The reference models are to consist of site characteris-

tics and generic technology with a weighting towards simple, robust

designs and tools for each market.

Jepsen says that the reference models could be used for bench-

marking and comparing performance, loads and cost of new

concepts and components. In addition, the models plus site data

could be used for conservative benchmarks to help verify compu-

tational analyses.

For the water tunnel tests of devices and components, Sandia is

to use facilities at Penn State’s Advanced Research Laboratory. Test

data are to help benchmark current and future design codes as well as

help with performance evaluation. The data measured are to include

mean and uctuating velocity, power generation, inception of cavita-

tion, and acoustic output.

ENVIRONME NTAL IMPACT RES EARCH

At the end of last year, DoE issued a baseline report on the envi-

ronmental aspects of the existing and new technologies – “Report

to Congress on Environmental Effects of Marine and Hydrokinetic

Energy Technologies”, December 2009.

The report was called for under the Energy Independence and

Security Act, and was produced by DoE in collaboration with the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Inputs

were also drawn from other federal agencies. Based on information

then available, the report described a number of potential environ-

mental effects from the technologies and says there is no conclusive

evidence there would be signicant impacts. It highlighted areas for

further research.

Sandia, Oak Ridge, Pacic Northwest and Argonne are working

together on research into the environmental impacts associated with

developing, deploying and operating existing, but also potentially

new, marine and hydrokinetic technologies. The assessment work is

to help reduce costs and save time.

The split of work will see Sandia concentrate on environmen-

tal hydrodynamics and sediment transport related to various tech-

nologies, while Oak Ridge and Argonne investigate their effects

on aquatic habitat and ecological resources. Data to be gathered

include rates of sediment transport, water ow, water quality and

acoustic changes. The water tunnel tests at Penn State will also pro-

duce data such as acoustic output, which will be used to help study

environment effects.

The data are to be further studied for any noted and veriable gen-

eral and specic biological responses to understand the type and size

of impacts. Information gained from the research will help plan the

location of projects as well as the development of monitoring systems

and mitigation measures.

Sandia’s research effort is being led by Jesse Roberts, a specialist in

sediment transport and hydrology.

Pacic Northwest is also performing environmental assessment of

the marine hydrokinetic technologies, and the work will involve both

lab experiments and eld trials to help gather data on cumulative

impacts from individual devices and arrays of generation units.

The national laboratories are working with a number of universities,

such as Penn State, on the marine and hydrokinetic research projects.

Zayas says the co-operation with the universities will also help to

leverage its own world-class facilities for research to help faculty and

students, providing them with opportunities to work on the new genera-

tion of hydro power technologies and challenges.

IWP& DC

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36 JUNE 2010 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION

PUMPED STORAGE

RAFTWERKE Linth-Limmern AG, a major Swiss high

pressure storage power plant, is expanding its existing

facilities under the Linthal 2015 project to be able to

ensure security of electricity supply in the future. The

core of the project is the Limmern pumped storage power plant

with a pump and turbine capacity of 1000MW. Construction on

the project commenced at the end of September 2009.

The construction sites are high up in the mountains, with the high-

est site at an altitude of 2500m asl. They will be served by two 25

tonne construction cableways. The logistics and scale of the project,

the weather and natural dangers all pose major challenges to those

involved. The largest component of the construction work encom-

passes the underground galleries, the tunnels and the dam wall and is

the responsibility of the ARGE KW Limmern consortium, which also

operates the logistics chain.

The construction of the Limmern pumped storage power plant is

expected to take almost seven years in total. The commissioning of

the rst generating unit is planned for 2015 and the last for 2016.

KRAFTWERK E LINTH-LIMMERN

Kraftwerke Linth-Limmern AG (KLL) is one of the most important

Swiss high pressure storage power plant complexes. The company is

a partnership between the canton of Glarus and Axpo. Together with

its partners, Axpo delivers electricity to around three million people

in Switzerland.

KLL draws on the inow from a catchment area that is 140km

in extent. At present, KLL has a turbine capacity of 460MW and a

pump capacity of 170MW and produces approximately 460M kWh

of energy per year, which is enough to supply the electricity require-

ments of a town of around 60,000 residents.

There are four power plant stages stretching from Lake Mutt at

around 2500m asl to Linthal at 670m asl. The Limmern dam is the

largest reservoir in the KLL complex with a volume of 92Mm

. KLL

is a storage power plant mainly producing peak-load energy.

PEAK LOAD ENERGY

In Switzerland, base load energy is primarily produced by nuclear

power plants and run-of-river power plants. The need for peak load

energy is continually growing throughout the European grid network.

In addition to the yearly rise in consumption, another important

reason for this growth in demand is the fact that many of the coastal

countries in the European Union have been extensively expanding

electricity production from wind energy. This results in a growing

proportion of energy production that depends on wind conditions

and which cannot be planned. Another issue is the liberalisation of

the electricity market. In a free market, electricity can be purchased

anywhere by consumers so the electricity grid has to be increasingly

regulated in order to ensure security of supply.

Peak load energy from storage power plants plays a key role in

security of supply. It ensures sufcient output and exible electric-

ity production, and can be stored in the form of water in reservoirs

at competitive market prices. Additional pumped storage plants will

make it possible to meet the growing demand for peak-load energy.

The Axpo study Outlook For Electricity In 2020 shows that

Switzerland will require additional power plant capacity between

2013 and 2018. Axpo has therefore planned various measures to

ensure that we continue to enjoy security of electricity supply going

forward. The Linthal 2015 project is one of these measures.

LINTHAL 2015

The Linthal 2015 project will result in the expansion of the existing

KLL power plants. The Limmern pumped storage power plant is the

core of the project. The Limmern plant is an underground facility

that will have a pump and turbine capacity of 1000MW. It will pump

water from the existing Limmern dam to Lake Mutt and then use

this water to drive turbines that will produce electricity; as part of the

project, the level of Lake Mutt will be raised. Depending on operating

conditions and management of the Limmern dam, the Limmern plant

will have a drop of between 560m and 710m.

Lake Mutt is a natural reservoir; the lake’s surface level will be

raised by up to 30m through the construction of a 1050m long con-

crete gravity wall. During turbine operations, water from Lake Mutt

will be collected from the inlet/outlet structure and channelled via the

570m long headwater pressure tunnel, which has an inner diameter

of 8m, in the direction of the pressure shafts. A service chamber with

two buttery control valves is located at the top of the pressure shafts.

The two reinforced pressure shafts are 1050m in length with an inner

diameter of 4m; they channel the water down a drop of 680m to the

machinery gallery.

Just before the machine gallery, each of the pressure shafts splits into

two headwater connecting tunnels that then lead to the four turbines.

There is a ball valve on the headwater side of each turbine to control

the operational, emergency and maintenance settings. The water surge

pressure created in the water system when the shutoff device is acti-

vated is dampened by the surge chamber. The water is channelled from

the turbines to the Limmern dam via the tailwater tunnels.

The four tailwater tunnels are reduced to two tunnels with a length

of 420m and 370m and an inner diameter of 6m. The water is chan-

nelled into the Limmern dam via the two inlet/outlet structures.

The underground gallery centre is made up of a machinery gallery

and a transformer gallery and the two are connected by various tun-

nels. The machinery gallery is 160m in length, 30m in breadth and 50m

high, while the transformer gallery is 140m long, 20m wide and 25m

high. A new access tunnel called ZS 1 will be built from Tierfehd to

the machinery gallery and will be 4000m in length with a bored diam-

eter of 8m. The access tunnel will be tted with a funicular railway to

transport heavy loads, and will facilitate the delivery of the generator-

transformer units to the site; each unit weighs 225 tonnes.

The four pumped storage units will be installed in the machinery

gallery; each unit is made up of a single stage pump turbine with an

installed pump and turbine output of 250MW and a variable rotary

asynchronous motor-generator with the necessary support and ancil-

lary equipment. The designed throughput volume for the pump action

is approximately 35m

/sec and approximately 50m

/sec for the tur-

bine action. The pump turbine units are reversible Francis turbines.

Each motor-generator is coupled via its transformer to the 380kV

substation. Two 380kV cable systems lead from the substation to the

new Tierfehd transformer substation via the ZS1 access tunnel.

A 17km long 380kV overhead line is being constructed from the

Tierfehd substation to connect the Limmern pumped storage plant to

the Swiss high voltage grid.

Meeting Swiss power peaks

Commissioning of the Limmern pumped storage plant in 2015 will help Switzerland to

secure its electricity supplies for the future. Martin Gmür gives an insight into the project

WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM JUNE 2010 37

PUMPED STORAGE

ENVIRONME NTAL MEASURES

A comprehensive two-stage environmental impact survey was under-

taken as part of the project work for the Limmern plant. The con-

struction work has been planned in such a manner so as to minimise

the negative environmental impact that is unavoidable in a project

of this nature and size. Project planning paid special attention to the

protection of pristine biomes and contiguous areas.

The planning work was undertaken in ongoing consultation with

the Linthal 2015 stakeholder working group, which included repre-

sentatives of various authorities and stakeholder groups; this was a

key aspect in the process of nding successful consensus-based solu-

tions. The most important environmental measures involve:

r New regulations for residual ow charges and hydro peaking in

the headwaters.

r Various offset measures in terms of nature conservation and land-

scape protection laws.

r Minimising the surface area required and the transport routes to

the construction site.

r Ongoing monitoring of the environmental components.

r Creation of an environmental liaison unit.

KLL followed a two-stage procedure to apply for planning permis-

sion to build the Limmern plant. The rst part of the process was the

application for a concession to use the water and the second was the

construction permit to build the pumped storage plant.

In mid-2006, KLL submitted the application for the water conces-

sion, and the application for the construction permit was submitted

at the end of October 2008. The concession was awarded to KLL at

the end of October 2007 and the construction permit was awarded

in July 2009. By engaging with the authorities and the various stake-

holder groups well in advance, and by collaborating closely with

them, no objections were lodged during the application processes or

against the issuing of the permits.

IMPLE MENTATION

In mid-September 2009, the boards of directors of Axpo and KLL

approved the construction project and authorised a construction

budget of CHF 2.1B (US$1.9B). The main construction work com-

menced immediately after this decision. The following sub-groups

have been formed for the construction of the Limmern plant: Sub-

group A for facilities construction; Sub-group B for hydraulic steel

construction; Sub-group C for electrical engineering; Sub-group D

for utilities services; Sub-group E for railways.

Sub-group A has been further subdivided into sub-group A1, which

will be responsible for the construction of access tunnel 1, and sub-

group A2, which will be responsible for the construction of all other

tunnels, the underground galleries and the Lake Mutt dam wall, as

well as the logistic chain.

Transporting a giant 33 tonne tunnelling machine

via the ﬁrst section of the temporary cableway

38 JUNE 2010 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION

PUMPED STORAGE

ACCESS AND LOGISTICS

The construction sites are high up in the mountains and will be served

by two temporary 25 tonne construction cableways with a maximum

load of 40 tonnes and 30 tonnes respectively. The two cableways are

connected via a 3km long horizontal road tunnel. Until the funicular

railway in access tunnel 1 has been completed, the only access to the

construction sites will be via the cableways or by helicopter.

The logistics represent an enormous challenge for the companies.

Bulk materials such as cement and steel will be transported by rail to

Linthal and then by truck for 10km to the construction site logistics

centre at Tierfehd. Together with other material and equipment, the

bulk materials will then be transported from the logistics centre using

a container system via the rst section of cableway to an altitude of

1800m asl. From here, the materials are transported by trucks along

the horizontal tunnel to the second cableway and then up to Lake

Mutt at an altitude of 2500m.

A team of more than 70 logistics specialists will be responsible for

the logistical work on a round-the-clock basis, seven days a week.

The logistical planning kicked off as soon as the major construction

site equipment was ordered. Major pieces of equipment such as the

tunnel boring machines, concrete mixing plants and gravel plants will

have to be packed in suitable containers for transport.

WEATHER A ND N ATURAL HAZA RDS

The weather conditions on the mountain construction sites also

present a major challenge. Construction at an altitude of 2500m can

only take place for ve or six months in the year due to snow. Even

in summer, regular construction work can be interrupted by high

altitude snow, fog and thunderstorms. The underground construction

sites will operate throughout the year. Potential avalanches, snow

and storms will interrupt or restrict work by making the logistical

sites inaccessible. KLL will operate an avalanche service to reduce the

problem of avalanches.

TECHNICA L CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES

The construction work of sub-group A2, which will be undertaken by

the ARGE KW Limmern consortium (including the companies Marti

Gruppe and Toneatti), covers the construction of the transformer and

machinery galleries, the complex water tunnel system (including the

two pressure shafts with a length of 1100m) and the dam wall.

Key performance metrics for this work include approximately

80,000m

of dam wall excavation, 250,000m

of dam wall concrete,

630,000m

of excavation for galleries and tunnels, 200,000m

concrete and liquid concrete for underground work, 25,000t of rein-

forced steel and 130,000t of cement

Despite complex mountainous conditions, the site is considered to

have good stable medium-hard stone. The underground construction

areas are mainly located in Malm limestone bedrock (Quintnerkalk).

During the formation of the Alps, this has been repeatedly broken,

folded and superimposed in layers. The mountain is characterised by

two rupture zones, shear zones and a well-developed Karst ground

water system.

SPECIAL TECHNICAL INSTALLATIONS

Concrete plants and crusher units for the underground construction

work will be installed and operated in their own underground gal-

leries specially created for this purpose. The excavated material will

be removed using a complex conveyor system and then processed in

a traditional gravel plant. Discarded material will have to be stored

in difcult topographical conditions. The processed aggregate will be

used for concrete for the central gallery and for nishing the tunnels

in the form of sprayed concrete, wall cladding, steel reinforcement

backll, etc.

In addition, the bulk of the processed aggregate will be transported

via the second cableway to the dam wall construction site to be used for

making concrete. A twin-shaft mixing plant with an output of 250m

hr will be used for the production of concrete for the dam wall. The

concrete will be delivered using two remote-controlled 180 tonne cat-

erpillar cranes and concrete hoppers with a capacity of 6m

Construction of the Limmern pumped storage plant is expected to take

almost seven years in total. According to plan, the rst generating unit

will be commissioned in 2015 and the other three in 2016.

Martin Gmür, Assistant to the head of Axpo

Hydroenergy,5401 Baden, Switzerland

Email: martin.gmuer@axpo.ch

IWP& DC

The components of the Limmern pumped storage power plant currently under construction.

Lake Mutt today

Lake Mutt 2015

Limmern dam

New dam wall

Pressure tunnel

Surge chamber

Pressure shafts

Main gallery

Access tunnel

Existing Tierfehd

compensating basin

New Tierfehd

compensating basin

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40 JUNE 2010 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION

PUMPED STORAGE

HE Ukraine was the rst of the Former Soviet Union

countries to introduce a competitive electricity market

in the mid 90’s. According to a 2007 report by the

Centre for Social and Economic Research (CASE) in the

Ukraine, the companies that took over the responsibility for gen-

eration inherited outdated assets. Their report states “Despite the

fact that currently the Ukraine is a net exporter of electricity, the

production capacities in the electricity sector are outdated: 95 per

cent of power units have worked out their useful life; the residual

life of thermal power plants is 5-7 years. This poses a problem for

the future electricity supply in Ukraine.”

The report goes on to say that, “In December 2006 the First Vice-

Premier Andriy Klyuev announced that the government is going to

initiate a reconstruction programme for the energy sphere of Ukraine

with about US$7.3 billion of investment. The funding sources are

planned to be taken as loans from banks. The rst stage of the pro-

gramme is expected to be launched in February 2007.”

The total capacity of all Ukrainian power plants in 2007 was

52GW, including 33.5GW (64.4%) at thermal plants, 13.8GW

(26.5%) at nuclear plants and 4.7GW (9.0%) at hydroelectric plants.

This situation meant that there was a lack of manoeuvrability.

DNESTROVSKAYA PROJECT

The Ukraine has been investing in additional hydro power capac-

ity as it introduces much needed exibility into its ageing system.

One of these projects is the Dnestrovskaya pumped storage plant

on the Dnyéstr River, just downstream of Novodnestrovsk in the

Ukraine. The Dnyéstr River rises in Ukraine, near Drohobych close

to the border with Poland, and ows toward the Black Sea. The plant

was commissioned in December 2009 by UkrHydroEnergo Open

Joint Stock Company (OJSC), a non-prot public organisation which

brings together individuals and companies operating in hydro power

in the Ukraine.

The task of the Dnestrovskaya project is to regulate peak loads

in the electricity supply system, participate in frequency regula-

tion, and provide emergency power reserves. The plant has seven

421MW units and, when all units are operational, will have a total

capacity of 2947MW, making Dnestrovskaya the largest pumped

storage plant in Europe.

The control system on the plant has been supplied as a turn-

key project by Emerson Process Management in partnership with

Ukrainian Joint-Stock Company Enpaselectro and included the

supply of an Ovation expert control system along with the associated

project management, engineering, installation supervision, start-up

and commissioning services.

Emerson was selected for this project because of its industry exper-

tise and considerable experience in providing control systems for hydro

power plants in the region. Support was to be provided by Emerson’s

local hydro expert team, its engineering centre in Chelyabinsk, Russia

and hydro specialists in Warsaw and St. Petersburg.

Other projects that Emerson has worked on include a pumped stor-

age plant in the north of Poland (which comprises four reversible

hydro units of 716MW) and a large hydroelectric scheme located on

the Volga River in Russia. This large and complex project comprises

around 60 units with a total output of 5GW.

Precise control

Alexei Etkin of Emerson Process Management explains how precise control of a new

hydroelectric scheme on the Dniester River is providing much needed exibility for the

Ukraine’s power generation network

Emerson Process Management has installed its Ovation expert control system at

Unit 1 of the newly commissioned Dnestrovskaya pumped storage power plant, an

important source of renewable and reliable power in Ukraine