Improving Design by Partnering in Engineering–Procurement–Construction (EPC) Hydropower Projects: A Case Study of a Large-Scale Hydropower Project in China

Hydropower, as a renewable energy resource, has become an important way to fit for Chinese long-term energy policy of energy transformation. Engineering–procurement–construction (EPC) has been increasingly adopted for improving hydropower project delivery efficiency in the utilization of water resources and generation of clean energy, where design plays a critical role in project success. Existing studies advocate the need to use partnering for better solutions to designs in EPC hydropower projects. However, there is a lack of a theoretical framework to systematically address design-related issues considering different participants’ interactions. This study coherently examined the causal relationships among partnering, design management, design capability, and EPC hydropower project performance by establishing and validating a conceptual model, with the support of data collected from a large-scale EPC hydropower project. Path analysis reveals that partnering can directly promote design management and design capability and exert an effect on design capability through enhancing design management, thereby achieving better hydropower project outcomes. This study’s contribution lies in that it theoretically builds the links between intra- and inter-organizational design-related activities by systematically mapping EPC hydropower project performance on partnering, design management, and design capability. These findings also suggest broad practical strategies for participants to optimally integrate their complementary resources into designs to achieve superior hydropower project performance.

Measuring Effectiveness of Project Communication Channels in Affected Communities in Nepal

This study is identifying the most appropriate communication medium to communicate with local people by Arun-3 Hydropower Project (AHPP) especially focusing on the project construction phase. Since, the study is focused on the construction period when chances of misunderstanding, miscommunication, and other conflicts between project-affected people and the project, will be high due to higher incidences of social and environmental issues. This study was completed by applying mix method of research where quantitative research was conducted through a survey among local people of Makalu Rural Municipality (MRM) of Sankhuwasabha and a case interview was done with the chairman of the same Rural Municipality. The study has revealed that local radios and public meetings are the most recommended mediums that participants expected to support the project in properly disseminating project-related information to local people. This article suggests that AHPP should disseminate information about project activities mainly through local radios and public meetings. This study also concludes that the project developer is not providing sufficient information about project activities to local people, which is also a source of misunderstanding between the two sides.

Environmental flow assessment of Kayan River: managing sustainability indicator of hydropower project

Nowadays, constructing a new hydropower plant is one of the most attractive solutions to overcome energy requirements. The Kayan Hydroelectric, built in the Kayan River, is projected to generate electricity of nine hundred megawatts. However, the dams have to be managed appropriately since alteration of river discharge will have a significant impact on the environment. This paper proposes an environmental flow assessment as an appropriate indicator to manage sustainability. Three environmental flow assessment methods were used: Flow Duration Curve Analysis (FDCA), Tennant method, and Building Block method. The environmental flow pattern was used as a benchmark to evaluate whether the operation rule of the dams fulfilled the sustainable requirement, particularly on the hydrological pattern of the river. Regarding the Tennant and FDCA method, the minimum discharge that has to be maintained for the minimum environmental flow of the river is about twenty-five cms (corresponds to ten percent of AFF) and thirty-five cms, respectively. Meanwhile, the Building block method informs a range of discharge from a hundred cms to twenty thousand cms during the flood. The environmental flow should be managed to guarantee that the river’s ecosystem and carrying capacity can be preserved.

Spatio-temporal analysis of hydropower projects with terrestrial environmentally sensitive areas of Nepal

Hydropower project construction is increasing, which can affect the terrestrial environment. Hydropower projects located in environmentally sensitive areas have higher environmental impacts, so I analyzed the spatiotemporal interaction between hydropower project locations and terrestrial environmentally sensitive areas of Nepal to visualize the probable environmental impacts. Most of the existing projects lie on the hill; however, future projects are moving northward. Among the 12 eco-regions of Nepal, hydropower projects are located in 10 eco-regions. Hydropower projects were found to interact with more than half of the biodiverse areas of the country (28 out of 45), and more than five thousand megawatts of hydropower projects are located completely inside these biodiverse areas. The study suggests that the interaction between hydropower projects and environmentally sensitive areas might increase in the future. Hydropower projects should avoid environmentally sensitive areas such as biodiverse areas and protected areas as much as possible to minimize the impacts. Rapid hydropower development is a necessity in countries such as Nepal, so further studies on the effects of hydropower projects on environmentally sensitive areas as well as improvement of the quality of the environmental assessment of the projects are necessary for environmentally friendly development.

Developent and Application of Hybrid Method to Inhomogeneous Geology for Curtain Grouting -Case Study in Sedimentary Rock with Fold Movement for Nam Ngiep 1 Hydropower Project in Lao PDR-

Curtain grouting for dam foundation treatment is one of the most crucial work items in dam construction to secure the impermeability of the foundation rock. Some decades ago, the Grouting Intensity Number (GIN) Method developed in Europe has been frequently applied to relatively simple geotechnical structures. On the other hand, the Conventional Method, which requires phased mix proportion and water pressure tests through a sequence of the works, is as yet reliable for inhomogeneous geology. This paper presents the development of a modified curtain grouting method and its application to the Nam Ngiep 1 Hydropower Project in Lao PDR, which has an inhomogeneous geology of sedimentary rock with weak layers affected by fold movement. The method has been dubbed as “hybrid” because it garners both the economical superiority of the GIN Method in that it enables the use of a single mix proportion, and the technical superiority of the Conventional Method in that the individual design pressure in each stage is based on water pressure tests.

Conflicts in Implementing Environmental Flows for Small-Scale Hydropower Projects and Their Potential Solutions—A Case from Fujian Province, China

Releasing environmental flows is a valuable strategy for mitigating negative impacts of small-scale hydropower projects on river and riparian ecosystems. However, maintaining environmental flows has faced considerable resistance from different stakeholders, and previous studies have failed to appropriately investigate solutions. Here, online questionnaires and interviews were conducted among small-scale hydropower project owners, government administrators, and the public in Fujian Province, China. The results showed that the major hindrance to implementing environmental flows was the potential economic loss resulting from reductions in electricity production, stakeholders’ skepticism, technical difficulties, and a lack of the government supervision. Diversion-type projects pose the largest losses of electricity production after the release of environmental flows, and by adopting a 10% of mean annual flow as minimum target, most small-scale hydropower projects obtain low marginal profits without compensation. Here, we proposed an appropriate payment for ecosystem services by introducing an economic compensation program for different types of small-scale hydropower projects scaled by potential losses in electricity generation. Under such a scheme, economic losses from a reduction in electricity production are covered by the government, hydropower project owners, and electricity consumers. Our study offers recommendations for policymakers, officials, and researchers for conflict mitigation when implementing environmental flows.

Hydropower and Sustainability

Renewable energy sources are gaining momentum in power sector mainly to address the impacts of climate change as well as the risks associated with usage of fossil fuels or nuclear energy sources. Hydropower is one of the most promising renewable energy source-based power plant that hold significant shares globally. But there are series of risks associated with hydropower project when we talk about sustainability and needs are felt to critically understand the pertaining risks as well as protocols or measures to quantify the risks. Such measure will prove to be crucial in underlining the strategic measures from planning, construction and operation phases of hydropower keeping on account of its sustainability.

Strategy for Prioritization of Storage Hydropower Projects - A Case from Nepal

Purpose: This research aims to analyze the Sensitivity for Prioritization of Storage Hydropower Projects of Nepal. Design/Methodology/Approach: Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) based on Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) has been used for analyzing the Technical, Financial, Policy, Environment factors Sensitivity with pairwise comparison in different multiple criteria. Additionally, the response from the client and expert opinion was conducted. Findings/Result: Technical on first (weightage of 34%), financial on the second (weightage of 25%), environmental on third (weightage of 16%), policy and political on fourth (weightage of 11%), uncertainties on fifth (weightage of 9%), and respondents on sixth (weightage of 5%) are the main the factors. The impact can be explained at 50 % change in weight of respondent Nalsaugad Storage Hydropower Project stands at first rank. If the weightage of respondents changes by 100% then Uttarganga Storage Hydropower Project stands at first rank with respect to respondent factor. The sensitivity analysis with respect to factors was done, which shows no significant difference in the ranking of projects at the base case and at the case of change in weight of factors. Originality/Value: It is action research to assure factors weights Paper Type: Analytical Policy Research