The hidden potential of Mini Hydro

Whitepaper | 2018

Bringing untapped hydropower to reality

Voith HyComplete solutions

1 Reducing interfaces by turnkey solutions

2 Customized solutions for standard applications

3 Water-to-wire and beyond: Voith as your partner

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Smallhydropower 7 %

Source: World Small Hydropower Development Report 2016, World Bank, ICSHP

* SHP = Small Hydropower

Voith Hydro at a glanceSince nearly 150 years Voith Hydro is a global leader in Small Hydro providing water-to-wire solutions from a few hundred Kilowatts up to 30 MW.

• 4 500 employees• 25 locations• 4 competence centers for

Small Hydro in Austria, Spain, India and Japan

There are many new and lasting trends in the energy market, including renew-able projects with smaller production sites that are closer to the consumer. Energy conversion by utilizing remaining potential and offsetting part of the local consumption and electrification of rural areas by renewable projects go hand in hand with the environment or larger wind, solar or hydropower projects with a local footprint and close participation of the communities. The potential is still great, even for hydropower which

generally provides a huge advantage over other renewables such as: long lifetime of equipment, favorable base- load characteristics and better predict-ability. These advantages give additional value to grid operators who struggle with the integration of smaller, fluctuat-ing renewables. The graphs below show hydropower’s share of more than 60 % within the renewable energy mix. Small and Mini Hydro contribute 7 % to that mix. A remarkable number which still has potential to grow considering that

only 36 % has yet to be developed. But the success and future scalability, especially of Mini Hydro, is not definite. Smaller hydropower sites often face the challenges of project lead times and initial investment costs due to required water construction works. So the question is: how do we tap into the potential which is clearly there? This paper shall give a first answer – the Voith HyComplete approach.

Wind power 22 %

Solar power 11 %

Geothermal power 1 %Bioenergy 5 %

Largehydropower

54 %

Remaining 64 %

Installed36 %

voith.com

Global share of renewable energy Global installed SHP* capacity

Whitepaper | 2018

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Voith HyComplete – a comprehensive product line

HyComplete key factsComplete water-to-wire solutions designed and manufactured by Voith Small Hydro Competence Center.

• Turbine-generator units from 50 to 1 200 kW

• Head range from 2 to 350 m• Flow range from 0.3 to 15 m³/s• Compact, integrated auxiliary systems• Standard low voltage protection &

control system

The Mini Hydro site “Alte Bleiche” in Heidenheim, Germany

The first principle is simple: reducing interfaces in the project.

The complexity of larger hydropower projects is reduced by standardization of the entire concept. The product is not just the turbine or the generator – the key is the right plant solution with the integrated and standardized com-ponents as part of it. The hydropower business is much more complex as one might think. Solar and wind power plants have relatively constant boundar-ies, the integration of a hydropower plant into the project site has often much more parameters to deal with. Therefore the first principle is to reduce the interfaces within the plant itself and have a fully integrated solution as a whole.

The Voith HyComplete product line is designed and driven by this principle. The StreamDiver is an outstanding example of it. The picture above shows the Mini Hydro site “Alte Bleiche” in Heidenheim, Germany. The turbine-

generator unit is fully submerged into the existing water channel with an inte-grated trash rack and gate system. This provides fish friendliness, maintains the waterway’s flood capacity and com-bines it with a high performance power plant which is 100 % oil-free.

Voith and its project partners provided planning, design, manufacturing and supply of all plant components and su-pervised the construction. An outstand-ing example of the first key principle: reducing interfaces in both, the design and the execution.

HyComplete application range

1 000

eQ Kaplan

Head [m]

Small Hydro

HyComplete

StreamDiver

PipeRunner

eQ Solutions

eQ Francis

eQ Pelton

1 000

100

10

Dis

char

ge [m

3 /s]

1

0.1

1 10

2 MW

1 MW

100

500 kW300 kW

100 kW

50 kW

5 MW 10 MW 15 MW 30 MW

Whitepaper | 2018

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HyComplete products

The eQ Solutions is comprised of simplified, highly standardized turbine-generator units and their auxiliary systems. The system is pre-assembled to allow for fast and easy erection at site. With integrated controls and actuators, it provides a compact and reliable water-to-wire system.

The second principle is finding the link between the application and the solution. In many respects Mini Hydro requires smart and innovative concepts to find the best solution for a specific site and save time and cost on all aspects of the project.

2 to 10 m 20 to 100 m Up to 350 m

Up to 1 000 kW Up to 1 200 kW Up to 1 200 kW

2 to 20 m3/s 0.5 to 3 m3/s Up to 1 m3/s

eQ Solutions

Kaplan Francis Pelton

Design features• Vertical double-regulated Kaplan • High efficient hydraulic design• Short erection time due to pre-

assembled parts• Compact design to optimize

civil structure• Directly coupled generator or

speed increaser option• Maintenance-friendly due to

modular design• Runner diameter from 0.8 to 2 m• Automation (see page 5)

Design features• Horizontal Francis unit• Compact and pre-assembled• Medium head up to 100 m• Runner diameter from 400

to 790 mm• Optimized inlet and

draft-tube parts • High-quality milled runner

inhouse • Automation (see page 5)

Design features• Vertical or horizontal Pelton

design from 1 to 6 nozzles• Inner-regulated nozzles with

hydraulic actuator• Compact set with integrated

generator• Encased in concrete or free-

standing • Jet deflector for load rejection• Automation (see page 5)

Whitepaper | 2018

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The StreamDiver provides an industry-wide unique design that allows a simplification of the entire powerhouse design. Lubrication and cooling water systems are not required, actuation systems for control and startup are reduced to a minimum. A flexible and modular integration into the civil infrastructure, ease of installation and maintenance allow cost savings throughout the project phase.

Up to 8 m

Up to 850 kW

Up to 14 m3/s

The Voith PipeRunner is designed to provide clean power from industrial water applications (e.g. sewage or drinking water treatment plants). Its focus is flexible integration, easy access and the use of standardized, off-the-shelf componets.

Up to 20 m

Up to 250 kW

Up to 4 m3/s

StreamDiver

Design features• Highly efficient propeller turbine • Direct-driven permanent magnet generator• River-water lubricated bearing design• Completely oil- and grease-free operation• Maintenance-friendly design for easy and fast

service in the workshop• Modular design for sites with high flow

(parallel generation of multiple units)• Runner regulation or variable speed as option

for flow regulation • Flexible integration and solution for low head

run-of-river or energy recovery projects• Automation (see page 5)

PipeRunner

Design features• Fixed runner or runner regulation for variable flow• Cost-efficient off-the-shelf generator • Higher head through serial arrangement• Higher flow through parallel arrangement• Tubular design with high setting and easy access • Special application in drinking or sewage water

treatment plants• Automation (see page 5)

Whitepaper | 2018

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Step 1: Open up data − securely in the cloud

Step 2: Visualize processes − detect variances

Step 3: Analyze intelligently and extend service life

Step 4: Run simulations and maintain proactively

Step 5: Derive actions − maximize revenue

The automation system yields as a standardized low-voltage platform for all HyComplete products. The design concept minimizes complexity by focusing on mandatory systems only. Additional functionality and systems can be added as options to account for local grid codes or customer preferences.

• Low voltage circuit breaker assembly• Protection and synchronization• Central plant control (common control functions)• Automatic voltage regulator (AVR) • Alarm and remote monitoring system• House supply for support systems (motors and actuators)• Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)• Fully assembled stand-alone container system (option)• Island operation system (option)

Hydropower is already highly automated; now Voith is making it intelligent. We know the data that is important for hydro-power plant operators to achieve greater efficiency, flexibility and security – today and in the future. Together with our customers we are making available a pool of technical and system-related data for the power plant and its infrastructure securely in the cloud, visualize and analyze it, and develop self-learning models for well-substantiated and forward-looking decisions. Thanks to the intelligent hydro-power plant, we are making the plants of our customers fit for the requirements of tomorrow.

150 years of experience combined with in-depth digital expertise − Voith brings intelligence into the digital hydropower plant.

Automation system Intelligent Hydropower – Made by Voith

1,000 h remaining

Whitepaper | 2018

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HyComplete applications

The most common application is the use of water resources in rivers with natural or man-made head and to turbi-nate a portion of this water. Depending on the head and flow range Kaplan, Francis, Pelton and other most common technologies are applicable.

An important factor is the compact and flexible integration, to account for cost reductions on the civil and erection side. For many cases Voith eQ Solutions will be the most suitable choice.

Sewage Water Treatment Plant Single unit installation, Type S, fixed blades

As a special type of run-of-river, low head hydropower has a tremendous potential on waterways around the world. More than 85 % of the existing dams are not electrified yet and the majority of them have low heads.

It is a question of an economic and eco-logical solution which makes these sites bankable. Voith’s answer to it is the StreamDiver.

Capitalizing on the potential of underuti-lized power plants and industrial appli-cations such as drinking or sewage wa-ter treatment plants has become more and more popular. It benefits from exist-ing infrastructure or missing interfaces with natural flows which results in less requirements and plant components (e.g. fish protection).

The PipeRunner, StreamDiver and eQ Solutions (Francis or Pelton for higher heads) cover a wide range of possible applications.

Run-of-river Low head hydropower Energy recovery

Key requirements• Cost-efficient concepts & products• Compact, pre-assembled parts to

shorten erection time• High performance and flexible

hydraulics

Key requirements• Low impact to civil structure• Environmentally friendly solution• Keep waterway management

capabilities

Key requirements• Flexible integration into existing

infrastructure (network, civil)• Compliant with safety or usage

requirements (e.g. drinking water treatment)

• Cost-efficient solution

Whitepaper | 2018

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Mini Hydro reference examples

Run-of-river – modernization of existing powerhouse (Usage of residual flow)

Mini Hydro technology: StreamDiverPlant output: 250 kWHead: 4.7 mFlow: 6 m³/sUnits: 1

Commissioning: March 2015

Run-of-river – high head application

Mini Hydro technology: Pelton eQ SolutionPlant output: 2 258 kWHead: 186 m and 174 mFlow: 1 m³/s and 0.4 m³/sUnits: 2

Commissioning: May 2017

Brukfors, Sweden

Voith scope and features• Water-to-wire supply • Fixed-speed, non-regulated StreamDiver• Cold climate operation (submerged power house)• Fish-friendly powerhouse concept

Customer benefits• Oil-free, environmentally friendly solution in sensitive region• Fast delivery in 8 months• Full integration into existing automation infrastructure• Low maintenance solution

Customer benefits• Cost-efficient design • Short delivery times • Significant reduction of civil foundation cost by

housing design• High quality and performance

Voith scope and features• Supply of complete set of mechanical equipment• Turbine-generator units with auxiliaries• 3 and 6 nozzle vertical Pelton• Pelton turbine without jet deflector• Turbine inlet valve and hydraulic power unit• Distribution pipe and drainage pipe

Babino Polje, Montenegro

Whitepaper | 2018

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The Tokyo Electric Generation Co., Ltd.

Egasaki, Japan

Energy recovery – drinking water treatment plant

Mini Hydro technology: PipeRunnerPlant output: 80 kWHead: 14 mFlow: 0.7 m³/sUnits: 2 (serial arrangement)

Commissioning: 2003

Voith scope and features• Complete electromechanical equipment• Turbine-generator units • Connection integration in existing system• Propeller units (non-regulated) in serial arrangement• Low voltage protection and control equipment

Customer benefits• Offset own load by 80 kW • Integrated pipe system, easy to access• Standardized, off-the-shelf components• Short delivery and project execution time

Whitepaper | 2018

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Water-to-wire and beyond: Voith as your partner

Solution development

Finding the best solution for a

site is not straight forward. No

matter if you are a project owner

or a project engineer. Voith and

its partners will support you by

developing a comprehensive

solution which considers your

site-specific requirements.

Project identification

Project feasibility

Project design

Construction Operation

Early project

Pre-feasibility check

You identified a site and want

to know whether this can be a

profitable opportunity? We can

assist you or bring you in touch

with the persons who do!

Planning support

During the design phase of

your project the interfaces

to the equipment supplier

are crucial. Voith’s project

design office will manage

or assist you with these

interfaces.

Financing support

You have a profitable project,

but you are interested in further

equity? Voith can support you

finding equity and other financ-

ing options.

Training

You are interested

in further training on

plant operation or

other special topics

around hydropower.

Ask us!

W2W OEM

We deliver what we’ve

promised. Voith can provide

a comprehensive package

from the hydropower resource

up the grid connection point.

Service

We know our products

and how to service them.

We can provide service

packages which suits

your requirements and

save operational costs,

downtime and risks.

€€ €€€ €

€€ €

€€ €

€€ €

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The second driving principle was the link between the application and the solution. The third factor now refers to the first one – reducing the interfaces. Projects on the lower end of the output scale hardly pencil off if the setup is not right from the start. Early involvement, transparent planning and a partner approach is key to bring more projects to realization.

Whitepaper | 2018

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The importance of Hydropower Renewable energy is undoubtedly the most sustainable answer to the rise in energy demand. Hydropower plays a key role in sustainable and environmen- tally friendly power generation and is the leading renewable source of electricity generation globally. Worldwide it makes an indispensable contribution to a stable power supply which supports economic and social development in both indus- trialized countries and in high-growth regions. Since the early days of hydro-power Voith has been and continues to be a leading supplier and innovator of hydropower technology.

About the company For 150 years, Voith technologies havebeen inspiring its customers, business partners and employees all over the world. Founded in 1867, Voith today has around 19 000 employees and earns 4.3 billion euros in sales. It has locations in more than 60 countries andis one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe. As a technology leader, Voith sets standards in the energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive markets.

Philipp Daus

Global Product ManagerProduct Line Mini HydroVoith Hydro GmbHAlexanderstr. 1189522 Heidenheim, GermanyPhilipp.Daus@Voith.com Tel. +49 7321 37-9040

Voith Hydro Holding GmbH & Co. KGAlexanderstr. 1189522 Heidenheim, Germany

Stay tuned and keep track of exciting news on Mini Hydro @ Voith in 2018: Visit our Website:www.voith.com/minihydro

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