Nam Leuk, Nam Mang 3 benefit from production increase project
Nam Leuk, Nam Mang 3 benefit from production increase project
A Engineering Construction and Supply Co., Ltd. (ACAS) has handed over Nam Leuk and Nam Mang 3 production increase project to EDL-Generation Public Company after completing the construction of the Fusegate system recently.
The celebrations took place last Friday as Lao officials visited the main and auxiliary spillways of the Nam Leuk hydropower plant.
Under the guidance of EDL-Gen and ACAS staff, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines, Mr Viraphonh Viravong, EDL-Gen Managing Director, Ms Rattana Prathoumvanh and several officials from the ministry, Thai Embassy in Vientiane Mr Bundit Sangchomphu-Minister Counsellor, Sr. col Somchai Kolati-Defense and Military Attache, Ms Yanee Srimeechai-Minister Counsellor Commercial, Xaysomboun province and Thai Military Bank (TMB), could see the work completed by the Lao-Thai company ACAS, which was handing over the first fusegate system ever to be implemented in Laos, and the largest ever implemented in the world.
After the visit, Ms Rattana Prathoumvanh and Mr Apichart Wannakool, Managing Director of ACAS, each gave a speech and then together with the deputy minister unveiled a plague at the location of one of the spare fusegates supplied by the contractor.
The fusegates represent a very unique technology. They allow an increase in the live storage capacity of a reservoir by increasing the spillway height, whilst at the same time allowing the safe routing of floods as they automatically tip in case of exceptional floods, such as a one-in-one-thousand year flood event.
Therefore, the maximum water level remains unchanged, which implies that their implementation involves no significant social and environmental impacts.
The Nam Mang 3 and Nam Leuk Production Increase Project has been developed in order to optimise the production of these two existing power assets, using new technologies including the aforementioned Fusegate system and incorporating the latest engineering techniques.
The project consists of three sub projects, namely the Nam Mang 3 Fusegate project, the Nam Leuk Fusegate project, and the Nam Mang 3 pumping station project. This celebration saw the handing over after successful completion of the fusegate projects, with the Pumping Station Project set to follow as per schedule in early 2017.
The result of these Production Increase Projects will allow an extra storage capacity of 25 Mm3, and an average extra power production of 11 GWh at both power stations.
To put that in to perspective, 11 GWh is the annual production of a 2.5MW hydro power plant. However, in the case of this Production Increase Project, the construction period is only five months where building a new plant would take several years.
Also, as opposed to a new small hydropower scheme, such a project includes no hydrological nor geological risk, no socio-environmental impacts, and that this extra power production will take place during the dry season, when it is most needed by EDL.
Last August, less than a week after their installation, fusegates at Nam Mang 3 allowed the storage of an extra 11Mm3 of water. This resulted in a benefit of a minimum US$300,000 for the dam operator, EDL Gen, and therefore partially compensated the loss due to delays in turbine maintenance works by another contractor.
The delivery of such a project was no small undertaking.
The engineering of the solution started in May 2015, with the beginning of the feasibility study by ACAS team. With the most constructive support and cooperation from Hydroplus, the fusegate patent holder from France, as well as the Nam Leuk and Nam Mang 3 teams, ACAS could quickly conclude on a design and demonstrate the feasibility and the profitability of the project.
In February 2016, EDL-Gen and ACAS entered into an EPC agreement, and project construction commenced immediately after.
The construction phase included several technical challenges that needed to be overcome. Such challenges included installation of 10 tonnes concrete elements on top of the Nam Leuk spillway; reaching the Auxiliary spillway site with 18 tonnes concrete elements; locally manufacturing high quality concrete precast; ensuring work completion before the rainy season, etc.
Project director Mr Remi Berthet told Vientiane Times that the ACAS team managed to sucessfully deliver this project, on budget and on time, before the rainy season, using the best available resources, some hard work and a lot of ingenuity.
He added that with this project ACAS just added a new technical competence to its array of hydropower turnkey services and that th ey intend to capitalise on this success to develop more gusegate projects in Laos, including the Nam song production increase project with their long time partner EDL-Gen.
We are convinced that this technology coupled with our experience can improve the operation and the profitability of many hydropower stations in Laos and in the region, with low risks and low impacts.
ACAS also demonstrated with this project that it can absorb and successfully implement the latest innovative technologies, confirming our position in Laos as a leader for the supply of hydropower optimisation and maintenance solutions.
