The cost of electromechanical equipment in a small hydro power storage plant

Abstract

Pumped hydroelectric storage (PHS) is the most established technology for utility-scale electricity storage. To take investment decision for the development of small hydropower projects, technical feasibility and financial viability are considered to be the foremost requirements. The cost of electro-mechanical equipment means a high percentage of a small hydro-power plant budget (around 30 % and 40 % of the total sum). It seems from this importance of the determination of that cost, which could directly influence the project feasibility. An overview of existing methods to estimate the cost of hydro turbines is presented in this paper. Empirical formulas to estimate the cost of centrifugal pump for a power ≤ 2 MW and PAT (pump as turbine) for a power ≤ 550 kW. In addition, new correlations have been developed to estimate the cost of hydraulic turbines (Pelton, Kaplan, Francis and Francis reversible) for a power > 2 MW were developed through statistical analysis of cost data obtained from pumps and hydraulic turbines manufactures. The cost of EM equipment increases for high power levels but it decreases for high head.