engleski

Transferring an Old Mill Into Micro Hydro Power Plant - Preliminary Techno-Economic Anylsis

The increase of the electricity consumption, the need to fulfill the so called “20-20-20” requirements as well as the relatively adequate legal environment have resulted in an increased interest in a use of renewable energy resources, including hydropower, in electricity production. While the large hydro-power plants are common in Croatia, the micro hydro power plants occur relatively rarely. One way to change this trend is a conversion of old mills and sawmills in plants which produce electricity. In this paper, hydro power plants with a focus on micro and small plants and their role in Croatian electric power system are described. The necessary steps that have to be taken before construction of a small hydropower plant are listed. The paper describes the the location and the current state of the old mill on the river Lonja with the analysis of the hydrological conditions on the river. Based on the results of that analysis and the description of the site the micro-hydro power plant has been designed. Using the program HOMER, with available economic indicators in accordance with the tariff system for the electricity production from the renewable energy sources, a techno-economic analysis of such micro-hydro power plant was carried out. Taking into consideration the available data, transferring the old mill into the hydro plant is shown as the right move. On the one hand, revitalization and restoration of the building that is not in use and decay, and on the other hand economically profitable project are immediate benefits of such a move.

hydro power plants; mill; transformation

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