MWH Awarded Hydroelectric Contract In China
Chicago — MWH, a global provider of environmental engineering, construction and strategic consulting services, announced recently that it has been selected by Ertan Hydropower Development Company, Ltd. (EHDC) to provide engineering and construction management consulting services for the Jinping I Hydropower project in China.
Located on the Yalong River in the Sichuan Province of southwest China, the Jinping I Hydropower project will consist of a double-curvature, thin arch dam that, when finished, will stand at 305 meters. Among all of the dams completed, under construction or in the design process, Jinping I is considered one of the highest in the world. The project will provide a significant reservoir for flood control and will have a generation capacity of 3600 megawatts (MW). The hydropower produced at Jinping I will ultimately pay for the project's construction costs, which are estimated at RMB 24.6 billion (US $3.3 billion), with MWH's revenue over the next five years forecasted at more than US $5 million.
"EHDC and MWH have worked together since the early 1980s and have developed a strong, mutually beneficial relationship. Having delivered excellent work in the past, we are confident that MWH will continue to help protect the interests of EHDC and the Chinese people in building this historic and strategic hydropower project," said Chen Yunhua, General Manager of EHDC.
In the 1980s MWH provided engineering and construction management consulting services to EHDC on the Ertan Hydropower Station (3300 MW), the first hydroelectric project on the Yalong River and China's largest hydropower project completed in the 20th century. More recently, MWH provided dam design optimization and geological assessment services to EHDC for the Jinping I Hydroelectric project in November 2002.
"We are delighted to once again team with EHDC on the development of the Yalong River and the historic Jinping I project," said Alan Krause, president of the Natural Resources, Infrastructure and Industry unit of MWH. "MWH is committed to helping China harness the energy-producing potential of their rivers with hydropower; a mature, reliable and renewable technology." In the newly signed contract, MWH will be involved in construction quality control for the concrete construction of the Jinping I dam, and will provide project and executive management training. MWH will also provide a full-time, on-site, concrete expert to assist with the planning, execution, quality assurance and quality control of the concrete dam.
The Yalong River, which is 1,571 kilometers (km) long, is estimated to have 34.62 gigawatts in hydropower resources. The Jinping I Hydropower project is just one of 21 schemes planned along the main stream of the Yalong River, utilizing 2,813 meters of its natural drop. In addition to the Jinping I, Yalong River development includes the construction and commissioning of the Jinping II Hydropower project, Guandi Hydropower project, Tongzilin Hydropower project and the Lianghekou Hydropower project by 2025. Located 17 km downstream from the Jinping I Hydropower plant, Jinping II is already under construction. It has a designed installed capacity of 4800 MW.
About Ertan
Ertan Hydropower Development Company, Ltd. (EHDC) was established in 1988, and was reformulated into a limited liability company in 1995 with the following shareholder structure: State Development Investment Company (48%), Sichuan Provincial Investment Group Co., Ltd (48%) and Sichuan Electric Power Company (4%). EHDC's registered capital is RMB 4.6 billion. Authorized by the State, and following the "four strategic stages in developing the hydro-energy of Yalong River," EHDC is fully responsible for development and operation of the cascade power stations.
EHDC has a staff of 521 people, including 171 people of Ertan Hydropower Plant. It is located in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. Mr. Chen Yunhua is the General Manager. EHDC's objective is to grow into an internationally recognized producer of renewable energy with an installed generation capacity of more than 30,000 MW.
MWH's Dam and Hydropower Services
MWH has been providing engineering services to the dam and hydropower sector since 1920 and is currently working on numerous dam and hydropower projects throughout North and South America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. MWH has played a key role in some of the largest dam and hydropower projects in the world, including the Three Gorges Dam in China, Ghazi Barotha Hydroelectric Scheme in Pakistan, Tekeze Dam in Ethiopia, Caruachi Hydroelectric Project in Venezuela and Kárahnjúkar Hydroelectric Project in Iceland.
About MWH
Headquartered in Broomfield, Colo., MWH is a private, employee-owned firm with approximately 6,000 employees worldwide. The company provides water, wastewater, energy, natural resource, program management, consulting and construction services to industrial, municipal and government clients in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, India, Asia and the Pacific Rim.
SOURCE: MWH