“Chanakhchi” SHPP: Monitoring Results (Photos)

EcoLur

In the framework of the project entitled “ Support to SHPP-relating Reforms Through the Dialogue of Public and RA Nature Protection Ministry for Sustainable Use of River Ecosystems” the expert group visited “Chanakhchi” SHPP. “Chanakhchi” SHPP is located in the administrative area of Debed community, Syunik Region, the SHPP head section is located in Gugarq forestry enterprise, while the station is located in the outskirts of Debed Village. The SHPP is constructed on the Chanakhchi River, which is also known as Alareks (length – 24 km).  It’s operated by “Mavr” LLC.

As a result of the monitoring, the expert group found out:

• The SHPP has been operating since 1997.
• According to the project, the static pressure of the SHPP is 73.0m, estimated pressure –70.50m. The estimated yield used by the SHPP is 2.5m³/s, projected capacity – 1004 kW. According to the certificate issued by the Public Services Regulatory Committee capacity – 1440 kW. According to the certificate issued by the Public Services Regulatory Committee, the factual useful delivery of the electricity is 2.64967666666667 million kWh, according to the project, the estimated production is 6.19 million kWh, duration of license - 22.01.2007- 22.01.2022, water usage permit - 2009- 2015 November.
• The SHPP should have a dam of 2.6 meters high, according to the project, but, in fact it is 1.2 meters high and 20 meters long. The dam is made of iron and concrete, as planned in the project.
• There is a special construction made of pebbles up to the dam to resist water flow in case of flooding.
• The water from the right side of the drainage basin flows into the sand trap through the bars, while the fish passway constructed in the left side ensures environmental flow. The water usage permit says the environmental flow is set 120 l/s. At the moment of observation there was sufficient water in the river, but it should be mentioned that only 1 out of 3 turbines was operating at the station.
• There is a fish passway in the had section, which is 8.10 meters long and 1.10 meters wide, it consists of 6 stairs. The lower part of the fish passway finishes on the around one-meter-long pebble, which will cause additional difficulties for the migration of the fish.
• There are no fish-protecting cage nets in the head section. Instead, there are 2 garbage-collecting bars which are around 8 meters long, and the distance between the slots is around 4-6 cm. Such difference between slots can’t be an obstacle for most fish to appear in the SHPP pipeline.
• You can meet the following fish species in the Chanakhchi River: brown trout, the South Caucasus Spirlin, Kura barbell, Sevan khramulya (red-listed in Red Book of Armenia). The The rainbow trout can penetrate here into fish farms.
• Аccording to the water usage permit, the SHPP can annually take 28500.000 cum water from the Chanakhchi during 10 months. The SHPP can’t work in January and February.
• According to “Computation Center” CJSC data, in 2014 “Chanakhchi” SHPP operated for 12 months and produced 1780296 kW electricity.
• The pressure pipeline is made of steel: its length complies with the project data: the pipeline length is 1240 meters, its diameter is 1400 mm. It’s buries and runs through the forest area along the road. According to the SHPP Director, no tree felling was carried out to lay the pipeline, no contract was signed with “ArmForest” SNCO to construct the SHPP head section in Gugarq forestry enterprise.
• Percentage Correlation of aggregate lenght of SHPP direvation with the lenght of Chanakhchi River makes up 5.16%.
• At the moment of observation only one out of three turbines installed in the station was operating with 260 l/s water amount, which produced 60 kW/h electricity.
• Turbines are produced locally, while generators have Russian origin. Their projected capacities are 1004 kW, which the SHPP ensures through two turbines only in April-June. According to the SHPP director, SHPP electricity production can be increased also in January-February, for which water usage volumes shall be increased.
• Transformer substation is fenced: three transformers are not equipped with oil-collecting system.
• The station area is improved and greened, but not fenced.
• There is no water-meter sealed by a relevant environmental body in the water intake.
• There is no automatic water management system in the water intake section.
• There is an electric switchboard installed in the station.

Proposals

• To study whether the environmental flow of 0.12 m³/s is sufficient for the given river an adjacent ecosystems (Gugarq forest).
• To ensure the water intake section with automatic management system and water measuring devices, which will regulate the water amount used by the SHPP and the set amount of the environmental flow.
• To ensure online supervision of the environmental low.
• To re-equip the SHPP building  with up-to-date and highly efficient turbines (to install one or two turbines instead of  three), which will result in the increase in the economic profitability of the SHPP.
• To rehabilitate the fish passway for the preservation and reliable migration of the fish.
• To install a fish protecting net.
• To equip the transformers with oil-collecting system.

The material was  developed in the frames of “Supporting reforms in the sector of small hydro power plants through enabling a dialogue between civil society  and the Ministry  of Nature Protection for sustainable use of river ecosystems” supported by UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme".

January 21, 2016 at 13:02