MAIN PROJECTS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

SP’s professional resources are currently engaged in the design, construction and/or refurbishment of a number of hydropower plants, dams and tunnels in Italy and abroad.

The following projects, under construction or nearing completion in Sierra Leone and Ethiopia, are prime examples of the scope of works and activities in which SP is involved.

BUMBUNA HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT (CLICK FOR PRESENTATION)

The Bumbuna Hydroelectric Project is situated in Sierra Leone, approximately 180 km from Freetown. The project will be completed in five phases with 50 MW in the first phase and 275 MW in the final phase. The total energy production will be 1,400 GWh/year.
Completion of the 50 MW first phase is foreseen for late 2009.
This phase comprises an 88 m rockfill dam, two river diversion tunnels, two Morning Glory-type spillways, a 200 m steel-lined power tunnel with a 7 m radial gate, a surface outdoor machine hall, a 200 km 161 kV transmission line from the plant to the Freetown control building and switchyard.
Impoundment of the 480 Mm3 reservoir is currently in progress.

BELES MPP PROJECT (CLICK FOR PRESENTATION)

The Beles Hydroelectric Power Plant Project is currently under construction in Ethiopia on the shores of Lake Tana, about 370 km north of Addis Abeba.
The project foresees the construction of a headrace tunnel, 12 km long, to conduct the waters from the lake (approx. 1,800 m a.s.l.) through a 300 m deep penstock shaft to an underground power house (el. 1,450 m a.s.l.) with 4 Francis turbines. The flow will then be discharged through an 7 km long tailrace tunnel into the river Beles.
The plant will have a total installed power of 460 MW and will generate 1720 GWh/y.

GIBE II PROJECT

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The Gibe II Hydropower Project is the second of the four plants comprising the Gibe-Omo cascade project. The plant is currently under completion.
It is situated some 250 km south west of Addis Ababa and 80 km north-east of Jima.
The project foresees a 50 m high gravity dam, with a crest length of 140 m.
The gross head of 505 m is created by a water way that crosses the ridge between the Gilgel Gibe valley and the Omo valley by means of 26 km of power tunnel and 1.2 km of penstocks.
The 26 km power tunnel (D= 6 m) is being excavated almost entirely using TBM technology.
No. 4 Pelton turbines in the outdoor power house will provide 420 MW installed power producing 1635 GWh annually.

GIBE III PROJECT (CLICK FOR PRESENTATION)

The Gibe III Hydropower Project (1840 MW) is presently under construction in Ethiopia, approximately 250 km south west of Addis Ababa.
Several aspects of this important project are worthy of particular attention:

The 1870 MW of installed power will be used by 10 Francis turbines in an open-air power house to generate 6,500 GWh/year that will be transmitted by means of a 65 km HV transmission line.
Its 240 m high roller compacted concrete (RCC) dam will be world’s highest dam of that type.
The entire project was conceived, designed and construction commenced in under 4 years thanks to the adoption of so-called “fast-track” techniques. This cutting-edge design and construction strategy entails the use of laser scanning, digital terrain modelling, helicopter surveying, and so on.

It is part of the Gibe-Omo Cascade project which includes 200 MW Gilgel Gibe (operational), 420 MW Gibe II (under construction), 1870 MW Gibe III (under construction) and Gibe IV.