NEWSLETTER #3 _ October 2022

Dear Reader, 

In this newsletter edition, we are glad to present you our second Hydro4U demonstration site located at the At-Bashi River southeast of Naryn City in Kyrgyzstan nearby the village Ak-Muz. This site has been identified to demonstrate the modular Hydroshaft Power Solution, which is being developed within our project. Read more about it in our special topic. More information about the technology will be available soon on our project website.

Moreover, our project partners have contributed to several international conferences such as the 7th IAHR EUROPE Congress in Athens or the 36^th Congress of the International Society of Limnology (SIL) in Berlin. Besides, Hydro4U has contributed to the second edition of the Summer School “HydroKG Kyrgyzstan – hydropower, ecology and hydromorphology” hosted by Hydro4U project partner Kyrgyz State Technical University named I. Razzakov (KSTU). For further information, please have a look at our news and blogs section.

End of June, the Hydro4U consortium had finally the occasion to meet in person, exchange ideas and work together on the project at Hydro4U’s General Assembly organised by IWMI and Uzbekgidroenergo (UGE) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. You will find more information in our news section.

In the upcoming months, a special focus is set on the finalisation of the feasibility designs and studies of both demonstration sites. Besides this, the small hydropower potential assessment of Central Asia is entering into it´s final phase, to be finished until the beginning of 2023. Further ongoing activities include the analysis and consolidation of data acquired in the context of Water-Energy-Food-Climate Nexus concerning both the demonstration activities and a general perspective on Central Asia.

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We hope you enjoy reading!

Bertalan Alapfy
Hydro4U Coordinator
Technical University of Munich
Chair of Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering

Author: Bertalan Alapfy, Hydro4U Project Coordinator, Technical University of Munich

In the course of the Hydro4U project, an interdisciplinary team of international experts visited the second demonstration site of the project in the At-Bashi region of Kyrgyzstan in June and October 2022.

The main objectives of the first site visit included a first assessment as a basis for the pre-feasibility study, focusing on ecology, river morphology, geology, topography as well as on existing structures.

The site partner Orion LLC accompanied the Hydro4U team and supported them with excellent organisation. The relevant experts from Orion also contributed their expertise from the construction industry on site, which led to lively and fruitful discussions. The At-Bashi demonstration site is located on the At-Bashi River southeast of Naryn City in Kyrgyzstan near the village Ak-Muz. This site has been identified as a demonstration site for the modular Hydroshaft Power Solution, which is being developed within the Hydro4U project. With the company Orion LLC, a competent and strong investor has been found for the joint implementation of this challenging project.

Weir with three pressure segments, At-Bashy River (Photo credits: Bertalan Alapfy, Technical University of Munich)

The local conditions are tailor-made for the demonstration of the innovative modular design and erection method. An existing weir with three pressure segments offers space for up to three modules with one turbine each. The fact that the weir has to be renovated anyway increases the benefit of the project additionally. Since the weir is used to divert irrigation water for the cultivated areas downstream, the NEXUS connection must also be emphasised here. Construction of facilities for upstream and downstream fish migration will further increase the positive impact of the project implementation at this site. These measures will bypass the only obstacle to migration in an otherwise largely untouched section of the river - corresponding positive developments on the naturally occurring fish fauna are therefore to be expected.

Based on the overview from the first visit, the second site visit in October was done by three smaller teams in order to perform field work in the areas of topography and bathymetry assessment including the existing structures, ecological assessment, electrofishing and finally mapping of the river morphology. Within this scope, a photogrammetrical drone survey, combined with a ground survey helped to obtain a detailed overview about the site and collect the necessary data for further technical and environmental planning.

The Hydro4U team had the unique opportunity to inspect the existing weir in a dry condition, as due to its very bad condition, the operating authority had recently diverted the river over the emergency spillway, to perform urgently needed repairs at the main weir. This brings the major advantage, that the technical design can be based on a much more solid understanding of the existing structures.

The information from the river ecological assessment will be used both for scientific research as well as for the ecological optimisation of the power plant and technical planning of a fish migration facility.

By the end of 2022, the essential planning work is to be completed as part of the feasibility study and authority approval design, as this will serve as documentation for the subsequent permitting procedure. Provided everything proceeds normally, all the necessary permits are expected to be issued by summer 2023. In this case, a start of construction in September 2023 is realistic. After a winter break, which will be necessary due to the extremely low temperatures, the technical equipment in modular construction can be assembled and the plant commissioned in early summer 2024. In this case, the Hydro4U consortium will have two project years left to conduct detailed monitoring and evaluation of the measures implemented.

Hydro4U contributed to 7th IAHR EUROPE Congress in Athens

In September, Dr. Markus Reisenbüchler, Technical University of Munich, presented a case study of the Shakimardan demo site in the session “Water Management in remote areas under climate change: social, economic and environmental nexus” at the 7th IAHR EUROPE Congress in Athens. In his talk, he highlighted how the demonstraion of a small hydrowpower plant is combined with the establishment of innovative water accounting tools such as hydrosolutions Count4D. Read more about the event here.

Hydro4U presents first ecological results of the Shakimardan case study at the SIL Congress in Berlin

On 8th August 2022, Hydro4U partner Bakhtiyor Karimov (TIIAME NRU) presented first ecological results of the Shakimardan case study at the 36^th Congress of the International Society of Limnology (SIL) in Berlin, Germany. Moreover, Hydro4U partners TIIAME NRU, INBO and BOKU IHG have published a related conference proceeding titled ”Biodiversity and anthropogenic impacts on fishes of Shakimardan River drainage, Ferghana valley, Central Asia”. Read more about the results here.

Hydro4U’s General Assembly met in Tashkent

End of June, the Hydro4U consortium met for two days in Tashkent for a first physical project meeting together with the project’s Advisory Board team to review the activities of the past twelve months and plan the upcoming actions. The meeting also included a special session with regional EU Delegations to benefit from their expertise. The general assembly meeting was organised by IWMI and Uzbekgidroenergo (UGE). Find further information and pictures here.

Hydro4U contributes to KSTU Summer School 2022 “HydroKG Kyrgyzstan – hydropower, ecology and hydromorphology”

The second edition of the Summer School “HydroKG Kyrgyzstan – hydropower, ecology and hydromorphology” for international bachelor and master students was hosted by Hydro4U project partner Kyrgyz State Technical University named I. Razzakov (KSTU) in Kyrgystan during two weeks in August and September 2022. Students from Germany, Argentina and Kyrgyzstan visited hydroelectric power plants in the south and north of Kyrgyzstan and learned about the environmental consequences and sustainability associated with ecology and hydromorphology, as well as the hydro-electro-technical part of the stations. 

Hydro4U project discovers fishes in Koksu River (Shakimardan enclave, Uzbekistan) for the first time 

Until now, no one thought there were fish in the Koksu River located in Shakimardan enclave, Uzbekistan. Within Hydro4U, scientists from the “Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers” National Research University (TIIAME NRU) team led by Prof. Bakhtiyor Karimov conducted intensive aquatic ecology studies & were the first to find two fish species in Koksu river. The habitat requirements of the fish serve as a basis for implementing environmentally friendly hydropower solutions.

Boosting the replication of European Small-hydropower solutions in Central Asia

Hydro4U aims to boost European small-scall hydropower industry by adapting existing European high-quality solutions to the demands and resources of Central Asia. In order to accelerate the exploitation of these solutions, a replication strategy is being elaborated. Fundación CARTIF is leading Hydro4U’s replication activities, including the development of a replication guideline tool, aimed at future investors or public authorities to support decision-making on new small-scale hydropower projects in Central Asia.

Curious to explore Hydro4U project? Discover our dissemination materials!

In Hydro4U, an international consortium of multiple experts is collaborating to promote small-scale hydropower in Central Asia. Project partner Steinbeis Europa Zentrum makes this work visible by presenting the project activities and achievements in an easy-to-understand way, for experts and non-experts alike! Here is what they have developed for you to dive into our project!

Hydro4U partner GLOBAL Hydro: smarT technology & modular Kaplan design

Global Hydro Energy is the world’s first contact for digital small hydropower technologies. In Hydro4U, they develop turbine technology that meets the requirements in Central Asia in terms of costs, installation, maintenance and operation while ensuring the highest European quality standards.

What if urban water networks could become a source of renewable energy?

Despite the potential of hydropower plants to generate “green electricity”, no systematic assessment has yet been carried out in Europe. LIFE NEXUS is addressing this gap by developing the 1st European inventory of micro-hydroenergy recovery potential in the water industry.

In parallel, the project has carried out an innovative integration of a Pump as Turbine (PaT) with an electrical storage to enhance the possibilities of the energy management. The prototype is being installed at the entrance of a drinking water treatment plant in León (Spain) and, when fully in operation, it will cover the total energy demand of the installation.

Visit the project website for more information.

• Viennahydro 2022 – 21st International Seminar on Hydropower Plants,
  9 - 11 November 2022, Vienna, Austria
• ASIA 2023, 14 - 16 March 2023, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• AFRICA 2023, 10 - 12 July 2023, Lake Victoria, Uganda

CONTACT

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