Water Power and Dam Construction

Подождите немного. Документ загружается.

WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM MARCH 2009 21

a pre-stressed anchor amounts to more than 5%, additional lift-off

tests are undertaken and an updated stability analysis is performed,

taking into account all other geological and geotechnical parame-

ters, as well as the continuous monitoring results.

Figure 7 illustrates the current view on the Left Bank. The neces-

sary support is heavier in the Right Bank than in the Left Bank. This

is partly due to the slightly lower rock quality in the Right Bank, but

mainly as a result of the less favourable joint orientation with respect

to the slope orientation in that bank – for example the C-joint, which

dips nearly parallel to the slope.

From the very first design reports, that have been prepar ed by

Stucky during the construction stage, based mainly on theoretical

considera tions, to the current status of open air excavations,

approximately 10% more pre-stressed anchors have been installed.

The dif ference is due to a re-asse ssment of the stability for some

particular areas where the geological conditions have been found

less favourable.

The design methodology for the slopes stability has been c on-

ducted in a safe and economical way. An over-conservative design

would have resulted in more anchors ins t a l led , from which some

would have been ineffective. It has to be pointed out that no major

incident or large-scale instabilities have occurred within the whole

dam excavation area. Some small rock slides occurred, but without

any perso nal or materi al damage. For example, on 2 September

2002, a rock portion of some 300–400m³ failed and broke out of

the excavated berm at 357–372m asl on the Right Bank excavation,

upstream of the dam at approximate chainage 140m, as illustrated

in Figure 8.

This critical area is directly above the Power Intake Structure

and is also within 20m of the Right Bank Overflow Spillway at

that elevation. The rock slide cracked the foundations of the cable

crane loading quay at the southern end. Based on the loc ation

and the geometry of the slide, it appears that sliding occurred on

the C-joints, which had already been identified as the less

CONSTRUCTION

22 MARCH 2009 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION

CONSTRUCTION

favourable joints. This has been the most notable incident that

has occurred during excavation, and is generally expected on pro-

jects of thi s scale.

URFACE EXCAVATION MONITORING

Monitoring of the excavated slope is achieved via numerous differ-

ent devices, which have been continuously improved and checked

throughout the project.

On the Right Bank, 26 inclinometers, six extensometers and 22

Load Cells are installed , whereas these figures amount to 24

Inclinometers, seven extensometers and nine Load Cells for the Left

Bank. The regular lift-off tests carri ed out for each installed pre-

stressed anchor complete the monitoring devices installed.

In April 2004, a reliable geodetic monitoring system was installed

over the whole site. The average semi-axis of the ellipses of error is

of a maximum 2.1mm, which shows the very high accuracy of the

geodetic measurements.

With all the above devices and measurements, the monitoring

system of the surface excavations is deemed to be accurate and com-

plete. It gives a close follow-up of the surface excavations and allows

potential problematic areas where rock movements could occur to

be accurately identified

ONITORING DISPLACEMENTS

Excavation of the slopes began in October 2000 (Left Bank – el.

620m asl) and June 2001 (Right Bank – el. 578m asl). From April

2004 and the installation of the geodetic networks, important dis-

placements have been recorded at the top of the excavations.

Of particular note is the area at the top of the Left Bank, above

el. 511, which shows important geodetic displacements as well as

load increases in the load cell installed at el. 519m asl. Additional

lift-off tests have been carried out and show that the four rows of

anchors from 511 to 526m asl increase their load, which means that

this area is still not totally stabilised, therefore monitoring of the

slope in this area is still ongoing.

Figure 9 shows a picture of this area with the installed moni -

toring devices (Inclinometers IL, Extensometers EL and Load

Cells DLB).

These displacements, as well as load increases in the pre-stressed

anchors, are current l y under investigation. Continuous and close

follow-up of the monitoring results, observations and reappraisal of

stability analysis are being performed. Addi tional pre-stres sed

anchors are also currently being installed in this area.

ONCLUSIONS

The large open air excavations for the Deriner arch dam have been

completed and required the installation of many pre-stressed

anchors based on both local and global stability studies. To date,

the accur ate and complete monitoring sys tem and geod etic mea-

surements allows a close follow-up of the behaviour of the exca-

vated slopes. This also allows the identification of particular areas

which are still not stabilized, resulting in the installation of addi-

tional pre-stressed anchor s. Since no major instabilities occur red

during the excavation, it is believed that the design approach adopt-

ed in this project was adequate.

The author wishes to thank the Owner of Deriner arch

dam project – State Hydraulics Works (DSI) of Turkey –

for permission to publish this paper

IWP& DC

Olivier Müller obtained his civil engineer MsC at

the Ecole Polytechnique Fèdèrale de Lausanne

(EPFL), Switzerland, in 2003.

He joined Stucky Ltd the same year and worked

at the Head Office for several projects, mainly

about rock mechanics. Par ticularly from 2003

to 2005, he was deeply involved in the design

and follow-up of the Sebeillon-Tridel Railway

Tunnel, which is a 3.5km low depth urban

railway tunnel in Switzerland.

From December 2005 to June 2006, always on

behalf of Stucky, he was resident engineer for the Enguri rehabilitation

project in Georgia, which is a 271.5m high arch dam.

In 2007, he spent one year as resident excavation engineer for the

construction of the Deriner arch dam in Turkey and brought technical

assistance to the Turkish Contractor.

In 2008, he returned to Head Office in Switzerland and is currently working

for different dams or undergr ound works projects.

He can be contacted at Stucky Ltd, Rue du Lac 33, 1020 Renens,

Switzerland. Email: omueller@stucky.ch

Reference

[1] Wieland, M., Aemmer, M. and Ruoss, R (2008) Designs Aspects of

Deriner Dam. Int. Water Power & Dam Construction, Volume 60 Number 7,

pp19-23 (Available online at

http://www.waterpowermagazine.com/story.asp?storyCode=2050150)

Left: Fig 8 – Rockslide from 2 September 2002 with 300-400m

of rock.

Right: Fig 9 – Monitoring of the left bank between elevations 451 and 620m asl

24 MARCH 2009 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION

CONSTRUCTION

design and construction of a climbing drill, and the anchors were

installed in areas 26m above the ground.

Further rock anchor installations have also been carried out at the

New Savannah Bluff lock and dam in Augusta, Georgia; while coun-

terfort anchors and rock face anchors have been installed at Fort

Smith lock and dam in Arkansas. On the Arkansas river, over 3800

tiebacks and rock anchors were installed at lock and dam #13 at a

cost of US$1.25M. Meanwhile at the Olmos dam in San Antonio,

Texas anchors were installed to prevent dam failure by overtopping.

UNNELLING

Boltec rigs from Atlas Copco are described as being a cost-effective

method of installing rock bolts in tunnels and underground power

plants. Boltec MC features the Atlas Copco rig control system, which

incorporates auto-collaring and anti-jamming protection, and is

suited for bolting in medium sized tunnels to a maximum roof height

of 9m. The M-series has articulated steering for easy manoeuvring

and a powerful diesel engine for fast tramming.

In addition the Boltec LC-DH has diesel hydraulic power source

for flexible operations. It uses the diesel motor both for tramming

and as a power source for drilling and bolting.

In terms of projects, on 18 September 2008 a 12.43m diameter

Robbins TBM machine was launched on a 16.7km long hydro

power tunnel in Sichuan Province, China. T he machine will bore

one of four headrace tunnels, which will draw water from the nearby

Yalong river, a tributary of the Yan gtze. The large TBM wi ll join

another 7.2m diameter Robbins machine, which was launched ear-

lier in 2008 to bore a drainage tunnel on the same project.

Assembly of the Main Beam TBM and back-up system began in

April 2008 at the Jinping-II headrace tunnel 1 and was finished on

HEN w o r k i n g on a construction pro j e ct, one of the

most difficult decisions a project manager is faced with

is deciding which equipment would best suit the job

in hand. In the following feature we highlight some of

the latest products to hit different sectors of the marketplace, and

detail how they have been used in some recent projects

NCHORING

Kansas City, US-based T he Judy Company d evelops and installs

anchoring systems of rock bolts, rock anchors, soil and rock nails,

concrete anchors and post-tensioned tendons.

Anchors are durable, economical tension supports to secure, sta-

bilise and augment structures. Made of high strength steel bars or

strands they can be bonded to rock, concrete and many types of soil.

They are used to counteract external overturning, uplift and seismic

forces, and are used actively (pre-stressed) or passively (non stressed).

Rock and concrete anchors are pre-stressed tendons that can be

bars or multiple strands. Str anded tendons can be fabricated for

extremely high capacity load. The tendons are coupled or coiled

allowing for installation with limited access. A portion of the length

is bonded to rock or concrete by cement grout, resin, or fixed by a

mechanical anchor. The uppe r po rtion is left ungrouted for pre-

stressing but is gro uted afterwards to lo ck in tension and protect

against corrosion.

Soil and rock nails are fully grouted anchors used to resist uplift

forces and failure forces on slopes and excavations.

The Judy Company has supplied various anchor supports to dam

projects in the US. For example, at lock and dam #1 in Minneapolis,

movement in a tall retaining wall was stopped with the installation

of high capacity rock anchors. Access was very limited requiring the

Rounding up equipment

IWP&DC presents a roundup

of some of the latest

equipment to hit the

hydro power and

dam construction

marketplace

New hybrid hydrodemolition robot from Aquajet Systems

IWP& DC

11 August. Crews then walked the TBM and the first three back-up

gantries 200m forward to a launch chamber, where the conveyor

system and six more gantries were assembled.

Due to go online in 2010, the Jinping-II hydropower station will

utilise a natural 180 degree bend of the Yalong river, resulting in a

60m drop in elevation to generate 4800MW of electricity annually.

The project, owned by Ertan Hydropower Development Company,

is l o c a t e d 17km downstream from the Jinping-I hydropower sta-

tion. It is slated for completion in 2014 and will have an annual gen-

erating capacity of 3600MW.

Work on the Yeywa hydroelectric power station in Myanmar is

also making good p rogress. The 790MW scheme is being con-

structed approximately 50km southeast of Mandalay, the country’s

econd largest city. Up to 5000 workers are employed on the vast

construction site. In addition to the two t unnels to redire ct the

Myitnge river, a 197m high embankment dam, consisting of 2.8Mm

of concrete, is under construction. Equipment selected for the con-

creting operations include Putzmeister’s MX 32 stationary boom,

an M 38 truck-mounted concrete pump and two BSA 2109 HP sta-

tionary pumps. Putzmeister offers various solutions for concreting

applications at such RCC dams. For example the Sika-PM407 is par-

ticularly suitable for small tunnels, while the Sika-PM622 concrete

spraying system has been developed for applications in which the

previous spraying arm reach of 16m is not sufficient.

XCAVATION

In a deadline-driven world contractors are reported to be looking to

technology to help provide higher production, increased accuracy

while ensuring safety. More sophisticated excavators are being man-

ufactured and in response to this, many earthmoving contractors are

reported to be gaining greater interest in GPS-based excavator con-

trol systems.

One such example is the Trimble GCS900 grade control system

which is described as being ideal for mass earthmoving applications

such as dam and reservoir construction. With the system, the exca-

vator’s in-cab operator display gives an overall site plan indicating

where operators are on the site, what the desired depth is and how

far from the target they is. This increases speed to the desired depth

and prevents over-excavation. In addition, use of the in-cab display

can help to avoid potentially unsafe areas. With these capabilities,

operators can keep tighter control over safety issues and see precisely

where dirt is being moved on site.

The construction industry is said to be moving towards greater

acceptance of such GPS machine control. Specifically in North

America, uptake of GPS in hydraulic excavators has been steadily

increasing. Furthermore, new excavators are being fully prepared

by manufacturers to accept the new technology. Trimble has a

Trimble Ready programme where the main components of the GPS

system can be installed easily.

Case Construction Equipment is another company that supplies

excavation equipment. It has recently announced the upgrade of its

largest excavator – the CX800B – to its B Series line of excavators.

The new CX800B features increased fuel efficiency and productiv-

ity, as well as improved operator comfort and ease of maintenance.

The excavator also features an electronically controlled, 15.7L Isuzu

engine which delivers 397kW. The CX800B is available in standard

and mass excavation configur ations. It feat ures regenerative

hydraulics on the boom and arm, as well as the bucket curl, which

improves the cycle time required fill a bucket. Larger-diameter

hydraulic cylinders deliver a breakout force of 330kN.

ARTH MOVING EQUIPMENT

The articulated dump truck is increasingly being seen as a hauling

solution on construction sites, particularly in North A merica.

Articulated trucks can be viewed as a more versatile addition to the

construction site than a construction or rigid frame truck.

John Deere m anufacturers the 250D to 400D m odels and is

among the major players to cover the 25-40 ton range. Caterpillar

WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM MARCH 2009 25

has two ejector body models – the 730 and 740 Ejector – which are

capable of spreading material on the go. Such trucks have been put

to good use on a dam construction project in Missouri in the US

where the truck is being filled with wet concrete and then being

pushed out for dam construction. Meanwhile Case has updated its

335B and 340B models. New additions to the range include a tilt

cab to provide easy access for maintenance checks, plus an au to-

matic lubrication system that continuously greases all lube points

from a central distribution block.

Such eart h moving equi pment is currently being utilised at th e

Animas-La Plata wate r project in southwest Colora do in the US.

Construction is underway and scheduled for completion in 2011.

The greatest quantity of earthmoving has been performed by nine

aterpillar excavators (ranging in size from model 320 to 385) and

feeding rock trucks, ten of which are Caterpillar 60-ton rigid frame

end dumps, and 11 of which are a mixture of Cat and Volvo 40-ton

articulated trucks units.

Other primary earthmovers include four Cat 631 scrapers which

are used for excavating and hauling materials; plus five large Cat

988 wheel loaders. These are supported by five Caterpillar motor

graders; eight bulldozers, from a pair of Cat D9s down to a single

John Deere 400; nine compaction rollers; and a Cat Challenger

rubber-tracked tractor pulling di scs. Five w ater trucks and five

scraper-based water wagons are also supporting the earthmoving

operations.

YDRODEMOLITION ROBOT

A new diesel/electric-powered hybrid hydrodemolition robot intro-

duced by Swedish specialist company Aquajet Systems, offers a wide

range of new features, including pollution-free operation in enclosed

areas in electric-mode. Simple ‘switchover’ operation ensures easy

change to diesel power eliminating, for example, the need for elec-

tric cables. In electric mode, a ‘slow start’ electric motor ensures ini-

tial reduced operation accepting full load in up to 5 seconds, thereby

preventing power surge failures.

Featuring an optional extended mast height of up to 9m, the new

robot is 20% l arger than conventional models and of fers larger,

adjustable tracks to provide a variable width of between 1.5-2m; for

increased stability if required.

The hybrid model also incorporates a new type of steering drive

to turn and twist the units powerhead at the inc reased heights to

provide improved precision.

Aquajet has also developed a multi-axis system allowing the pow-

erhead to be moved quickly, allowing it to work on vertical, curved

or horizontal surfaces. The system can also turn the powerhead 180º

in the horizontal position. To further speed operation, the robot has

been designed to turn through 90º travelling along the wall surface.

Together with the side movement of the powerhead, this helps elim-

inate the constant ‘stop-start’ turning of the robot. across the surface.

The EDS system optimises the angle of attack as well as ensuring

the nozzle remains at the correct set distance. This in turn ensures

that the optimum ‘angle of attack’ can be selected, maintaining max-

imum power from the jet, whilst keeping the nozzle at the correct

set distance from the surface independent from the selected angle of

attack. The angle can change by as much as + to – 30º maximising

concrete removal around the reinforcing bars.

CONSTRUCTION

Further details

For more information on the equipment highlighted here please visit:

The Judy Company: www.judycompany.com

Atlas Copco: www.atlascopco.com

Robbins: www.robbinstbm.com

Putzmeister: www.putzmeister.com

Case Construction Equipment: www.casece.com

Trimble: www.trimble.com

John Deere: www.deere.com

Caterpillar: www.cat.com

Aquajet Systems: www.aquajet.se

26 MARCH 2009 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION

SMALL HYDRO

first BC companies to introduce the concept of clustering projects

to share the substantial cost of longer transmission l ines. For

instance, at Plutonic Power’s East Toba and Montrose project, the

two run-of-river developments will share a single 150km long,

230kV transmission line. Without this sharing arrangement, nei-

ther development would be fin ancially viable. The environment

also benefits from this arrangement, as line sharing reduces the

potential development footprint. Furthermore, the lines are routed

as much as possible along existing logging roads, resulting in less

clearing for transmission line corridors. This environmental advan-

tage is in t urn important for Fir st Nations partners , as transmis-

sion lines often cross their territory.

A similar sharing of transmission lines is occurring in Cloudworks

Energy’s Kwalsa Development site, 90km northeast of Vancouver.

N British Columbia (BC), Canada, Knight Piésold has worked

closely with several private and institutional developers on pro-

ject development, applying many new and innovative techniques

in all aspects of designing hydro schemes. These include project

identification, stream gauging and hydrological assessment, engi-

neering design, project optimization, environmental assessment, per-

mitting and licensing, and First Nations involvement.

ROJECT IDENTIFICATION

In the early 1990 ’s, Knight Pié sold worked w ith develo pers on

identifying and optimizing run-of-river projects that were close to

existing transmission lines. But in the last few years, as prime sites

have been identified in m ore rem ote areas, it became one of the

Since engineering its first hydroelectric scheme in 1926, Knight Piésold has gained

considerable experience in the design of power generation facilities. In the 21st century,

the company is working with its partners to create a legacy of clean, renewable energy

through run-of-river hydro projects

Technical and design innovations

in run-of-river projects

Assessing hydro power development in Gargoyle

Creek Valley –- Plutonic Power’s Bute Inlet Project

ciency of stage discharge data collection.

The operation of so many gauging stations and the huge amounts

of data they generate has necessitated the development of a special-

ized hydrology module for Knight Piésold’s centralized, web-based

Fulcrum environmental data management system. This module was

created specifically for the storage, management and processing of

stream gauging data. It allows field staff to upload, view, and process

all information from remote locations, and any changes to the data-

base can be viewed in real time by staff and clients.

To assist with rati ng curve development, and particu larly the

extrapolation of a curve beyond the range of measured stage-dis-

charge values, a ranked regression modeling approach has been

developed. When combined with an understanding of the physical

rocesses dictating hydrologic response in compared watersheds,

this approach prov ides guidance for the delineation of a curve.

The company is currently constructing four of eight planned run-of-

river projects. This group of facilities is sharing the significant trans-

mission and interco nnection costs to tie into BCTC’s 360k V

transmission system.

TREAM GAUGING AND HYDROLOGICAL

ASSESSMENT

Knight Piésold has developed considerable expertise for the collec-

tion and analysis of hydrological data in isolated, challenging envi-

ronments, including watersheds in coastal mountainous BC, Arctic

permafrost terrain on Baffin Island, and dense, tropical jungles in

Africa. It currently operates over 150 stream gauging stations around

he world. Most of these are in high velocity, glacier-fed streams in

BC’s Coastal Mo untain range. The quality and valu e of the data

depend on several factors including gauging site selection, flow mea-

surement technique, data quality assurance and control, rating curve

development, and data analysis.

Proper gauging site selection is critical for ensuring a definable

and consistent relationship between water stage and discha rge.

Considerable skill is also required to identify, assess and establish a

proper gauging site. Accurate flow m easurement is also of para-

mount importance, and for this the company uses several flow mea-

surement instruments and techniques including a traditional velocity

meter, an acoustic Doppler current profiler, and salt and rhodamine

dye dilution. The method of choice depends greatly on channel char-

acteristics and flow conditions: the salt and rhodamine dye tech-

niques are generally preferred for the turbulent, fast flowing

conditions that developers often face. These methods present chal-

lenges, however, as they involve expensive equipment that requires

calibration and is sensitive to changing conditions. A high level of

skill is also needed to select an appropriate site to ensure complete

mixing of the tracer compound.

However, with constantly evolving knowledge of technological

constraints in difficult field conditions, the quality of site data con-

tinues to improve. Knight Piesold is now developing an automated,

multi-discharge rhodamine dye type measurement device that will

remotely record a series of flow values at predetermined water levels.

This will allow several stage-discharge points to be obtained during

a single large flow event, thereby dramatically increasing the effi-

WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM MARCH 2009 27

SMALL HYDRO

Right: Helicopter access to a remote site in the East Toba River Valley –

Plutonic Power’s East Toba and Montrose project

Below: Stream gauging on Raleigh Creek – Plutonic Power’s Bute Inlet project

28 MARCH 2009 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION

This method ha s also improved the compa ny’s abilit y to predict

flows at one si te on the basis of flows at anoth er site, even if the

relative timing of flows at both sites do not exactly coincide. The

flow prediction methodology has proven to be acceptable for bank-

able feasibility studies, enabling clients to secure project financing,

says the company.

NTAKE DESIGN

A pr i m a r y goal of a run-of-river intake design is to extract water

from a river while excluding sediment and debris, which can cause

impact damage and excessive wear to the conveyance system and

turbines. Sediment exclusion has traditionally been achieved through

the use of expensive and often extensive desanding facilities. Knight

Piésold has refined the design of two types of intakes that incorpo-

rate efficient sediment exclusion systems, which have proven very

effective in high energy, glaciated river systems: Coanda Screen and

Rubber Weir Type Intakes.

Coanda Screen Intake

The Coanda screen intake relies on the Coanda effect of flowing

water to stay attached to an adjacent curved surface to direct water

through a fi ne meshed screen. It was used for the first time on a

Canadian run-of-river project in 2004. Over the past five years, the

company has worked closely with the manufacturer, Norris Screens

and Manufacturing, and contractor partner, Peter Kiewit Sons, to

optimize the screens’ design. The screens’ water diversion capacity

has been designed to make it more “fish friendly”, while its ability

to exclude sediment has been maximized and maintenance needs

have been decreased. The new stainless steel screens are self-clean-

ing and eliminate particles of less than 2mm in diameter. They are

substantially more robust than the first-generation type and better

able to withstand the hig h flood levels and heavy debris loads of

streams in BC’s coas tal mounta ins. In 2005, the des ign for the

McNair Creek Green Powe r project, which include d a Coanda

Intake, re ceived an Award of Excellen ce from the Consulting

Engineers of British Columbia (CEBC).

Rubber weir intake

The rubber weir intake incorpora tes a large diameter, cylindrical

rubber weir that automatically inflates and deflates in response to

sensors measuring water levels in the headpond. Under very high

flows, the weir deflates c ompletely, providing passage for flood

waters and debris.

SMALL HYDRO

Above: Coanda screen intake – Renewable Power’s McNair Cr eek project

Right: Weholite pipe low pressure conduit – Rutherford Creek Power/

Innergex’s Rutherford Creek

WWW.WATERPOWERMAGAZINE.COM MARCH 2009 29

For the past five years, Knight Piesold has carried out physical

model testing and combined those results with input from operators

to improve the design of rubber weirs. Rubber weirs have been suc-

cessfully used on several BC projects, including the Soo River, Lower

Mamquam River and Rutherford Creek.

Knight Piésold recently completed the design of two rubber weir

intakes that are now under construction at Plutonic Power’s East

Toba River site and Cloudworks Energy’s Stave River site. Design

work has resulted in improved flood discharge capability and sedi-

ment excl usion, lower mainte nance requirements, a more stable

operating environment, and a smaller environmental footprint.

ENSTOCKS

Penstock costs typically account for a major portion of overall pro-

ject capital costs, and the optimization of this design component can

substantially influence project economics. Knight Piésold has worked

closely with Peter Kiewit Sons and Amnis Engineering to improve

the efficiency of penstock d esigns and lower the ir costs, through

innovative material selection and the use of soil restraint. The com-

pany was the first to use large diameter, plastic profile-wall Weholite

pipe in hydro power applications, borrowing this technology from

the municipal sector. If used correctly, Weholite pipe can be very cost-

effective because it is tough, corrosion-resistant, tolerates handling

well and is easy to install.

It has successfully used large diameter Weholite pipes on the fol-

lowing projects:

• 49MW Rutherford Creek project – Innergex Renewable Energy

• 25MW Aberfeldie project – BC Hydro.

• 123MW East Toba project – Plutonic Power, currently under con-

struction.

• 37MW Stave River project – Cloudworks Energy, currently under

construction.

The advantages of using soil restraint to anchor buried penstocks,

instead of more conventional large concrete anchor blocks, include

reduced installation times and costs. Burying penstocks underground

rather than p lacing them on the surface minimiz es thei r visua l

impact, maintains wildlife migration corridors, and reduces suscep-

tibility to potential earthquake damage.

ERMITTING AND LICENSING PROCESSES

Typically in BC, the Environmental Assessment process for run-of-

river projects requires over 50 permits, license approvals and reviews

from agencies at all levels of government. These agencies normally

include the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, the BC

Environmental Assessment Office, Fisheries and Oceans Canada,

Transport Canada, Natural Resources Canada, BC Ministries of the

Environment and Forestry, and the BC Integr ated Land

Management Bureau, but can include several others depending on

the pro ject. Developers may also seek certificat ion from the

Environmental Ch oice Program (Eco Logo), a Government of

Canada program that recognizes power sources that operate with

minimal environmental impact.

NVIRONMENTAL AND

OCIO

CONOMIC

SSUES

Knight Piesold’s team of engineers and scientists work on key issues

including environmental instream flow requirements (IFR), identi-

fying and assessing habitat for fish and other aquatic resources, and

developing mitigation measures for habitat and recreation loss where

necessary. For example, at the Toba Montrose project, biologists are

conducting monitoring studies on potential imp acts on aquatic

insects and building a fish habitat enhanceme nt channel. At the

Rutherford Creek project an artificial white water kayaking course

was created to compensate kayakers for a reduced number of pad-

dling days.

The company communicates its en vironmental studies to the

public and stakeholder groups, and offers them input to the study

scope and an opportunity to review the results.

IRST

ATIONS

NVOLVEMENT

The company’s First Nations partners play an important role in pro-

ject deve lopment right from project inception. It recognizes the

asserted traditional territories of the First Nations where its projects

are located, without prejudice to existing or asserted rights and title.

It employs aboriginal members to work on environmental data col-

lection and to contribute to site studies r elated to archaeology,

wildlife and fisheries issues. These projects do not proceed unless the

developer holds a “social license” to operate in the area. This is why

it is so important to engage First Nation communities early in the

project development process.

ONCLUSIONS

Developing run-of-river hydroelectric projects anywhere in the world

today, especially with the tough economic conditions and permit-

ting constraints developers currently face, requires a fully integrat-

ed team approach. This includes input from numerous engineering

disciplines and the permitting, environmental, socio-economic,

finance and construction fields. Run-of-river hydroelectric projects

have to compete with all other forms of renewable and non-renew-

able energy for a piece of the energy market. Innovative design con-

cepts and approaches are going to be vital to the continued success

of the industry.

SMALL HYDRO

IWP& DC

Working with members of the Klahoose First Nation – Plutonic Power’s East

Toba and Montrose project

Author details

JJeerreemmyy HHaaiillee

President, Knight Piesold Canada. He has over 35 years

experience in small and large hydropower, specializing in project concept

development, contractual arrangements and project economics for

hydroelectric projects in North and South America, South-East Asia and

Africa. Email: jhaile@knightpiesold.com

SSaamm MMoottttrraamm

, Manager – Power Services, Knight Piesold, Vancouver. He

has 15 years experience in the identification, design and construction of

hydroelectric projects, including hydraulic and energy modeling and design

of intakes, dams, weirs, canals and pipelines, throughout Africa and North

and South America. Email: smottram@knightpiesold.com

DDrr.. JJaaiimmee CCaatthhccaarrtt

, Specialist Hydrotechnical Engineer, Knight Piesold,

Vancouver. He has over 15 years experience, oversees hydrology studies

for projects throughout the world and works on the hydrotechnical design

and water management aspects for resource developments. Email:

jcathcart@knightpiesold.com

30 MARCH 2009 INTERNATIONAL WATER POWER & DAM CONSTRUCTION

SMALL HYDRO

sites, nine of them economically feasible. The total potential hydro

power on the White river is approximately 63MW, of wh ich

23.6MW is attributed to the Umbata Falls project.

Located approximately 30km southeast of the small northern

Ontario Town of Marathon, the Umbata Falls hydroelectric project

was developed through a partnership with the Ojibways of the Pic

River First Nation and a subsidiary of Innergex Renewable Energy

Inc, a Canadian green power producer. They respectively own 51%

and 49% in Umbata Falls Limited Partnership (UFLP), the owner of

the project. The partnership is proving to have economic potential

for both parties, while providing the government of Ontario the abil-

ity to fulfill its mandate to increase production of renewable energy.

The Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation is a community of

approximately 400 persons. The Ojibways were first allocated the

rights to develop the land surrounding Umbata Falls by the

Government of Ontario in 1993. The Ojibways community is highly

involved in renewable energy development in the area including two

other local hydro developments – Wawatay on the Black river and

Twin Falls on the Kagiano river. In addition, it has an active economic

stake in wind power, forestry and mining development projects.

Traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol INE,

Innergex is in the business of developing, designing, operating and

managing independent renewable power projects including hydro

plants and wind farms. Besides its own projects, Innergex also man-

ages the assets of Innergex Power Income Fund, in which Innergex

holds a 16% interest stake. Altogether, projects developed, managed

and operated by Innergex since 1990 total more than 350MW of

installed capacity.

CHIEVING REGIONAL GOALS

Since 2004, the Ontario government vowed to take action to stim-

ulate the development of privately funded renewable energy gener-

ation projects, such as small hydro and wind farms, throug h the

restructuring of the electricity sector. In August 2004, the govern-

ment launched its first request for proposals to develop 300MW of

new renewable energy.

The Um bata Falls project was submitted in response to that

request for proposals and was subsequently awarded a renewable

HE Umbata Falls project is a success story on a number of

fronts. For one, the project was executed while balancing

First Nation community interests with the private sector

objectives. At the same time, it helped the Ontario govern-

ment attain its renewable energy targets. In addition, it was designed

to be a green project, with consideration to environmental and visual

impacts to the land.

Umbata Falls brought much-needed jobs to a rural community,

circumventing the release of 90,000 tons of CO

(based on electric-

ity gen erated from coa l), and offering an average productio n of

109,102MWh annually. Completed in just over five years from con-

ception to completion, it serves as a model and experience to build

on for future.

AKING A STAKE IN THE PROJECT

The White river is a large brown boreal forest river that arises south-

east of the town of White river in Ontario, Canada, flowing approx-

imately 200km before discharging into Lake Superior. Interest in

hydro power development on the White River spans over the last 50

years, with the identification of a dozen of potential water power

The 23.6MW Umbata

Falls run-of-river

hydroelectric plant on

the White River in

Ontario, Canada, has

been developed through

a partnership with

Innergex and the

Ojibways of the Pic

River First Nation.

Renaud de Batz gives

more details

Working in partnership

The spillway and intake under construction, October 2007

Location plan

Water Power and Dam Construction - Issue March 2009

Подождите немного. Документ загружается.