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 “Getik 1” SHPP. “Getik 1” SHPP is located in Gegharkounik Region, in the administrative area of Aygut Community. The SHPP is constructed on the Getik River (length – 58 km). It’s operated by “Ariyoenergy” LLC.
As a result of the monitoring, the expert group found out:
- The SHPP has been operating since 2010.
- According to the company, the static pressure of the SHPP is 200 m. According to the certificate issued by the Public Services Regulatory Committee on 1 October 2015, the estimated pressure of the SHPP is 195.4 m and according to the project the estimated pressure of the SHPP is 195.4 m. According to the project and PSRC certificate, the estimated yield used by the SHPP is 4 m3/s. According to the PSRC certificate, the projected capacity is 5600 kW, and according to the project, it’s 6500 kW. According to the PSRC, as of 01.01.2016 the factual useful delivery of the electricity is 7.64137 million kWh. The estimated production of the SHPP is 20.1 million kWh according to the project and 16.25 million kWh according to the company, duration of license - 30.05.2012-06.07.2026, water usage permit - 24.11.2011-24.03.2012.
- The real coordinates of the SHPP water intake point and water discharge don’t comply with the coordinates laid down in the water usage permit. There was a project change in “Getik 1” SHPP, the location of the SHPP building has been changed because of landslide.
- The length of the dam is 14 meters, its height is 6 meters. The project planned to have a dam of 18 m long and 9.0 m high. At the moment of observation, the metallic valves in the water intake section were being repaired. According to the SHPP representative, such works are carried out regularly conditioned with water pollution.
- There is a fish passway with chess-like holes consisting of 16 compartments of 1.5 m wide and 30 m long on the left side of the dam. The sizes of the compartments are 1.5x1.5 m, while the height of the holes is 20 cm above the ground. At the moment of observation, the fish passway was completely dry, while there was a special metallic construction near the entrance to block the water entrance, there were parallel grooves on the side walls, where boards or metallic tins are installed again to block the entrance of the water. The natural migration of the fish is excluded in any way.
- According to the SHPP employee, the river water has much sediment load, which blocks the fish passway.
- The sand trap is equipped with garbage-collecting cage net, while there is a cellular net at the entrance part of the pipeline.
- You can meet brown trout, the South Caucasus Sprilin, Kura barbell, Kura loach and the Prussian carp in the river. The rainbow trout may also penetrate here from the fish farms.
- According to the project, the length of the pipeline is 7260 m, its diameter is 1200 mm.
- Percentage correlation of aggregate length of SHPP derivation pipelines (24188 meters) of “Erik” SHPP (the length of the derivation pipeline is 2050 meters, according to the project), “Getik 1” SHPP (according to the project, it’s length is 7260m), “Getik 4” SHPP (the length of the derivation pipeline is 5200 meters, according to the project) with the length of Getik River makes up 25.01 %.
- According to the water usage permit, “Getik 1” SHPP can take water 64000.0 cum/s in all 12 months ensuring 0.22 cum/s environmental flow in the river.
- According to “Computation Center” CJSC data, in 2014 “Getik 1” SHPP operated for 12 months and produced 6329133 kW electricity (according to the project, it’s estimated production is 20.1 million kWh).
- There are 3 hydroaggregates installed in the SHPP building with 5600 kW projected capacity, which the SHPP can’t ensure. Maximum capacity the SHPP can ensure is 4200 kW in April using 3.8 cum/s water amount.
- There is automated water management device in the SHPP building.
- The SHPP station has entirely automated management system.
- The transformer substation is fenced, the installed three transformers are not equipped with oil-collecting system.
- Automatic management and recording of water intake and environmental flow is not ensured. At the moment of observation, a part of the river water was flowing over the dam, but it should be taken into consideration that only one out of three aggregates was operating in the station at the moment of observation.
- The nearby specially protected areas of nature are “Dilijan” National Park, Tchambarak forestry enterprise and Getik Reserve.
- The SHPP employs 14 people.
Conclusion
The SHPP operation must be stopped in low-water season.
Proposals
- To ensure automatic management of environmental flow in the head section, installation of water-measuring devices and online control.
- To reconstruct the fish passway to ensure the natural movement of the fish and to remove the metallic construction blocking the entrance of the fish passway.
- The use of the dam should also be avoided and water intake should be carried out in another way without blocking the riverbed.
- To check the reliability of the hydrological data in order to understand why so little electricity is produced as compared with the project data.
- 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". |
Photos by Levon Galstyan
May 05, 2016 at 15:50