Hydro Power News

News Archives  1997 
News Archives  1998 
News Archives  1st Half of 1999
 

12/28/1999	Big Hydro Power Project in Uganda AES Corp.'s project company AES Nile Power and the government of Uganda concluded an implemetation agreement for the development of a 250 MW hydroelectric power plant at Bunjali on the Nile river. The costs for the power plant and the transmissions lines are estimated at $ 550 million. The project is the largest private sector investment in the region and is expected to be a big boost for the Ugandan economy. (iwr)
12/23/1999	Hydro Power versus Fish According to an online report by the Foundation for Water and Energy Education, a power struggle (fish vs. hydro power) has been carried out over a hydropower dam in Oregon. Whereas the U.S. Forest Service wants Portland-based PacifiCorp to remove the Soda Springs Dam on the North Umpqua River in Oregon, PacifiCorp. wants to keep running the dam as it considers the environmental benefits minor as compared to the economic losses the company would have to suffer, if the dam was removed. (iwr)
12/15/1999	Operators of Hydroelectric Power Plants Prepared for Year 2000 BC Hydro and Bayernwerk Wasserkraft AG, both operators of hydroelectric power plants, have made preparations for the turn of the millenium. BC Hydro announced that its date-dependent computerized technology already operated successfully in a "year 200 mode". Bayernwerk Wasserkraft AG also announced that it prepared its technological equipment and computers to deal with the year 2000 problem. (iwr)
12/08/1999	Hannover Utilities Start EXPO Hydroelectric Power Plant The German renewable energies magazine IDEE (Informationsdienst Erneuerbare Energien) reported that the City of Hannover and Utilities Hannover started the EXPO hydroelectric power plant in Herrenhausen near Hannover. The project, which will produce 4.8 million kWh of power per year cost about DM 11 million. The power plant will be an official EXPO site, beginning in June of 200. It will provide power to 1,850 households. (iwr)
12/01/1999	Siemens Will Provide Technology for Hydroelectric Power Plants in India In cooperation with VA Tech Hydro Vevey, from Switzerland, Siemens Corp. from Erlangen, Germany, will provide the electromechanical equipment and the equipment for the control units for Baspa II hydroelectric power plant in the state of Himachal, Pradesh, India. In the state of Khopoli, India,  Siemens will build a hydroelectric power plant in a consortium with Sulzer Hydro, Switzerland. Siemens Ltd. India will be in charge of the installation and the beginning of operation of the components provided by Siemens.  The total vaule of the order amounts to DM 81 million (EUR 41 million). (iwr)
11/30/1999	New on Our Server:  IWR Market Focus "Hydro Power" in Germany IWR installed the IWR market focus "hydro power"on our server (German water power homepage). The market focus lists current information on the water power market in in Germany. The water power production, the installed capacity and the developments at the precipitation measuring site in Münster of the hydrological year 1998/99 are shown. (iwr)
11/24/1999	Bulgaria and Turkey Will Launch High-Profile Power Project At the end of October, Bulgaria and Turkey launched a $220 million cascade project with three hydro power stations. The hydro power stations will be located in the Rhodope Mountains in southeastern Bulgaria, an area that is mostly populated by Bulgaria's ethnic Turks. Bulgaria's state-owned National Electricity Company (NEC) and Turkey's Ceylan Holding each hold 50% of the shares. According to Turkey's prime minister Ecevit, the project will create up to 3,000 workplaces.  (iwr)
10/27/1999	Scotland Investigates into Wave Power Members of each major party in Scotland agreed on founding a commission that will investigate how Scotland can make use of the power of ocean waves for electricty. The commission, which will be made up  five members pf parliament, electricity suppliers, wave energy experts and memebers of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, is expected to report its findings to the Sottish parliament early next year. Experts believe that tapping the power of ocean water, precisely the up-and-down motion from waves at sea, will open up a market that is worth 20 million pounds in the UK alone and 50 million pounds worldwide. (iwr)
10/20/1999	VA TECH Hydro Vevey  Will Provide Turbine for Hydroelectric Power Plant in India VA TECH Hydro Vevey S.A., a subsidiary of VA Tech VOEST MCE, located in Vevey/Switzerland and Siemes Inc. from Erlangen were chosen as  book runners for the supply, assembly and commissioning of three Pelton turbines for Baspa II hydroelectric power plant in India. The turbines had been ordered by Jaiprakash Hydro Power Ltd., a subsidiary of one of the biggest Indian construction comapnies. The order amounts to EUR 12.4 million (170 million shillings). Whereas VA TECH Hydro Vevey will provide three Pelton turbines, each one with a a power rating of 103  MW, control units, valves, and additional equipment, Simens will provide three generators, operation technology , etc. (iwr)
10/13/1999	Price for Transfer of Sulzer Hydro to VA TECH Was Fixed  Sulzer Inc. from Winterthur, Switzerland and VA Technologie Inc. (VA TECH) from Linz, Austria agreed on a sales price for the transfer of Sulzer's hydro power activities to VA TECH. The fixed price is EURO 132 million. Provided that the cartel authorities will authorize this fusion of business activities between the two companies, the agreement reached between Sulzer Inc. and VA TECH will go into effect. (iwr)
10/06/1999	VA TECH Took Over Sulzer's Hydro Power Business  Sulzer Ltd. from Winterthur, Switzerland and VA Technologie Inc. (VA TECH) from Linz, Austria, signed an agreement regulating the transfer of all business activities of Sulzer's hydro power division to VA TECH. Both Sulzer Hydro and the VA TECH  Energy and Environmental Engineering Group Area have been successful suppliers in the fields of electrical and mechanical equipment for hydroelectric power plants. Further details on the agreement as well a the purchasing price will be disclosed in approximately two weeks, after VA TECH's Board of Directors will have consented to the takeover.  (iwr)
09/29/1999	ABB Obtains $112 Million Order for  Three Gorges Project in China  ABB obtained an order for the provision of a high-voltage system for the three-groge project in China. The order, which amounts to $ 112 million, is the third order that ABB has thus far acquired for the three-gorges project, which is run by the China Yangtze Three Gorges Project Development Corp.. Construction will begin in 2001 and be finished in 2004.  (iwr)
09/22/1999	Debates Regarding Water Power in South Tyrol According to a press release by the Austrian newspaper "Die Presse", Vienna, South Tyrol is to become much more autonomous regarding its water power production as Italian energy companies will lose the rights of use. The Italian energy company Enel protested against surrendering its rights of use to South Tyrol. However, since the Enel monpoly cannot be maintained anyhow because of the liberalization of the power market, it seems feasible to reach a compromise in the form of a joint venture, in which other regions can also participate. The power poker ist largely a result of the large water power capacities in South Tyrol, which amount to 5.2 billion kWh of power annually, of which only 2 billion kWh are needed for home demands. (iwr)
09/15/1999	Operators of Hydroelectric Power Plants in Switzerland Under Pressure The newspaper "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" recently reported that  operators of  hydroelectric power plants in Switzerland are struggling with high water interest rates, as well as communal taxes and other fixed duties for the community. The situation has been aggravated by the liberalization of the power market. Jörg Aeberhard, Director of the Hydraulic Production Department of Aare Tessin Corp. therefore calls for new concepts that will ensure the feasibilty of operating a hydroelectric power plant by severely cutting taxes and other duties .  (iwr)
09/01/1999	Sulzer Hydro Opened Up Production Facility in India In New-Delhi, India, Sulzer Hydro opened up a new production facility for  hydro turbines and components for hydroelectric power plants. The production facility, which employs 350 employees,  is run by Sulzer Flovel Hydro, a joint-venture company of Sulzer Hydro. In the past years, Sulzer Flovel Hydro has shown growth in the production of compact hydro systems, i.e. turn-key hydroelectric power plants with a maximum capacity of 10 MW  (iwr)
08/26/1999	Recent Developments in Turkey's Hydro Power Sector The United States Energy Information Administration recently announced that Turkey has been one of the fastest growing power markets in the world for the last two decades. Hydroelectric energy plays an important role in the generation of electricty. Currently, Turkey has 5 hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of 74 MW. The country now wants to intensify its utilization of water energy potentials. A $ 32 billion hydropower and irrigation project is  being devloped at the moment. The project will include 21 dams, 19 hydro plants and a network of tunnels and irrigation canals. In April, Turkey's Energy Undersecretary also announced that several U.S. firms were involved in negotiations concerning the construction of 9 or 10 medium-sized hydro plants and dams in Turkey. (iwr)
08/18/1999	Opposition to Hydro Dam in India According to the Canadian Association for Renewable Energies (C.A.R.E.) villagers in Inida are opposing the construction of the $8 billion Sarovar Dam on the Narmada River in In India, since they do not want to be resettled. It is expected that 500,000 people will have to be resettled, should the dam walls be raised as it is planned by the Indian government. (iwr)
08/11/1999	New Hydroelectric Power Plants in Germany and Slovakia  Last Friday the opening ceremony for a new hydroelectric power plant took place in Hamm, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany. According to the Canadian Renewable  Energies Association (CARE) the construction of a new hydroelectric power plant is currntly also under way on the river Vah in Liptov, Slovakia. The new power plant will be the third facility on that river.  (iwr)
07/22/1999	Joint-Venture of Voith and Siemens Voith Hydro Inc. from Baden- Wurttemberg, Germany, amd Siemens, Inc. intend to merge their hydro power activities under the joint-venture brand name "Voith Siemens Hydro. The new compnay is meant to be the global leader in the field of hydro power. "Voith Siemens Hydro" will employ roughly 2200 employees (approximately 1500 from Siemens and 650 from Voith). The company's trade volume is expected to exceed DM 1 billion (Voith: DM 700 million, Siemens DM 350 million). Voith's holdings of this new company will amount to 65% , whereas Siemens's holdings will make up 35%. The joint-venture, which will be headquartered in Heidenheim, will be founded in October, supposing that the cartel authorities issue an approval.  (iwr)
07/15/1999	WRE Inc. Enters French Energy Market According to reports by the company itself, WRE Inc. from Bad Homburg, Germany, entered the French energy market. Via a capital increase of French Hydro Holding Ltd., WRE Inc. acquired a majority holding of this company. As a consequence WRE's turnover (DM 1.3 million in 1998) is supposed to increase by DM 1.2 million per year, including the current capacities. The financial means that have become available to Hydro Holding because of the capital increase, will enable the company to purchase seven hydroelectric power plants, amounting to a capacity of 5 MW. Holdings of three additional hydroelectric power plants, amounting to a capacity of 4.6 MW, have been held for quite some time now. Based on long-term electricity feeding contracts, 25.000 MWh are annually fed into the power grid for the price of approximately 9 Pfennigs per kWh. (iwr)
07/01/1999	Water Power Producer Purchases Wind Power Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), one of the biggest American water power producers, intends to sell more wind power. The company will purchase the wind power of  three 600 kW systems at the Foote Creek Wind Farm in Wyoming. In total the wind farm consists of 69 turbines, amounting to a capacity of 41.4 MW. Earlier this year, BPA agreed to purchase 15 MW from this wind farm. (iwr)