Planning activities

Introduction & Site selection

 

Besides the demonstration activities in Uzbekistan and the Kyrgyz Republic, Hydro4U also performs planning activities at additional sites in Central Asia to expand the focus on replicability of the two technical solutions, both regionally and in terms of content. The planning activities serve to elaborate the innovative and sustainable solution approaches at further locations in a concrete and detailed manner and thus to map the feasibility and the advantages of these at different locations.

 

The selection of locations is based both on practical decision-making criteria, such as:
• the sites must be suitable for one of the technical solutions proposed in Hydro4U
• the availability of basic data and information, and
• on the defined objective of representing different regions in Central Asia in a differentiated manner.

 

The Project for Sustainable Hydropower

The development of hydropower is a multi-step process. Within Hydro4U, the partners compile these steps in the following categories.

 

Technical assessment (contributing partners in Hydro4U: TUM, BOKU)

 

  • Several planning phases with increasing levels of detail of the technical and constructive aspects including GIS decision planning tools

 

Economical assessment (contributing partner in Hydro4U: TUM)

 

  • Analysis of all direct costs associated with the project and its financial viability based on expected revenue streams

 

Legal and political assessment (contributing partner in Hydro4U: IWMI)

 

  • Assessment of the local and national legal requirements, necessary permits and licenses

 

Environmental and social impact assessment (contributing partners in Hydro4U: TUM, BOKU, INBO, SJE, TIIAME, IWMI)

 

  • Description and assessment of freshwater biodiversity, environmental impacts and mitigation measures such as fish migration and environmental flow releases as well as benefits and needs of the affected society

By following these basic steps, the feasibility and sustainability of the hydropower project from an economic, environmental and social point of view will be ensured, building the baseline for the bankable feasibility studies.

 

Bankable Feasibility Study

 

The general steps to achieve a bankable feasibility study are:

 

Site identification

  • Identification of potential sites using knowledge of the local rivers and water uses

 

Site selection

  • Assessment if one of the two hydropower technology fits to the characteristics of the site
  • Analysis of existing hydrological data to define hydropower capacity
  • Identification of local stakeholders and water uses using data from field visits and local partners and investors

 

Pre-feasibility study

 

  • Identification of general layout options
  • First steps of technical, economic, environmental and social assessments
  • First estimation of construction and equipment costs together with annual energy output

 

Feasibility study

 

  • Detailed hydrological, hydro-morphological and hydraulic assessments
  • Detailed environmental impact assessment and proposal of mitigation solutions (e.g., fish migration facilities, environmental flows)
  • Design and comparison of different design including an economic optimisation
  • Preparation of technical planning of the best variant in an applicable way to the approval authorities

 

Contributing partners in Hydro4U: TUM, KJC, BOKU, INBO, SJE, TIIAME.

 

Overview of the three identified Planning Sites

 

 

Planning Site 1 | Badam: Hydropower Extension Project

 

Geo Facts

 

Site parameters:

  • Badam Reservoir, with a 20 m high dam, stores up to 61.5 Mio. m³ and provides water for irrigational purposes. The reservoir outlet includes two parallel penstocks, an energy dissipation structure and an outlet channel.
  • Hydropower development at this site should contain an optimised water management scheme for the reservoir and both accompanying rivers, improving the ecological conditions in the rivers and ensuring the provision of water for irrigation as well as the economic feasibility of the hydropower plant operation.

 

Proposed Hydropower Technology

  • Turbine type: Conventional Francis Turbine
  • Net Head: ~ 30 m
  • Discharge: 4 m³/s
  • Power Output: depending on reservoir management

 

Expected Challenges:

  • Assessment of existing infrastructure, including reservoirs, channel systems, diversion weirs, penstocks, etc.
  • Analysis and modelling of a complex hydrological system with large anthropological water abstractions and inter-basin water transfers
  • Assessment of current and future water needs for irrigation which need to be guaranteed leading to a close link of hydropower production and water availability and uses
  • Water abstraction from two rivers results in large residual water stretches. Within the development of a suitable water management concept for Badam Reservoir, these river stretches will be managed by an adequate and ecologically based environmental flow concept.

 

Special feature: High replication potential

  • Showcase project for similar projects in the region benefitting from existing irrigation infrastructure

 

picture credits below: © Bertalan Alapfy (06/2024), TUM

Planning Site 2 | Suyok: diversion-type run-of-river HPP

 

Geo Facts

  • Country: Kyrgyzstan
  • Region: Kochkor District of Naryn Region of Kyrgyzstan
  • Suyok River, a tributary to the Kochkor River

 

Site parameters:

  • The planning site is located South of Bishkek near Mantysh, a village in the Kochkor District of Naryn Region of Kyrgyzstan. The river’s name is Suyok, a tributary to the Kochkor river which flows eastwards towards Issyk-Kul Lake, a large endorheic saline lake in the western Tianshan Mountains. The small valley is sparsely populated with individual hamlets and mostly used for animal pastures.
    • The river and valley are in a rather pristine state
    • Further downstream, the river water is completely diverted for irrigation purposes

 

Proposed Hydropower Technology

  • Turbine type: Francis container, 2 units
  • Net Head: 65 m
  • Discharge: 4,0 m³/s
  • Power Output: 1,8 MW

 

Expected Challenges:

  • This site would be suitable for a Coanda intake followed by a long penstock along the existing road along the Northern river bank. The local investor, however, plans to develop the site with a long canal along the hillslopes on the Southern side of the valley, followed by a short, steep penstock. Lack of suitable pipe material is given as reason for this decision. The construction of the open canal along the hillslope will be a challenge because of the topography of the terrain.

 

Special feature:

  • The site is a highly suitable site in all aspects.
  • There is an existing access road to all construction sites, and the energy can be directly fed into the medium voltage grid and will be consumed locally.
  • Local fish populations have plenty of suitable habitat upstream and downstream and can be protected by suitable measures for fish migration and environmental flows in the dewatered reach.
  • Socioeconomic activities in the valley will not be affected.
  • The site and type of HPP have a high potential for replication.

 

picture credits below: © Iana Kopecki (2025), SJE

Planning Site 3 | Yazgulom SHPP

 

Geo Facts

 

  • Country: Tadjikistan
  • Region: Vanj district, western Gorno-Badakhshan
  • River: Yazgulom
  • Coordinates: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Fi3Hg8ij2sHmNnd49 [By clicking on this link, you accept the terms and conditions applied by Google Maps]

 

Site parameters:

  • The Yazgulom SHPP will feature a Hydroshaft Power Solution with 3 power plant units, each one featuring a D1,600 mm Kaplan-EVO Turbine-Generator Unit, a flow gate and two trash-rack units.
    Further, the facility includes a spillway with a flap gate of 18m width, as well as a vertical slot pass fish ladder and an earth fill dam to close the valley.

 

Proposed Hydropower Technology

 

  • Turbine type: Hydroshaft Power Solution with 3 units,
  • Gross Head: 2m
  • Rated Flow: 50 m³/s
  • Power Output: 2 MW