GEA Hydro Seminar

ELEMENTS OF A
HYDROPOWER
FEASIBILITY STUDY
INTRODUCTION TO SELECTED TOPICS
RELEVANT FOR HYDROPOWER
PROJECT FEASIBILIT Y ANALYSIS
Sven Homscheid
29 t h April 2014
Georgetown, Guyana
Hydropower Consultant
1
OUTLINE
Elements of a hydropower feasibility study
Hydrological aspects of hydropower projects inflow

series
Hydrologic data collection campaigns
Exercise 1: Design of hydrometric gauging stations
Geotechnical investigations for hydropower feasibility

analysis
Principles of good project layout design
Exercise 2: Development of a project layout
Economic analysis and sensitivity analysis
Environmental and Social Considerations
Drawing conclusions from the results, question and

answer session
ELEMENTS OF A
HYDROPOWER
FEASIBILITY STUDY
ELEMENTS OF A HYDROPOWER FEASIBILIT Y STUDY

What is a Feasibility Study?
Wikipedia:
The feasibility study is an evaluation and analysis of the
potential of a proposed project which is based on extensive
investigation and research to support the process of decision
making.
Hydropower context:
The FS helps to decide if it makes sense to invest in a project.
The FS also helps to identify the best design option for the
project.
The decision is based on technical, economic, environmental
and social analysis.
4

What is the context of a Feasibility Study?
Typical project development sequence:
1. Project identification
2. Pre-Feasibility Study
3. Feasibility Study
4. Application for project approval from authorities
5. Seeking of project financing
6. Additional studies as may be required
7. Detailed design or tender design and tender documents
8. Tendering and award of contract
9. Construction design
10. Construction As Built drawings
11. Commissioning and operation
5

What does a Feasibility Study contain?
(1) Technical Project Analysis
Topography
Hydrology and Sedimentology
Geology
Design Study: selection of optimum design
Quantity estimate
Cost estimate
Power Output
(2) Power Market Analysis
Analysis of market regulation

Options for power off-taking and marketing
Marketing cost
Sales revenue projection

What does a Feasibility Study contain? (continued)
(3) Economic Project Analysis
Cost / Benefit Analysis

Net Present Value Analysis
Internal Rate of Return Analysis
Levelized Cost of Electricity Generation Analysis
Sensitivity Analysis
(4) Environmental and Social Project Analysis

Analysis of environmental impacts and resulting project costs for
mitigation measures
Analysis of social impacts and resulting projects costs for mitigation
measures
Recommendations for environmental project monitoring plan
Recommendations for social acceptability and public communication
strategy and social monitoring plan
7

What does a Feasibility Study contain? (continued)
(5) Risk and Opportunities Analysis (SWOT)
Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threads Analysis
(6) Conclusions and Recommendations

Main Finding: Is the project feasible or not?
Recommendations for further development
(7) Other contents as required
HYDROLOGICAL
ASPECTS OF
HYDROPOWER
PROJECTS
- INFLOW SERIES 9
HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

Why is good hydrological data so extremely important?
Q is one of three main parameters in the power output
equation
P=Q*H***g
Where:
P
Q
H
g
-
Power output
Discharge
Head (difference of water levels)
Plant efficiency
Density of water
Acceleration constant
10
Q = flow in m3/s
Depending on
Geographic location
(rain forest or desert)
Elevation above sea level

(the higher, the wetter)
Time of the year

(rainy season or dry season)
11
Hn = net head in m
Gross Head depending on
Topography
Net Head depending on

Friction losses
Mountain or valley
Dam, run-off river or
diversion
Pipe diameter/canal dimensions

Pipe/canal roughness
Length of pipe/canal
Other hydraulic losses

-
Trash rack
Bends
Valves
12
= efficiency
Efficiency of
Turbine runner
-
Depending on turbine type, size and speed, quality, wear
Generator
-
Depending on type, size, speed, voltage level, age
Transformer
-
Depending on type, size, cooling system, voltage level, age
Usually: total 70 to 85 % for small hydropower

13

Why is good hydrological data so extremely important?
Q is one of three main parameters in the power output
equation
Hydrology of a project is used for the power generation
prognosis
Power generation prognosis is decisive if a project is feasible
or not
Quality of hydrologic base data defines the projects risk level
and influences project financing conditions
Good hydrologic data good, reliable statistical basis for power
generation prognosis low risk level good financing conditions
Poor hydrologic database with many gaps and/or short data records
poor statistical basis for power generation prognosis high risk level
poor financing conditions, because financier will cover his risk
14

What hydrological information is required for hydropower
projects?
Inflow series
= statistics on availability of water for hydropower generation
Flow Duration Curve
Power output calculation influence on project benefits
Flood discharges
HQ 50 ; HQ 100 ; HQ 1 ,000 ; HQ PMF
Design of civil structures (permanent and temporary)
Influence on project costs
Climate change impact on the two above

Trend: drier dry seasons, larger flood events
What to expect in the future
15

How to get the required hydrologic data?
Ideal:
Long-term stream flow discharge measurements at the

dam site.
Long-term?
Rule of thumb for secure statistics:
Prognosis period = 3 x record period
However:
Data from the dam site is very rarely available.
Usually only short term records are available
16

What if long-term data does not exist?
Long-term stream flow data of similar catchments in the
vicinity
Rainfall data from the catchment
Rainfall data from neighboring catchments and transfer to the
dam site
Use of hydrologic models to calculate stream flow data from
rainfall data
Use available previous reports to obtain primary data and to
verify own calculations
17

Where to get primary data from?
Hydrometric or hydrologic units
Meteorological office
Hydropower development department
Forestry management department
Agricultural planning department
Airports authority
Environmental management department
Any other agency collecting hydrometric data
18

What kind of data is required?
Stream flow data at the dam site
Stream flow data at other sites on the same river
Stream flow data from similar watersheds
Rainfall data from the same watershed
Rainfall data from similar watersheds
Temperature data
Evaporation and evapo-transpiration data
Dew point records
Land use maps (for hydrologic model)
19

How is hydrologic data analysis done?
Overarching objective:
Generation of long-term stream flow discharge series.
1. Sorting collected data and digitizing analogous data
2. Data analysis for plausibility checks
Correlation analysis
Plotting data
3. Correlation analysis for gap filling of missing data

4. Generating synthetic long-term stream flow or rainfall series
5. If no stream flow data available: Application of hydrologic
model to convert rainfall data to stream flow data
20

What tools exist for statistical analysis of hydrologic data?
HEC-SSP
http://www.hec.usace.army.mil/software/hec-ssp/
21

What tools exist for statistical analysis of hydrologic data?
HEC-SSP
Microsoft Excel and additional statistic ad-ons
Other commercial software like
NCSS (www.ncss.com)
HyStat (http://www.hystat.de/default_e.htm)
22

What is a synthetic inflow series?
If no recorded stream flow data is available that can be used
as inflow series, an inflow series needs to be generated.
Use of hydrologic and statistical models to produce long-term
series of daily average stream flow discharge data without
gaps
Any gaps in the series will be filled by application of
statistical methods
The synthetic series must reflect the real variability of water
availability
Discharge data is referenced to the point where water is
abstracted for hydropower purposes
23

How does a storage reservoir influence water availability?
Run-off river Reservoir storage
If a storage reservoir is available, storage must be simulated
to reflect
water levels,
surface evaporation and
storage volume
The ability to store water defines the possible functions of the

hydropower project:
Base load supply
Peak-load supply
Pumped storage
24

What is a Flow Duration Curve?
The Flow Duration Curve (FDC) is a statistical evaluation of a
time series of stream flows to obtain its exceedance probability,
either in %, or in days per year referring to a statistically
average year.
The daily values are sorted to get the flow duration curve.
The FDC tells for how long what amount of water will be
available
The FDC is the basis to select the design (turbine) discharge
for the project
25

How to calculate a Flow Duration Curve?
1. Sort the average daily discharges for the period of record
from the largest value to the smallest, involving all values
(number of values = n).
2. Assign each discharge value a rank (M), starting with 1 for
the largest daily discharge value.
3. Calculate exceedence probability (P) as follows:
P = 100 * [ M / (n + 1) ]
P = the probability that a given flow will be equalled or
exceeded (% of time)
M = the ranked position on the listing (dimensionless)
n = the number of events for period of record (dimensionless)
26

The daily values are sorted to get the flow duration curve:
As a rule of thumb:
Rural electrification E = approx. 80%
Small HPP E = approx. 30%
27

Example for Flow Duration Curve calculation:
Develop 500 random numbers
from 0 to 1 and multiply by, e.g.
35 to obtain synthetic
discharges
Sort the discharges starting with
the largest
Assign rank
Calculate exceedence probability
28

29

30

31

How to use the Flow Duration Curve?
The FDC shows the flows that are available with a certain
exceedence probability
From this data all discharges that cannot be used for
hydropower are subtracted to obtain the potentially available
discharge
All discharges larger than the design discharge of the
hydropower plant are set equal to the design discharge
32
Q max
33
34

How to use the Flow Duration Curve?
The FDC shows the flows that are available with a certain
exceedence probability
From this data all discharges that cannot be used for
hydropower are subtracted to obtain the potentially available
discharge
All discharges larger than the design discharge of the
hydropower plant are set equal to the design discharge
The remaining values are converted into power and integrated
over the respective time intervals. For this purpose, the FDC is
often discretized in 1, 5 or 10 % steps.
The discharge is converted via the respective power curve into
power output of the plant
35

How to use the Flow Duration Curve? (continued)
For the conversion of the plants power output, the head H
changes according to the hydraulic losses in the pipes that
depend on the plant discharge
Also the plant efficiency changes with varying discharge
The plant power output is calculated for the discrete
exceedence probabilities of the FDC and integrated to obtain
the average annual electricity generation.
Abstractions are made for down times of the generators to
obtain realistic power output
36

How to calculate design flood discharges?
From (measured or synthetic) flow series frequency
distribution functions for flood discharges are developed
This is either based on maximum yearly flows or, if those are
not available, maximum monthly flows over a period of time
The longer the records, the more reliable the results
By fitting several probability distribution functions, a best
fitting function will be identified and is then used to calculate
the design flood discharges
37

How to calculate design flood discharges?
38

What are appropriate design flood discharges?
DIN 19700 suggests the following discharges as design
discharges for dams:
Dam category 1 (>15 m height; > 1 million m 3 volume)
Design reservoir inflow at n-1: HQ 1 ,000
Design reservoir inflow at n: HQ 10,000
Dam category 2 (<15 m height; < 1 million m 3 volume)

Design reservoir inflow at n-1: HQ 500 (minimal HQ 100 )
Design reservoir inflow at n: HQ 5,000 (minimal HQ 1 ,000 )
Other regulations apply in different jurisdictions and for other

structures.
39
HYDROLOGIC DATA
COLLECTION
CAMPAIGNS
40
HYDROLOGIC DATA COLLECTION CAMPAIGNS

What data is collected during a measuring campaign?
Stream flow discharge data over a long period
At the dam site if possible, or
In the same watershed if possible, or
In a similar watershed not too far away
Rainfall data
Temperature data
Evaporation and evapo-transpiration
Sediment freight
Water quality
41

Data collection should start as early as possible in advance of
a project because long term data series are required
Minimum data record periods are, depending on project size, 2
to 20 years
The comprehension of a hydrologic data collection campaign
depends on the size of the project
For larger projects more parameters will be required
Larger projects need longer time series to reduce the planning
risk
Larger projects will also have bigger budgets for data
collection campaigns
Data collection should not stop before the project construction
commences, preferably data collection is done continuously
42

What is a stream flow gauging station?
Usually, stream flow gauging stations measure water levels
and store the data on paper or on a digital data logger
The water levels are converted into stream flow discharge data
through application of rating curves
Rating curves are established by doing spot discharge
measurements and noting the corresponding gauge height to
establish a relationship between both
43

Stream flow gauging process
Measuring the run-off in rivers
Stationary water level gauge
+ spot measurements to establish

rating curve
44

Water level gauging equipment
Staff plate
45

Floating gauge
46

Pressure transducer,
external data logger
47

Pressure transducer
internal data logger
48

Radar sensor
49

Pneumatic water level gauge
50

Stream flow discharge spot measuring equipment
Low flows:
Salt dilution method
Principle:
Dilution effect of salt in water
Measuring concentration
Easy, fast and cheap
51

Mid flows: Aqua Profiler (acoustic doppler sensor)
Quick but expensive equipment
52

Mid flows: Area-velocity method
Classic with propeller or electromagnetic
Inexpensive but time consuming
53

High flows:
ADCP technology on boats
Comfortable, quick, expensive
54

High flows: Mobile crane or cable crane
Uses propeller or electric sensors
Time consuming
Inexpensive equipment
55

Rainfall gauging equipment
Tipping bucket rain gauge
56

Rainfall gauging equipment
Snowdon rain gauge
57

Evaporation gauging equipment
58

Temperature gauging equipment
59

Climate Station Iwokrama
60

Where is the best location to measure stream flow discharges?
The permanent gauging location should be:
Easily accessible
At a location where the riverbed does not change much; otherwise a
measuring weir would be required, which is very costly.
If possible use bridge cross sections
If the river describes a bend, select the outside of the bend as
sedimentation is more likely to occur on the inside
Select a site that is somewhat protected from damage through debris
and boulders that the river transports during floods
Imagine the state of the river during extremely high floods and
double check if the location would still be suitable
Protected from vandalism and theft. Solar panels are popular
souveniers for passers-by.
Remember: the gauging site must be visited regularly for data

retrieval and station maintenance
61

Where is the best location to measure stream flow discharges?
The spot measuring location should be:
Easily accessible
Preferably in the same cross section as the permanent gauging site
Gauging location and gauging equipment need to fit each other. The
salt dilution method does not work at the lower Essequibo, and a
bridge crane does not work in small creeks.
The gauging site must be visited at different water levels and

discharges to establish a proper rating curve
62

When to use telemetry for data retrieval?
What is telemetry?
- Transferring data via remote data broadcasting, such as GSM,
VHF radio, internet, telephone modem
Basic consideration: data, that is not measured cannot be
brought back
Consequently: lost data records cannot be brought back
Gauged data is very valuable
Therefore, data records are often broadcasted daily
Also: broadcasting for weather forecasting and early warning
stations where real-time data is required
63

Telemetry Pros and Cons:
Pro:
Real-time data can be collected, including threshold alarms
Status of the gauging station, including battery voltage level,
is communicated regularly
Less visits to the station are required
Enables data collection even from very remote locations
Remote re-programming of data loggers possible
Contra:
Additional cost for equipment procurement
Depending on technology regular charges for data
transmission
More maintenance required for the high-tech equipment
Operators tend to neglect telemetric stations maintenance if
no error is reported
64

What civil structures are required for gauging stations?
Structure to host the sensor and data logger
65

Measuring weir or reinforcement of riverbed
66

Measuring weir or reinforcement of riverbed
67

Housing for data loggers
68

Security fencing
69

How to protect the station from theft and vandalism?
Most vulnerable: solar panels
and very remote stations
Select location for station so
that it is protected: either very
visible to the public or not visible
at all
Use fences, steel boxes, masonry
boxes
Camouflage
Technical equipment in
underground boxes
Boxes at power poles seem to be
safe... people fear electric
chocks
70
EXERCISE 1: DESIGN OF
HYDROMETRIC GAUGING
STATIONS
71
EXERCISE 1: DESIGN OF HYDROMETRIC GAUGING

STATIONS
First Exercise:
Situation:
The Troumassee River shown on the map was earmarked for
hydropower use
The hydrometric gauging stations shown on the map are
available
Challenge:
Design the hydrometric station design for the project area
Identify required data to be collected
Identify best locations for the required gauging stations
Select equipment, including power supply
Design civil structures
Define operation and maintenance program
72
GEOTECHNICAL
INVESTIGATIONS FOR
HYDROPOWER
FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS
This
chapter
was not
presented!
73
GEOTECHNICAL INVESTIGATIONS FOR HYDROPOWER

FEASIBILIT Y ANALYSIS
Why geotechnical investigations?
To avoid that:
74

What are geotechnical investigations (GI)?
Physical field and laboratory tests to investigate the
mechanical properties of the underground
GI are a combination of
Geology
Mechanics
Statics
Chemistry
Geohydrology
GI reduce the construction risk and allow proper structural

and foundation design
Good GI safe money!
75

GI used for permanent and temporary structure design:
Definition of possible dam type
Construction pit slopes
Upstream and downstream slopes of fill dams
Size and shape of concrete dams
Foundation design of dams, powerhouses, pipelines, etc.
Design of cofferdams
Design of underground treatment measures
Slope protection design
Access road design
Power transmission tower foundations
Selection of construction materials
...
GI are important!
76

What is the right investigation scope for the project scale?
GI are generally expensive
They are even more expensive the larger the required
equipment
Equipment transport sometimes most of the cost
Scaling of the works to obtain the right cost/benefit ratio
The larger the project, the more GI will be done (more budget)
The more complicated the geology, the more GI need to be
done
77

How much geological risk can the investor absorb?
Large projects: Banks will require certain minimum
investigations to assess investment risk
Small projects (<500 kW):
Budget limitations are important restriction
Expensive investigations
+ Identification of need for additional protection measures
= Double cost
Consequence: invest in higher degree of protection in the first

place instead of geotechnical investigation (assume higher
risk)
Attention! Do not optimize by reducing both parameters:
investigation cost and protective measures!
78

What parameters are typically investigated?
Compressive strength
Compactness
Bulk density
Modulus of elasticity
Shear strength
Cohesion
Inner friction angle
Granulometric distribution
Organic matter test

Alkali reaction
Ground water level
Compressibility/
compactibility
Hydraulic conductivity
Seepage
Mechanical defects
79

Compressive strength:
Good for:
Foundation design of structures
Design of superstructures
Selection of concrete aggregates
Tested:
Compression test (laboratory)
Plate load test (in situ)
80

Compactness:
Good for:
Structural engineering (load definition)
Tested:
Density of undisturbed sample (lab)
Proctor test (lab)
81

Bulk density:
Good for:
Structural calculations (load)
Quantity estimates
Tested:
Laboratory:
Mercury displacement
Submerged weighing
Volumetric and weight measuring of specimen
Field tests:
Various volume displacement methods
82

Modulus of elasticity (Youngs Modulus):
Good for:
Foundation design
Structural design
Underground works (tunneling)
Tested:
One-axial pressure test (lab+in situ)
Measuring of pressure and respective dilatation
Depends on direction of applied force
83

Shear strength:
Good for:
Slope stability
Dam design
Foundation engineering
Construction pit design
Tested:
Direct shear test (lab)
Vane shear strength test (in situ)
Triaxial test (lab)
84

Cohesion and inner friction angle:
Good for:
Slope stability
Slope gradient of fill dams
Cofferdam design
Tested:
Triaxial shear test
85

Granulomatric distribution:
Good for:
Construction materials
Sediment analysis
Tested:
Sieving test
Slurry settling test
86

Organic matter test:
Good for:
Construction material testing
Tested:
Incineration test
Incinerating soil at 550C
Weighing mass before and after glowing
87

Alkali reaction:
Good for:
Concrete aggregates
Foundation engineering (no direct contact with fresh concrete)
Tested:
ASTM
ASTM
ASTM
ASTM
ASTM
C 227: Mortar-Bar Method

C289: Chemical Method
C1260: Mortar-Bar-Test
C1293: Length Change Test
C1567: Accelerated Mortar-Bar Method
88

Ground water level:
Good for:
Foundation design
Structural design (load)
Tested:
Ground water wells
Test pits
89

Compressibility and compactibility:
Good for:
Structural design
Tested:
Plate load test (in situ)
Proctor test (lab)
Compression test (lab)
90

Hydraulic conductivity and seepage:
Good for:
Tested:
Pump test (in situ)
Darcy-test (lab)
91

Mechanical defects:
Good for:
Structural design
Design of anti-seepage measures
Tested:
Test pit
Borehole video sounding
Looking for gaps, disturbances, clefts etc.
92

Common geotechnical investigation methods:
Geological mapping with geological maps and visual surface
inspection
Hand dug holes/pits
Auger holes
93

Standard Penetration Test
94

Core ram test
95

Drilling (coreless) and separate sampling
96

Core drilling
97

Video borehole sounding
98

Geophysics
Geoseismic with geophones and hydrophones
Electric resistance
Advantage: linear visualization of underground

Needs one or more reference core drillings for calibration of
test results
99

How expensive are geotechnical investigations?
Cost depends heavily on comprehension and technology
Access to the site is an important parameter
Relatively most expensive: site installation
Additional drill meters are not expensive
Geophysics tend to be inexpensive for the degree of detail it
produces
GI cost for large scale projects can be several million US$
100
PRINCIPLES OF GOOD
PROJECT LAYOUT
DESIGN
101
PRINCIPLES OF GOOD PROJECT LAYOUT DESIGN
First some bad examples:
102
TOTORA PAMPA , BOLIVIA
Totora Pampa, Bolivia
103

Collapse of the stilling basin:
Project details
Small scale hydropower plant: 200 kW
Located in the Andes mountains in Bolivia
Problem: weir was built on the alluvial sand of the river bed
Consequence: downstream river bed erosion

104
105
106
107
108
MOCO MOCO, GUYANA
Moco Moco, Guyana
109
MOCO MOCO, GUYANA

Heavy rainfalls in 2003 caused the head pond to overflow and
a land slide to happen along the penstock
110
MOCO MOCO, GUYANA

The landslide damaged the penstock like bending a straw
111
MOCO MOCO, GUYANA

The landslide damaged the penstock like bending a straw
Consequently, a diesel generator was installed in Lethem to
supply the electricity needs
The electricity was fed back towards the hydropower
powerhouse
Due to the lack of load side over voltage protection a short
circuit occurred in the control board of the HPP and a fire
destroyed the control system
112
MOCO MOCO, GUYANA

Due to the lack of load side over voltage protection a short
circuit occurred in the control board of the HPP and a fire
destroyed the control system
113
MOCO MOCO, GUYANA

Prime cause of the damage:
Overestimation of the underground stability, presumably due
to the lack of geotechnical investigations during the design
phase
114
MOCO MOCO, GUYANA

Prime cause of the damage:
Overestimation of the underground stability, presumably due
to the lack of geotechnical investigations during the design
phase
Lack of drainage along the penstock alignment
115
Now: Some guidelines for good project designs
116

When visiting a site for the first time, or watching a topo map,
an initial project layout should be visualized
Logically: Upstream = water in; Downstream = water out
Dam and reservoir or Run-Off River?
Pressure head
High head (h > 50 m)
Medium head (15 m < h < 50 m)
Low head (h < 15 m)
Water availability
General geology
Solid rock
Soil and rock
Soil and sand
Look for good geology for the various structures!

117

Try to avoid areas of high population density for project design
avoid need for resettlement and lengthy disputes
Try to maximize the hydropower potential of each site with the
layout design. If the potential is more than the power needed
for supply, a stage wise construction can be envisaged.
Integrate environmental considerations (fish ladders,
minimum flow donation, and so on) in your design to avoid
additional cost when these items are required later in the
process
Consider sediment handling to be a serious aspect
Do not omit the bottom outlet at dams and reservoirs
Design with realistic redundancy: black start hydropower plant
instead of diesel generators
Do not save on safety aspects
118

What elements do hydropower projects contain?
119
ELEMENTS OF HYDROPOWER PLANTS
Diversion Weir and Intake
120

Trash Rack
If required:
Trash rack cleaner
121

Dam and Spillway
122

Desilting Basin / Sand Trap
123

Forebay / Storage Pond
124

Headrace Channel / Pipeline
125

Penstock
126

Tunnel
127

Powerhouse with substation
128

Ship lock
129
Selection of the right turbine type
130

Selection of the right turbine type:
131

Selection of the right turbine type:
132
PELTON TURBINE
Pelton turbine: Impulse turbine
up to 92%
(High efficiency at
partial flow down to10%)
133
TURGO TURBINE
Turgo turbine: Impulse turbine
up to 90%
(High efficiency at
partial flow down to10%)
134
TURGO TURBINE
Difference between Turgo and Pelton turbines
The Turgo turbine can process about twice the amount of water than Pelton turbines
135
CROSS-FLOW TURBINE
Cross-flow turbine: Impulse turbine
up to 80%
(less efficient at
partial flow)
136
CROSS-FLOW TURBINE
Cross-flow turbine: Impulse turbine
137
FRANCIS TURBINE
Francis turbine: Reaction turbine
up to 93%
(Applicable as
pump turbine)
138
FRANCIS TURBINE
Francis shaft (a) and spiral (b) turbine arrangements

139
FRANCIS TURBINE
Top left: vertical shaft

arrangement;
Top right: horizontal shaft
alignment;
Bottom left: double
flooded turbine;
Center: elements of a
Francis turbine
140
KAPLAN TURBINE
Kaplan type turbine: Reaction turbine
> 90%
(High efficiency at
partial flow)
141
KAPLAN / PROPELLER TURBINE
Kaplan turbine: guide vanes

and blades can be regulated;
Propeller turbine: only guide
vanes can regulate flow
142

Related turbine types: Bulb turbine
143

Related turbine types: HydroMatrixTM
144

Related turbine types: HydroMatrixTM
145

Related turbine types: Straflo Turbine
146

Related turbine types: S-Bulb turbines
147

Related turbine types: Cone-gearbox (a) and Gearbox (b) turbines
148
HYDRO WHEELS
(a) Breast wheel with cells
(b) Breast wheel with blades
(c) Overshot wheel
(d) Undershot wheel
Efficiency between 50
and 82%
Good partial load
efficiency due to slow
rotational speed
Eco friendly
149
HYDRODYNAMIC SCREW
Hydro-dynamic screw: Reaction turbine (Archimedical Principle)
> 80%
Eco-friendly
150
SOME EXAMPLES OF RECENT TECHNOLOGIES

Steff Turbine
151
EXERCISE 2:
DEVELOPMENT OF A
PROJECT LAYOUT
152
EXERCISE 2: DEVELOPMENT OF A PROJECT LAYOUT

Second exercise:
Situation:
The Troumassee River was earmarked for hydropower use
The topographic map shows the situation
Challenge:
Design the initial project layout to be used for feasibility study
to maximize the use of the sites hydropower potential
Define the location of the structures, such as weir, dam, powerhouse,
pipelines, power lines, access roads
Select the type of the structures, such as weir type, headrace canal or
pipeline, turbine type, ...
Draw project layout in the map and sketches of the structures on
separate papers
153
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
AND SENSITIVITY
ANALYSIS
This
chapter
was not
presented!
154
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND SENSITIVIT Y ANALYSIS

What is economic analysis?
A systematic approach to determining the optimum use of
scarce resources, involving comparison of two or more
alternatives in achieving a specific objective under the given
assumptions and constraints.
Economic analysis takes into account the opportunity costs of
resources employed and attempts to measure in monetary
terms the private and social costs and benefits of a project to
the community or economy.
( S o u r c e : h t t p : / / w w w. b u s i n e s s d i c t i o n a r y. c o m / d e f i n i t i o n / e c o n o m i c analysis.html#ixzz2zjnCgz7x)
155

Economic Analysis:
allows identification of the optimum hydropower project
configuration
Can compare hydropower projects with other means to provide
electricity
Is used to optimize even individual structures, such as tunnels
and cofferdams
Expresses all benefits and costs in monetary terms to
compare them
Can be used to determine the profitability of a project
Gives the answer to the question Is the project economically
feasible?
156

What input data is required?
For the analysis of an entire hydropower project:
All project development cost
All construction cost
All re-investments over the analysis time span
Operation and maintenance costs
Environmental and social costs
Project benefits from power sales
Other project benefits (emission certificate trading, subsidies,
secondary income, ...)
Residual value of the project at the end of the analysed period
157

What input data is required?
For the analysis of an entire hydropower project: (continued)
Time when the costs and benefits incur
Financial parameters
Discount rate
Loan interest rate and repayment time
Share of equity
Price escalation rates
All costs are discounted to reference point in time
158

What are the results of the analysis?
Benefit / Cost Ratio
All discounted cost are divided through all discounted benefits
If B/C ration is >1 the project is profitable
Net Present Value (NPV)

All costs and benefits are summed up
A NPV > 0 means the project is profitable
Internal Rate of Return (on investment or equity)

The specific discount rate at which the NPV at the end of the
analysed period is = 0
Represents the interest rate for the investment (or equity)
Levelized Cost of Electricity

All discounted costs divided by all discounted generated energy units
at the end of the analysed period
Represents the cost for one generated energy unit
159

How are the results calculated?
Main mathematical formula: discounting of costs
Economic analysis tool in Excel
160

What is a sensitivity analysis (SA)?
The input parameters of an economic analysis underlie
uncertainties
Sensitivity Analysis: vary the value of critical parameters and
repeat EA
Results of a SA show under which conditions the feasibility of
a project changes
SA quantifies the risk emerging from parameter uncertainties
Typical parameters to vary are
Discount rate
Electricity sales tariff
Project investment cost
Loan interest rate
Share of equity
Price escalations
161

How are the results of an economic analysis and sensitivity
analysis used?
Different interpretations:
Private project developers
Consider projects as investment
Usually want to see high IRR (> 12%) and NPV
Are willing to take higher risk if the prospective profit is high enough
Public developers
Are happy with lower IRR (say 6-8 %) and if NPV is above 0
Seek to reduce project risks
Usually represent a public interest, such as electricity supply
Banks
Need to reduce risks significantly to protect investors money
Follow borrower with IRR and NPV requirements but adjust their
lending conditions to reflect lending risk
162
ENVIRONMENTAL AND
SOCIAL
CONSIDERATIONS
This
chapter
was not
presented!
163
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Importance:
Requirement (legal in most countries and/or for
financiers)
For macroeconomic cost-benefit analysis
For microeconomic viability of the project
Anticipated irreversible adverse impacts on the
environment may result in the discontinuation of
projects!

Main issues:
Loss of natural resources, habitats, biodiversity,
ecosystem services
Alteration of the natural environment and its
consequences
Pollution and environmental degradation during
construction phase
Noise pollution from power house (and other noisy
equipment)

Special issues for (large) dams:
Sediments and nutrients are trapped in dams if there
are no low-level outlets
Reduced oxygen levels in water due to decomposing
vegetation in dams
Release of methane and carbon dioxide from rotting
organic matters into the atmosphere
Mercury contamination in dams
High rates of water evaporation in tropical climate may
lead to significantly reduced water levels downstream
Reduced water levels downstream might cause loss of
floodplains and mangrove forests

Special issues for (large) dams: (continued)
Seasonal variations of water levels in the river as well
as water temperature are lost through the regulation of
the dams outflow
Change of air flow patterns have an influence on air
quality and subsequently on local flora
Colonization by aquatic plants
Dams provide ideal breeding grounds for disease
vectors
Change of fish habitat from river to lake
Lakes might pose barriers to wildlife migration
Are mitigation measures for all issues

encountered possible?
How much do they cost?
SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Importance:
Requirement in some countries and for some
financiers
For macroeconomic cost-benefit analysis
For microeconomic viability of the project
Information, communication and consultation with
affected people is essential for a successful project!
People who are angry because they feel their concerns
are ignored may find ways to stop the project.

Main issues and mitigation measures to consider:
Communication, information and consultation
Establish good communications channels with affected
people from the start of the project (and keep complaints
management in place after construction is completed)
Hold open information and consultation meetings for the
affected people at the beginning of the project and in
regular intervals thereafter; involve the affected people in
the project planning
Manage expectations carefully: ensure the local
population benefits from the project but does not create
expectations the project cannot fulfill

(Continued)
Resettlement:
Negotiate fair deals with communities that have to be
resettled
Transparent decision-making processes and consultations
with the communities are essential
Pay attention to the following:
Land rights (customary and statutory land rights might be
overlapping, people might not have official land titles)
Water rights
Gender equality
Indigenous peoples rights

(Continued)
Compensation:
For loss of houses and land, livelihoods, cultural/ religious
goods and places, community services
Also consider communities downstream whose livelihoods
might be endangered through changes in the ecosystems
Might include training and initial resources for uptake of
new livelihoods

(Continued)
Health issues
Loss of cultural heritage sites
Noise pollution
Social disruptions
Large, especially cross-border projects add political
component and issues with water rights and water
usage on a national level
Positive social impacts might include:

Development impulses through access to electricity
Education benefits through access to electricity
Health benefits through access to clean water
The positive and negative impacts must be put

in relation to one another!

Assessment of the Ability and Willingness to Pay for
Electricity:
For electrification of unserved areas, including
communities affected by the hydropower plant
Importance:
Serves to project electricity demand
Informs electricity tariff setting
Projection of electricity sales and income important for the
economic analysis of a project
Projected demand, increase in demand and purpose of
electricity use should inform the grid design

Data to be collected:
Demographic data (population and growth rate, migration
patterns, seasonal variations)
Economic data (livelihoods, economic growth, possibilities

to increase cash income)
Electricity-specific data (types of users: residential/

commercial/ industrial and their relative share; projected
initial and overall connection rate; projected amount of
electricity demanded; projected increase in the electricity
demand over time; types of electrical equipment to be used)
Training needs among the population
INTERRELATION OF EIA , SIA & A/W TP

Social and environmental impacts are closely
related, especially in developing countries, as people
often depend on the environment for their livelihoods
People who are adversely affected by and feel they
do not benefit enough from the project might find
environmental impacts as reasons to stop the
project!
Access to electricity and clean water for communities
affected by the project should be ensured
ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Conclusions:
The importance of ESIAs must not be underestimated
ESIAs should not be viewed as additional bureaucratic
hurdles to overcome, but as an instrument to inform the
debate about the costs and benefits of a proposed
project and its viability
Impact mitigation costs must be considered in the
economic viability analysis of a project
Local population must participate in the benefits of the
project and not just bear the costs
ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Conclusions (continued)
Expectations, concerns and grievances of affected
population must be considered and managed carefully;
otherwise conflicts will arise, which is very costly: angry
people might find ways to stop projects
High adverse environmental or social impacts may be a
reason to discontinue a project
But: environmental and social costs should not be
compared to status quo (zero development) but instead
to costs of realistic alternatives
DRAWING CONCLUSIONS
FROM THE RESULTS,
QUESTION AND ANSWER
SESSION
181
DRAWING CONCLUSIONS FROM THE RESULTS,

QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION
Questions? Comments?
182
THANK YOU FOR YOUR

ATTENTION!
CONTACT
E-mail: mail@sven-homscheid.com
Web: http://www.sven-homscheid.com
183
REFERENCES
Hydrometry; Boiten; Edition 2003; ISBN 90-5410-423-6
www.ott.com
www.seba-hydrometrie.com
www.wikipedia.com
www.geomation.com
www.geotechnik-dunkel.de
Wasserkraftanlagen; Giesecke; Mosonyi; 2003; ISBN
3-540-44391-6
Hydraulik fuer Bauingenieure; Heinemann/Paul; ISBN
3-519-05082-x
184

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ELEMENTS OF A

Elements of a hydropower feasibility study

Hydrological aspects of hydropower projects inflow

Hydrologic data collection campaigns

Exercise 1: Design of hydrometric gauging stations

Geotechnical investigations for hydropower feasibility

Principles of good project layout design

Exercise 2: Development of a project layout

Economic analysis and sensitivity analysis

Environmental and Social Considerations

Drawing conclusions from the results, question and

ELEMENTS OF A HYDROPOWER FEASIBILIT Y STUDY

ELEMENTS OF A HYDROPOWER FEASIBILIT Y STUDY

ELEMENTS OF A HYDROPOWER FEASIBILIT Y STUDY

(2) Power Market Analysis

Analysis of market regulation

ELEMENTS OF A HYDROPOWER FEASIBILIT Y STUDY

Cost / Benefit Analysis

(4) Environmental and Social Project Analysis

ELEMENTS OF A HYDROPOWER FEASIBILIT Y STUDY

(6) Conclusions and Recommendations

(7) Other contents as required

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

Elevation above sea level

Time of the year

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

Net Head depending on

Pipe diameter/canal dimensions

Other hydraulic losses

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

Depending on turbine type, size and speed, quality, wear

Depending on type, size, speed, voltage level, age

Depending on type, size, cooling system, voltage level, age

Usually: total 70 to 85 % for small hydropower

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

Climate change impact on the two above

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

Long-term stream flow discharge measurements at the

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

3. Correlation analysis for gap filling of missing data

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

The ability to store water defines the possible functions of the

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES

HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS - INFLOW SERIES