New Development

• Managing Community Expectations When Developing a Project in Nepal

  Project developers often must manage far more than just project construction and logistics. Developers of the 60 MW Khimti 1 hydropower plant in Nepal conducted a study to determine the success of the community development efforts employed 10 years earlier to manage expectations during construction of the facility.

Sealing Solutions

• Testing and Validation of Hydro Turbine Shaft Seals

  Extending the performance envelope of turbine shaft seals in hydropower applications offers opportunities to reduce leakage and improve reliability.

Bearings

• Converting an Oil-Lubricated Bearing to Water for Environmental Gains

  With environmental policies and legislations at every level of government becoming more stringent, the potential environmental and financial costs of an oil leak are causing many energy producers to consider water lubrication of bearings over conventional oil systems.

Africa Focus

• Developing Bujagali, the Largest Private Sector Investment in Uganda

  The 250 MW Bujagali project in Uganda is providing electricity in a vastly underserved market while boosting economic return for the entire country.

Asset Management

• Simplified Method for Estimating the Cost of Plant Equipment

  This article presents a method for calculating the value of various pieces of equipment installed in hydroelectric facilities, based on the parameters that define each component.

Small Hydro

• Progress on Developing the Saddleworth Hydro Plant

  Work is progressing on the 51 kW Saddleworth Hydro plant, the first high-head community-owned hydroelectric facility in England.

Viewpoint

Ideas in Action

• Water Conditioner Improves Efficiency at Agus 6 and 7 Plants

  Scale buildup in the generator cooling systems at the two powerhouses in the Agus 6/7 Hydroelectric Plant Complex forced personnel with plant owner National Power Corporation (NPC) of the Philippines to remove one set of coolers from service for cleaning during every planned maintenance shutdown.

Lessons Learned

• Ramping Rate Restrictions Part 2

  After a canal failure at the Rio Seco plant, Pedro, the plant manager, contacted George, a hydropower industry consultant, to ask: "How much discussion of ramping rates should there be in an operating manual?"