GREATER ACCELERATION OF THE ENERGY TRANSITION IS REQUIRED

Energy has long since become a widely-debated issue in society at large, not least due to our unfortunate dependence on Russian gas. The political context has boosted general approval for the expansion of renewable energies. Indeed, there has never been more support for this changeover than today. People are realising that expanding the use of renewables can reduce the dependence on gas, counteract the climate crisis and keep prices down. Similarly, it has become clear that a transition to an economy driven by renewable energy resources may be achievable earlier than previously assumed – as was strongly affirmed by the latest edition of the annual International Energy Agency (IEA) publication – the Electricity Market Report. According to the study, a mix of renewables and nuclear power, the resurgence of which has been officially approved in many places, will account for more than 90% of global growth in the demand for electricity in the next three years. On a positive note, this will increasingly push fossil-fuel-based energy sources out of the market, and IEA scientists believe this will lead to the highly desirable effect of CO2 emissions from global electricity generation hitting a plateau, or even falling away. The less good news is that, in general, for the period between 2022 and 2025, the authors of the study forecast an increase in global electricity demand of around 2,500TWh to almost 29,300TWh – a remarkable growth of around 9%. Expressed another way, in total this growth alone roughly corresponds to the entire electricity consumption of the European Union. Five letters explain the steep demand curve rise: C-H-I-N-A. By 2025, this immense nation will account for one third of the world‘s electricity demand. In comparison, in 1990 China’s electricity consumption made up 5% of the global total. When added to extraordinary growth in demand in other heavily industrialised regions on the Asian continent, by 2025 Asia will consume more than half of the world’s electricity. Although an increase in the demand for electricity is also expected in North America and Europe, statistically – compared to these booming Asian nations, the share of the growth in demand accounted for by the ‘old’ industrial giants is declining. There is, however, a silver lining! The bottom line of the new Electricity Market Report is a positive one: The triumphal march of the renewable energies has finally begun! Globally, by 2025, these energy sources will amount to a capacity of 10.8TWh, for the first time overtaking the capacity provided for by environmentally-unfriendly coal-powered electricity production.

Contrary to numerous prophecies of doom, belief in the fact that hydropower has a central role to play in the global expansion of the use of renewables is growing in line with these developments. Recently, Chinese scientists published a new study in a specialist journal: Nature Water. According to the study, global hydropower capacities could be doubled to 9 petawatt hours, so hydropower could play a key role in the fight against climate change. It’s no surprise the greatest potential (around 85%) is still unused – in Asia and Africa – so these are the greatest sources of hydro-powered hope for the future. It can be safely assumed that the European hydropower industry, with its leadership in know-how, can – and will – play a major role in driving this expansion.

I wish all our valued readers an enjoyable and informative time reading the latest edition of zek HYDRO.

Best regards,

Roland Gruber Editor-in-Chief

13

[ VIETNAM ]

16 Makari Gad hydropower project achieves outstanding feat [ NEPAL ]

18 New hydropower station as part of a wide-ranging synergy project [ ITALY ]

21 Power plant generates clean electricity for 200,000 households [ GERMANY ]

24

[ POLITICS ]

26 Renown US-university chooses Voith Hydro’s StreamDiver [ USA ]

28 Hydro-Construct built largest rubber dam of India [ INDIA ]

31 Small-scale hydropower station develops Styrian water body [ AUSTRIA ]

34 Viennahydro in tune with the international hydropower developments [ CONVENTION ]

36 Ski resort achieves partial energy autarchy with hydropower station [ ANDORRA ]

38 New suspended solids concentration (SSC) measurement [ TECHNOLOGY ]

41 Weir equipped with Switzerland’s widest Coanda system to-date [ SWITZERLAND ]

44 Kaplan EVO – rethinking the Kaplan turbine [ TECHNOLOGY ]

48 Ecological upgrade and enhanced performance at Grépiac power plant [ FRANCE ]

50 No valve is too big for these industrial specialists [ TECHNOLOGY ]

53 High operational availability with customised generator technology [ TECHNOLOGY ]

56 Bavarian supplier of complex formwork for hydropower projects [ TECHNOLOGY ]

58 New PELFA management trio shows its steel on the hydro market [ INDUSTRY ]

60 A potentially deadly problem gains attention due to climate change [ ECOLOGY ]

62 Watertight AUMA actuators for underwater hydro turbine control [ TECHNOLOGY ]

Hydro

YBBS-PERSENBEUG POWER PLANT MODERNISATION COMPLETED

In October '22, commissioning of the new machine 1 marked the completion of one of the most important revitalisation projects in Austrian hydropower history. Over the past eight years, all six turbines and generators dating from the 1950s at the Ybbs-Persenbeug power plant, the oldest of its kind on the Danube, have been replaced with modern, highly efficient machine sets. VERBUND has invested one hundred million euros in the Danube power plant project. Annually, the new infrastructure is expected to deliver around 1.4 billion kilowatt hours of renewable electricity from hydropower to the Austrian grid. Conversion will improve reliability and raise the volume of power generated by more than 77 million kilowatt hours to a total of 1.4 billion kWh. The resulting 6% increase in efficiency corresponds with the annual electricity consumption of 22,000 households, and an annual CO2-emissions saving of 62,000 metric tons. All this was achieved without the need for structural intervention in the surrounding area. “This successfully-implemented renewal project is a prime example of how we are fighting the climate crisis,” states Achim Kaspar, member of the VERBUND management board with responsibilities for generation, digitalisation and sustainability.

Voith Hydro Opens Center Of Competence For Generator Components

Voith Hydro officially opened the doors of its newly established center of competence for generator components in Bosnia and Hercegovina a few months ago. The location in Lukavac will be serving western markets; from North and Latin America to Europe and Africa. The new location is only 1.5 flight hours away from Voith Hydro’s German headquarters in Heidenheim. Its’ set-up was closely aligned with experts from the company’s central technology department in Germany, where essential R&D functions for generator components are based. Apart from the proximity to the headquarters, customers benefit from the closeness to the mainly European supplier base of insulation materials which ensures efficiency and smooth operations. Additionally, Voith Hydro is in close collaboration with the Bosnian facility of ELIN Motoren, a Voith company, which is successfully producing motor and generator coils as well as wind generator components in the immediate neighborhood. Works at the facility began in 2021 and initial test productions could already be performed in February 2022. The success speaks for itself: the company’s project pipelines for all production lines (poles, bars, and coils) are filled.

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201920025

WORLD’S HIGHEST LOCATED HYDROPOWER STATION UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN CHINA

Construction work is underway to establish the world’s highest situated power station on the Huang He river, also known as the “Yellow River,” in the country’s Qinghai province. According to recent reports in the state-run media, the project, which was begun in 2011, is now nearing the finish line, with regular operation expected to commence in early 2024. What makes this facility special is the fact that its water source at the Maerdang dam is located in the headwater region of the Huang He, more than 5,000 metres above sea level. As reported by the state-run media, this makes it the highest-located facility of its kind. Location aside, it is also extremely powerful: with its installed hydropower capacity of 2,200MW the power station is expected to provide about 7,304TWh of clean energy per year. This brand-new facility in the Qinghai region is operated by China’s state-owned power utility, China Energy. •

•

Hydro Ness Hydrodynamic Screw Is Sweeping The Board

Shortly after winning the 2022 British Steel Design Awards late last year, the new hydrodynamic screw operated on the River Ness was also announced as the winner of the prestigious National Construction Award. Previously, the system had already won the Scottish Highlands & Islands Energy Award as 2022’s best onshore-renewable project. Housed in a conspicuous, stainless steel covered building, a modern hydrodynamic screw is spinning busily to make full use of the River Ness’ hydropower potential. The 92kW machine provides about 550,000kWh in a normal year, thereby achieving an annual CO2 reduction to the tune of 140,000kg. The power generated is supplied next door to the Inverness Leisure Centre, a popular sports and wellness facility, which happens to be one of the region’s major energy consumers. There are already plans to present Project Hydro Ness more fully to the city’s many visitors. Video displays and explanatory signposts are already in the works. With about 280,000 visitors a year, the northern Scottish city of Inverness ranks fourth among the UK’s most visited cities.

•

RENEXPO INTERHYDRO 2023 – GREAT TURNOUT

In late March Messezentrum Salzburg opened its doors to host Renexpo Interhydro for the 13th time in a row, once again serving as an international meeting point for the hydropower industry. As usual, the event offered a comprehensive, Europe­wide overview of current political, market­specific and industry­related developments in the hydropower industry. Around 1,200 visitors took the opportunity on March 30th and 31st for a live update on the latest and greatest regarding the clean energy source. The trade fair not only serves as an exhibition venue, it is also considered an indispensable hub event for the European hydropower industry. “If we want to achieve the envisioned energy turnaround, hydropower will have to play an even more prominent role. Renexpo Interhydro offers a crucial European platform for an intense exchange of ideas,” says the trade fair centre’s managing director, DI (FH) Alexander Kribus, MBA, in explaining the event’s relevance.

EIGHT NEW PROJECTS FOR SWITZERLAND'S CANTON OF VALAIS

To further expand power generation in the canton of Valais, the government recently introduced 8 hydropower projects that being considered for the canton’s structure plan. As reported on the news portal Nau.ch, these projects were selected from an original catalogue of 29. According to the Cantonal Chancellory, the deciding criteria focussed on aspects such as minimal impact on the landscape and the environment. Another aspect was the fact that the selected projects have their greatest energy efficiency potential during winter. The following options were selected: Griessee, Chummensee, the Oberaletsch Klein region, Mattmarksee, Lakes Moiry and Gornerli, the Lac des Toules upland and Lac d'Emosson. All of these projects are made possible by enabling the use if natural reservoirs created by the receding glacier. The projects’ primary focus is on elevating existing impounding reservoirs or setting up new ones.

Each of the two generators has 2 wings with a span of 11m, and is connected to a float moored to the seabed with an anchor rope.

TRM’s owner-manager, Max Kloger, does not think in terms of quarterly figures. Instead, he is set on securing his familyowned business a sustainable long-term market position.

Japanese Kairyu Turbine Uses Ocean Currents

In Japan, deep­down ocean currents in coastal waters can be exploited to generate energy, as the IHI company and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation have shown in a new project. Kairyu is the first plant to take advantage of the Kuroshio current. The machinery is located 50m below the water surface off the southeast coast of Japan. If it were stationed closer to the surface, it would produce more than the 100kW it generates now, but the generator would be in jeopardy from the frequent tornadoes in the area. IHI now intends to install a 2­MW turbine near the prototype. The company estimates the ocean currents off the Japanese coasts can be harnessed to produce around 205 gigawatts of power. The efficiency of these systems is excellent at 70 percent.

Trm To Set Strategic Priorities In The Dach Region

TRM has been considered the leading provider of cast­iron pipework and driven­pile technology for many decades. This has earned TRM the reputation of a trusted partner in water management and special civil engineering in Austria and neighbouring countries. Owned by the Kloger family since 2013, the company has recently been turning heads again with the extensive expansion of its brand last year. Besides opening TRM Swiss, an independent subsidiary in Switzerland, TRM also acquired Lower Bavarian provider Frischhut, a tradition­steeped manufacturer of cast­molded parts. Both of these strategic moves have opened up new perspectives for TRM. “At TRM we like to think in longterm dimensions. Our acquisitions are anything but reactions to shortlived market trends,” comments Max Kloger, TRM’s owner­manager.

Tailor made generator manufacturer since 1946

MAIN ACTIVITIES research and development, engineering and design, manufacture, testing, installation, commissioning of inhouse products; maintenance, overhaul, upgrading, refurbishment and modernization of in-house products and products made by other manufacturers Fallerovo

+385 1 3667 499 e-mail: gim@koncar-gim.hr www.koncar-gim.hr

Production Programme

- hydrogenerators up to 300 MVA - references of delivered generators worldwide, compact generators for small hydropower plants

Clean Canadian Hydropower Electricity For New York City

At the end of September 2022, futurezone.at reported that a power line of more than 600 kilometres in length will soon be providing for a significant share of New York City's electricity requirements. The line is to carry electricity from hydroelectric power plants belonging to the Canadian energy company Hydro Quebec, one of the largest hydroelectric power producers in the world. The operators decided to lay the cables entirely underground and under water. Wherever possible, power lines have been routed along the course of rivers, lakes and other waterways. Supplying a metropolis of millions with so much sustainably-produced energy is expected to result in a significant reduction in harmful emissions. The high-voltage power line, known as the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE), is expected to be fully operational by 2026.

Axpo Supplies Clean Electricity For Steel Production

Axpo is the largest operator of hydropower plants in Switzerland, Europe's leading distributor of electricity from renewable energy sources, and has now signed a three-year electricity supply deal with the Swiss Steel Group’s Swiss Steeltec plant. Based in Emmenbrücke, the manufacturing plant will solely use Swiss hydropower electricity for the production of its special steels. The agreement demonstrates Axpo’s commitment to playing a central role in the decarbonisation of Swiss industry by way of innovative energy solutions. The agreement also shows how the Swiss Steel Group is focusing on sustainability and green electricity. Despite the Group's emissions already being low compared to the industry average, the deal ensures they will be reduced even further. The Emmenbrücke plant has the smallest carbon footprint in the entire Swiss Steel Group.

AUSTRALIA IS BANKING ON PUMPED-STORAGE TECHNOLOGY

Researchers at the Australian National University (ANU) in Sydney have published a study, claiming to have identified about 1,500 locations throughout the country that are favourable to pumpedstorage purposes. According to the authors of the study, utilising this potential could help to reduce Australia’s dependence on fossil fuels. The researchers specifically focussed on sites with an existing reservoir and the potential for an additional reservoir at a different elevation. Australia has set itself the goal of generating 82% of its electricity from renewable resources by 2030. So far, Australia has been considered to be one of the world’s major CO2 emitters, due to its dependence on fossil fuels. Previously, the ANU researchers had already identified another 530,000 possible hydropower sites around the world.

Exowave And Gugler Enter Into A Cooperation Agreement

Gugler Water Turbines makes a strategic move into the growing wave energy sector by signing an important cooperation agreement with Exowave. The partnership will see Gugler Water Turbines taking part in the ongoing EUDP project by Exowave “250 MW wave power in the Danish North Sea by 2030 – phase 1” as key provider for the Pelton hydro turbine, including generator and electrical equipment. The agreement will then extend to future projects, in the North Sea at first and on an international scale moving forward. Wave energy is seeing a substantial growth over the past years with increasing support from governments. The EU alone has set very ambitious targets of 1GW of ocean energy installations by 2030 and 40GW by 2050. As such it is key to create a robust and reliable sector value chain, which will be able to deliver on such targets. The strategic partnership between Gugler and Exowave will support to meet above ambitious targets, combining a renowned turbine technology provider with one of the leading wave energy developers.