IN-SHP Newsletter

Welcome

The International Center on Small Hydro Power (IC-SHP) welcomes all members to February's newsletter. In this edition:

Main Contents of this Issue


SHP News

Sino-Italian cooperation and SHP in Tibet

Sino-Italian cooperation program was jointly launched in year 2000 by the Italian ministry of Environment and Territory on one side and on the other the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) of China, the Chinese Academy of Social Science (CASS), the Chinese Ministry of Science and technology.

The program is aimed at the realization of projects for natural resources protection, energy efficiency, renewable sources promotion, low emission transportation, sustainable agriculture and environmental training.

One of the core activities of the program is the promotion of renewable energies in Tibet Province, and, within this framework, SHP has been selected as one of the energy sources to focus on, because of the rich hydropower potential of the region, and in consideration of SHP limited environmental impact and the maturity of the technology.

Certainly in such a situation the strategic environmental assessment will represent an extremely important step in the selection process of the appropriate site.

INSHP has been contacted by the Chinese administration to assist the program by searching and evaluating a number of potential sites for highly automated SHP stations.? Please contact Fulvio Bartolucci? (fulviobart@inshp.org) for further details.

Ecosecurities Ltd and Yuzaikou visit

As a result of our successful collaboration with Ecosecurities Ltd to register the Yuzaikou project as China¡¯s first SHP Clean Development Mechanism project, Ecosecurities representative Nicholas Dreves visited INSHP on the 10-12th February 2006.? The meeting provided the opportunity to discuss the next steps with the Yuzaikou project as well as Ecosecurities¡¯ potential future collaboration with our center.

A visit to the Yuzaikou project was also organised to enable Ecosecurities and INSHP to assess the progress with construction as well as meet with the project developers and other relevant stakeholders.? We received a very warm welcome and they organised a full Chinese banquet to celebrate the registration of the Yuzaikou SHP with the UNFCCC executive board and to thank us for our support with their project.? Please contact Miss Hu (hic@mail.hz.zj.cn) for further details.


IC-SHP News

INSHP in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay

Between the January 12th and 23 rd, the INSHP¡¯s director visited Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay to promote international cooperation and strengthen bilateral relations.

Although Latin America have an important developing SHP potential, the region doesn¡¯t have an appropriate framework to implement those activities in order to respond the demands of regional actors.? Sud America has a 2 815 000 gwh SHP capacity per year and it also exploits a 21% of it. A 43% is not be exploited and is technically feasible and a 36% is not be exploited and is both technically and economically feasible.?

The INSHP aims to create a subcentre and construct demonstrative plants in agreement with a host government to manage the SHP projects for the Sud America Region. With that objective Prof. Tong met relevant governmental authorities and visited SHP projects in the Region. Please contact Erika Imhof (erikaimhof@inshp.org ) for further details.


IN-SHP Headquarters Office Building? under Overall Decoration

The IN-SHP Headquarters Complex Building has been put into use for 8 years since March 1998 with a record construction time of 10 months under the support of the Chinese government as well as the industrious effort of IC-SHP staff.

2006 will be a special year both for China and IC-SHP as this is the starting year of the eleventh national 5-year planning for China¡¯s all-round development. Meanwhile, 2006 will be the first year of all-round development stage for IC-SHP. As a public-spirited international organization, IC-SHP has dedicated its efforts to promote global SHP development with the aim of rural electrification. Having learned the finalized planning strategies and objectives of development of IC-SHP in the coming stage, both the Ministry of Water Resource and central government positively approve and provide strong support to IC-SHP for the improvement and strengthening of its comprehensive capability.

In order to further expand improve IN-SHP¡¯s capacity, Chinese government especially appropriates money for the overall decoration of the IC-SHP headquarters complex building and updating its facilities. After the decoration work completed, IC-SHP will have its annually event---the Second Hydropower for Today Conference-. By then, the complex building will take on an entirely new look. It is estimated that the decoration work will be completed at the end of March.

INSHP Magazine ¨C Call for articles

In view of the forthcoming publication of the next edition of the INSHP magazine, we would like to encourage our readers to submit their articles.? The magazine is distributed to over 200 members around the world and will be made available to the participants at our upcoming 2nd Hydro for Today conference.? As such, it is an invaluable opportunity to make your ideas heard!? Although all submissions are welcome, we would be especially interested in articles focusing on the following areas:

  • CDM development & implementation (experiences, case studies of CDM SHP development in various countries or conversely current barriers to CDM)
  • Renewable energy financing (examples of successful public private partnerships, innovative financing tools to sustain projects beyond the initial phase)
  • Future of hydropower (new developments, technology innovations, hybrid technologies)

Please submit your articles before the 10th March 2006, with name, title and contact details and preferably accompanied by photos and graphs.? Priority will be given to technical and/or innovative papers.? Previous articles averaged 2-5 pages but longer articles may be considered.? Please send submissions and queries to Andrew Ogilvie (Andrew.Ogilvie@inshp.org).? Many thanks!


Members' Forum

?Small Hydro Power in India, with the Maharashtra Energy Development Agency

Seasonal and perennial water flow in remote areas is a good source of energy. Micro-hydro power technologies have reached maturity. The identified potential of small hydro-power in the country is 10324.37 MW (4233 sites). The installed capacity of country is 1693.34 MW (514 sites) and work is in progress for 488.79 MW capacity (159 sites).? There is still a large untapped potential. In Maharashtra, out of the total identified potential of 600.00 MW (234 sites), 207.08 MW (27 sites) are installed by the Irrigation Department and work is in progress for total capacity of 15.25 MW (4 sites). MEDA has undertaken detailed survey and investigation of 3 micro hydel projects, which is Thosegar at Satara District, Thugaon at Pune district, and Gangapur at Nashik district with MNES assistance. MEDA is assisting Tribal department of Govt. of Maharashtra to develop SHP projects in far flung area of Nandurbar district under Special Action Programme.? Please contact Erika Imhof (erikaimhof@inshp.org) for further details.

The Arun Valley Hydropower Development Company Ltd.?completed constructing one Small Hydropower Project in Sankhusava District, Eastern Development Region of Nepal

The construction of 3000 kW Piluwakhola project started in September 2000. The project annually generates 19.55 GWh energy. The total project cost stood up to Rs. 348.3 million and cost per Kw is US$ 1452. The project started generating electricity and supplied to the national grid from 18th Sept 2003. Two units of Tugo impulse type turbine have been installed in the powerhouse manufactured by Wasserkraft Volk AG Germany. The project uses steel penstock pipe with the length of 3500 meter which is the longest penstock pipe used in Nepal for water conveyance. Similarly, the civil construction of this project was completed by Marushin Shitaka Construction Company and metal contractor was Machhapuchre Metal and Machinery Works (P.) Ltd.

More information: Mr. Guru Prasad Neupane , Neupane@guru.wlink.com.np.


Funding Opportunities

The GEF Fund for medium size projects in Argentina

The GEF Trust Fund with the United Nations Development Programme, UNEP, the World Bank and the Argentine government launched a competition for funding medium size projects (USD 50.000 to USD 250.000) in Argentina. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was established as a joint international effort to help solve global environmental problems. The GEF provides new and additional grant and concessional funding to meet the incremental costs of measures to achieve global environmental benefits in the following focal areas: biodiversity, biosafety, climate change, international waters, ozone depletion, land degradation and persistent organics pollutants.? Proposal¡¯s reception: between February 1st ¨C 20 th.

More information: http://dgef.unep.org/funding/projects/msp/argentina/index_html or write us ¨C erikaimhof@inshp.org.

REEEP¡¯s News

Under the last phase of its Fourth Call for Proposals, REEEP is currently offering financial support to workshops, fora and networking events that target renewable energy and energy efficiency market development.?? The proposals can be submitted from 1st March 2006 at any time, preferably two months before the event. REEEP will support 25% of the total costs up to a maximum of € 20,000 per event towards workshops, fora and networking events that will be held during the period April 2006 to March 2007.? Further information can be found on http://www.reeep.org/groups/callforbids or write us -? erikaimhof@inshp.org.

The Perez-Guerrero Trust Fund for Economic and Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (PGTF)

The Perez-Guerrero Trust Fund for Economic and Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (PGTF) is a fund established for the purpose of supporting activities in economic and technical cooperation among developing countries (ECDC/TCDC). Any project, in order to be considered for PGTF assistance must necessarily have an ECDC or TCDC component, i.e. any activity which involves deliberate and voluntary sharing, pooling or exchange of economic or technical resources, knowledge, experience, skills and capabilities between three or more developing countries for their individual or mutual development. The deadline for submission of project proposals is the 30th April. The maximum amount available in 2006 for supporting any given project will be US$40,000. Please, see http://www.g77.org/main/pgtf.htm for further information. Good luck!


Upcoming Events

1. Integrated Transboundary Water Resource Management Course
March 6- 17, 2006 (Continue in May in Sweden) ¨C South Africa/Sweden
Contact: Bj?rn Hansson or Sara Hyllman; Telephone: +46 8 615 60 00; Telefax: +46 8 702 19 14.
E-mail:bjorn.hansson@ramboll.se or sara.hyllman@ramboll.se.

2. The World Bank Group¡¯s Energy Week 2006, with the theme of "Clean Energy for Development"
March 6-8, 2006 ¨C Washington DC
Contact: Kyran O'Sullivan,? kosullivan@worldbank.org.

3. African Ministerial Conference: Hydropower and sustainable development
March 6- 9, 2006 ¨C Johannesburg - South Africa

4. 4th World Water Forum
March 16- 22, 2006? ¨C Mexico City, Mexico
Contact: http://www.worldwaterforum4.org.mx.

5. International Conference on Renewable Energy for developing countries
April 5-7, 2006 ¨C Washington DC
Contact: http://securereg.udc.edu/icredc.

6. Second Hydropower for Today Conference
April 22-25, Hangzhou - China
Contact: Mr. WANG Yansong: wangyansong@inshp.org.

7. Modelling Managing water Quality in Mediterranean river basins, Montpelier, France.
April 24 - 26, 2006 - Montpelier, France?
Contact Jochen Froebrich, Water Quality Protection and management, University of Hannover, Germany
Tel: +49 511 762 19411; Fax: +49 511 761 9413.
E-mail: jofr@fggm.uni.hannover.de

Click here to get PDF document of newsletter Feb. 2006.

IN-SHP Member Survey

In order to build a clearer idea about what type of assistance IN-SHP members need IC-SHP to provide, we have recently sent survey to all IN-SHP members. If you have not sent your response to us yet, please do so. If you have not yet received the survey from IC-SHP or if you have any questions, please contact Mr. Wang Yansong at hic@mail.hz.zj.cn

We look forward to receiving comments, announcements, news, calls for cooperation or advertisements from our readers. We would like to include MEMBER contributions in our newsletter, so PLEASE CONTRIBUTE.