Hungary’s Ganz EEM controlled by Rosatom may start delivering its 2 MW hydro power plants to Southern and Central Africa. The company signed an agency agreement with South Africa’s Blue World Power and Energy Services in February 2017 to market small hydro power solutions in the region. As part of an effort to expand into non-nuclear industries, AEM is looking for opportunities on power markets of former Soviet republics, which are historically close to Russia.

Not long ago, Ganz EEM signed its first contract for the supply of small containerized hydro power plants to Georgia. The buyer is Georgia’s International Energy Co., Ltd. engaged in the hydro power generation development. According to the contract, the company will purchase a pilot plant to be shipped in the first half of 2017, followed by more plants varying in capacity from 0.6 MW to 2 MW.

Small hydro: what is it

Simple and cost-efficient, small hydro power plants (HPP) manufactured by Ganz can be used in areas that are not covered by the power grid for financial or technical reasons. They can serve either as independent power sources or an alternative to cost-inefficient and non-eco-friendly generators since they need no dam construction and have no impact on the environment of rivers and other water bodies. Thanks to their design, small HPPs by Ganz can be installed even at discharge channels of water treatment facilities.

Each HPP consists of a turbine and a set of auxiliary equipment mounted inside a container. The containerized design drastically reduces lead-in times and costs of construction.

Small HPPs boast low generation costs, a short time of delivery, fast and easy installation. After the container is delivered to the site and water is channeled onto the turbine, power generation can start within a month. Although compact, hydro power plants have all the monitoring and control devices for their proper operation.

Another advantage is that containerized HPPs can be controlled remotely via (mobile) phone or Internet. Therefore, the owner can monitor and control the plant with a PC, tablet or cell phone, and receive information about the power output.

Rusatom International Network is currently negotiating shipments of containerized small hydro plants produced by Ganz EEM to Armenia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, as well as Latin American, African and other countries.