“Vorotan 7” 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 “Vorotan 7” SHPP. “Vorotan 7” SHPP is located in the administrative area of Gorayq community, Syunik Region. The SHPP is constructed on the Vorotan River (length – 178 km). It’s operated by “HGNQ Group” LLC. The construction of this SHPP has been funded by KfW bank, Germany, and co-funded in the frames of “Renewable Energy” project (stage 2) implemented by GAF.

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

• The SHPP has been operating since 2012.
• According to the project, the static pressure of the SHPP is 23.8 m, while it’s 26 m, according to the company.  According to the certificate issued by the Public Services Regulatory Committee (PSRC) on 1 January 2015, the estimated pressure is 24 m. According to the project, the estimated yield used by the SHPP is 5.0 m³/s, PSRC certificate says its 4.8 m³/s, the company says it’s 6.0 m³/s. According to the PSRC, the projected capacity is 730 kW, the factual useful delivery of the electricity is 2.617 million kWh, duration of license - 22.05.2013-22.05.2028, water usage permit 14.09.2007-14.01.2008. The company has applied to Nature Protection Ministry to obtain a water usage permit.
• The real coordinates and heights above sea level of the SHPP water intake and discharge points comply with the coordinates laid down in the water usage permit.
• The length of the SHPP dam is 18m, its height is 5.5 m. There is a pond generated above the dam. The project plans to have the length of the dam 18 meters and its height is 5 meters.
• The environmental flow runs through a stair-like fish passway consisting of 15 squares constructed on the left side, 1.5 meters wide and 24 meters long. The squares have 1.6 meters length and 2 meters width, and the river water flows through the holes opened in the bottom part. The first square has a log and wood, which can close the water entrance into the fish passway, if needed.
• You can meet the following fish species in this part of the Vorotan River: Kura barbell, South Caucasus Sprilin etc. The pond located up the dam is very convenient for the Prussian carp. The rainbow trout may regularly penetrate into here.
• The fish passway may be convenient for the brown trout, nevertheless, the strong current of the water, the length of the fish passway and other peculiarities of the structure can’t ensure free-of-obstacle movement of other fish in the river.
• The water flows into the irrigation ditch, which is 2 meters wide and 3 meters deep, located on the right side of the dam and has not fish-protecting nets at the entrance, so the fish can easily find themselves in the irrigation ditch and then in the SHPP pipeline. The irrigation ditch has length of 750 meters, which is mainly open, which has a garbage-collector in the middle with seven-centimeter long slots.
• According to the water usage permit, “Vorotan 7” SHPP can take water in all months. The environmental flow set in the water usage permit is 0.5 cum/s, the project said the environmental flow was set 0.77 cum/s. Visual observations showed that after the water intake the water amount left in the river was less that the environmental flow of 0.58 m³/s set in the water usage permit.
• According to “Computation Center” CJSC data, in 2014 “Vorotan 7” SHPP operated for 12 months in 2014 and produced 2616604 kW electricity.
• The water reached the SHPP station through 750-meter-long aqueduct, then through two 200-meter-long pipes.
• Percentage correlation of aggregate length of SHPP derivation pipelines (16482.37meters) of “Vorotna HPP” (the length of the derivation pipeline is 3220 meters, according to the certificate issued by the Public Services Regulatory Committee on 1 January 2015), “Shinuhayr” SHPP (the length of the derivation pipeline is 1555 meters, according to the certificate issued by the Public Services Regulatory Committee on 1 January 2015), “Apres” SHPP (the length of the derivation pipeline is 1700 meters, according to the certificate issued by the Public Services Regulatory Committee on 1 January 2015), “Vorotan-7” (the length of the derivation pipeline is 931.37 meters, according to the certificate issued by the Public Services Regulatory Committee on 1 January 2015), “Ishkhanasar” SHPP (the length of the derivation pipeline is 4356 meters, according to the project), “Mane” SHPP (the length of the derivation pipeline is 4720 meters, according to the certificate issued by the Public Services Regulatory Committee on 1 January 2015) with the length of Vorotan River makes up 9.25 % (178 km).
• There are 6 aggregates installed in the station, but only one was operating at the moment of observation, the others were in repair, though they have been operating for only three years. The noise made by the operating aggregate was very high, which was subjected to vibration.
• The automatic management and registration of the water intake and environmental flow is not ensured.
• There is no entirely automatic management system in the station.
• There is no water-meter sealed by a relevant environmental body in the water intake.
• The transformer substation is not fenced, the only installed transformer is not equipped with oil-collecting system.
• The station area is fenced and not greened.
• The landscape is violated in the different sections of the irrigation ditch and the pipeline, which is, most probable, the results of water leaks. No restoration has been carried out.
• There are no garbage bins in the station area.
• The SHPP employs 6 people.

Proposals

1.To ensure automatic management and online control of water intake and environmental flow in the head section, installation of water-measuring devices.

2.To examine whether the environmental flow of 0.58 m³/s laid down in the water usage permit is sufficient for the Vorotan River and surrounding natural ecosystems.

3.To remove the log from the fish passway.

4.To install a fish-protecting net in the water intake point.

5.To refuse from the dam and to carry out the water intake due to other hydrotechnical solutions.

6.To cover the irrigation ditch and pipes.

7.To eliminate landscape violations.

8.To install up-to-date effective equipment with entire automatic management to ensure maximum efficient hydroenergetic reserves.

9.To fence the station area and to carry out greening and tree planting.

10.To equip the transformer with an oil-collector and to fence the transformer station.

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".

March 10, 2016 at 19:09