Beles Hydroelectric Power Plant
{{Short description|Hydroelectric power plant in Ethiopia}}
{{Infobox power station
|name = Beles Hydroelectric Power Plant
|image =
|image_caption =
|country = Ethiopia
|location =
|coordinates = {{coord|11|49|10|N|36|55|08|E|type:landmark_region:US|display=inline,title}}
|owner = Ethiopian Electric Power
|status = O
|th_fuel_primary = Water
|th_technology = Run-of-the-river hydroelectric
|th_combined_cycle =
|ps_units_operational = 4 x 115 MW Francis-type
|ps_electrical_capacity = 460 MW
|ps_annual_generation = 1720 GWh Est.
|commissioned = 2010
|decommissioned =
}}
The Beles Hydroelectric Power Plant, sometimes referred to as Beles II or Tana Beles, is a run-of-the-river{{cite web|title=Optimal operation of a multipurpose multireservoir system in the Eastern Nile River Basin|url=http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci-discuss.net/7/4331/2010/hessd-7-4331-2010-print.pdf|publisher=Copernicus Publications |author=1Q. Goor |author2=C. Halleux |author3=Y. Mohamed |author4=A. Tilmant|page=4356 (10)|date=July 6, 2010 |accessdate=30 November 2013}} hydroelectric power plant in Ethiopia near Lake Tana. The power plant receives water from the lake through the Tana-Beles interbasin transfer and after utilizing it to produce electricity, the water is then discharged into the Beles River. The plant has an installed capacity of 460 MW, making it the second largest power plant in the country. It is also expected to help provide water for the irrigation of {{Convert|140000|ha|acre|abbr=on}}. It was inaugurated in May 2010 and the last generator became operational in February 2012. Its construction was negatively perceived by downstream Egypt.
Background and construction
In 1992, the first feasibility study was completed for the project, a 200 MW power station. A later study and final design was completed in 2005 by Studio Pietrangeli for the current 460 MW plant.{{cite web|title=Beles MPP|url=http://www.pietrangeli.it/immagini1/pdf/Brochures-progetti/Beles_MPP_-_rev__21_dic_2006.pdf|publisher=Studio Pietrangeli|accessdate=13 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313170802/http://www.pietrangeli.it/immagini1/pdf/Brochures-progetti/Beles_MPP_-_rev__21_dic_2006.pdf|archive-date=13 March 2012|url-status=dead}} The Government of Ethiopia signed a contract with Salini Costruttori to build the plant on July 8, 2005, and construction began soon after.{{cite web|title=Report on Operations|url=http://www.salini.it/index.php/english/content/download/233|publisher=Salini Construtorri|accessdate=13 October 2010}} Because of the project's remote location, transportation and manning of personnel and equipment was difficult, often taking 4–5 months for supplies to arrive. On June 2, 2007, a tunnel boring machine (TBM), operated by SELI, began boring the {{Convert|7.2|km|mi|abbr=on}} tailrace tunnel and completed it on May 31, 2008. Tunneling was carried out seven days a week in three eight-hour shifts a day. The TBM averaged {{Convert|20|m|ft|abbr=on}} per day while in January 2008, a maximum daily amount of {{Convert|36|m|ft|abbr=on}} was achieved.{{cite web|last=Francesco Bartimoccia|first=Antonio Raschillà |title=- Case History - 8 M Diameter 7 Km Long Beles Tailrace Tunnel (Ethiopia) Bored And Lined In Basaltic Formations In Less Than 12 Months|url=http://www.selitunnel.com/pdf_articoli/RETC_2009_-_Raschilla.PDF|publisher=SELI Tunnel|accessdate=13 October 2010}} The TBM for the {{Convert|12|km|mi|abbr=on}} headrace tunnel broke through, completing it on August 11, 2009.{{cite web|title=News - Ethiopia - Beles Headrace Breakthrough|url=http://db.selitunnel.com/4daction/seli_news?page=eng:09_news:00_default&lingua=ing|publisher=SELI|accessdate=13 October 2010}} Salini Costruttori awarded a sub contract to construct the actual power station to VA Tech Hydro.{{cite web|title=Beles supply contract signed|url=http://www.waterpowermagazine.com/story.asp?storyCode=2036150|publisher=International Power Technology and Dam Construction|accessdate=13 October 2010|date=May 18, 2006|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614045548/http://www.waterpowermagazine.com/story.asp?storyCode=2036150|archivedate=14 June 2011}} On May 11, 2010, the first 115 MW generator at the power plant began operation{{cite web|title=Beles operates in trial test|url=http://www.waterpowermagazine.com/story.asp?storyCode=2056342|publisher=International Water Power and Dam Construction Magazine|accessdate=13 October 2010|date=May 11, 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614045516/http://www.waterpowermagazine.com/story.asp?storyCode=2056342|archivedate=14 June 2011}} and on May 14, 2010, the plant was inaugurated. The project's cost was around $500 million USD.{{cite web|last=Sisay|first=Andualem|title=AfricaNews - Ethiopia inaugurates third hydro power plant in a year|url=http://www.africanews.com/site/list_message/27710|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329060753/http://www.africanews.com/site/list_message/27710|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 29, 2012|publisher=AfricaNews|accessdate=13 October 2010|date=May 14, 2010}} The power plant was fully operational in February 2012.{{cite web|title=Ethiopia Tana Beles Hydroelectric power at full capacity|url=http://article.wn.com/view/2013/12/02/PPL_Holtwood_doubles_capacity_of_hydroelectric_facility/|publisher=WN.com|accessdate=28 February 2014|date=10 February 2012}}
Design
The Beles Hydroelectric Power Plant receives water from Lake Tana where it is transferred to a power station and then discharged through another tunnel and into the Beles River. This is first accomplished by an inlet on Lake Tana, where the power station can utilize {{Convert|9120000000|m3|acre.ft|abbr=on}} of the lake's volume for power production. The inlet channel is {{Convert|43|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide, {{Convert|11.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} high and its flow into the headrace tunnel is controlled by five floodgates. The headrace tunnel transfers the water to the southwest along its {{Convert|12|km|mi|abbr=on}} length within its diameter of {{Convert|8.1|m|ft|abbr=on}}. At the end of the headrace tunnel, it converts into a {{Convert|6.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} diameter and {{Convert|270|m|ft|abbr=on}} long penstock before reaching the power station. At the power station, water is delivered to four Francis turbines powering four 115 MW generators.{{cite web|title=Works in progress - Beles|url=http://www.salini.it/index.php/english/content/workingon#top|publisher=Salini Costruttori|accessdate=13 October 2010|archive-date=13 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313170805/http://www.salini.it/index.php/english/content/workingon#top|url-status=dead}} The power station is a cavern type and is {{Convert|82|m|ft|abbr=on}} long, {{Convert|17.6|m|ft|abbr=on}} high and {{Convert|38.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide. It has a {{Convert|91.2|m|ft|abbr=on}} deep and {{Convert|8|m|ft|abbr=on}} diameter surge shaft as well. Once the water is used in hydroelectric production it is then discharged from the power station to the Beles River via a {{Convert|7.2|km|mi|abbr=on}} tailrace tunnel with the same diameter as the headrace. Normal water level at the inlet is {{Convert|1800|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level and the power station resides at {{Convert|1450|m|ft|abbr=on}}, allowing for {{Convert|350|m|ft|abbr=on}} of hydraulic head. The project is also expected to help irrigate {{Convert|140000|ha|acre|abbr=on}} in the future as well.{{cite web|title= Ethiopia's Beles Power Plant {{sic|Inaug|rated|nolink=y|expected=inaugurated}}|url=http://www.ezega.com/news/NewsDetails.aspx?Page=heads&NewsID=2307|publisher=Ezega|accessdate=13 October 2010|date=May 14, 2010}}
Social and environmental impacts for the downstream communities
The Environmental Impact Assessment of the Beles Hydroelectric Power Plant is considered a formality and is unfindable.{{cite journal |last1=Annys |first1= S. and colleagues|title=Impacts of the hydropower-controlled Tana-Beles interbasin water transfer on downstream rural livelihoods (northwest Ethiopia) |journal=Journal of Hydrology |date=2019 |volume=569 |pages=436–448|doi=10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.12.012|bibcode= 2019JHyd..569..436A|hdl=1942/28548 |s2cid= 135072795|hdl-access=free }}
The social impacts of the Tana-Beles water transfer have been studied and results published in the high-profile Journal of Hydrology: the dangerously high increases in discharge of Beles river have led to the drowning of 250 people between 2010 and 2018. The negative impacts on rural livelihoods are however overshadowed by national development goals (electricity production). The external costs (coping with damage) are borne by local people, who have low bargaining power.
Egyptian opposition
{{Further|Nile Basin Initiative}}
The Beles Hydroelectric Power Plant is part of a larger issue amongst the Nile River Basin countries as the Beles River is a tributary of the Blue Nile and Lake Tana supplies the basin as well. After the inauguration of the power plant, statements were released from a meeting of Egyptian officials, one of which was "Tana Beles dam aims to provoke Egypt’s anger and lead it to take swift diplomatic action which would turn the global opinion in favor of the upstream Nile countries." The officials, many involved in the Nile River Sector, stated they had no information about the project.{{cite web|title=Ethiopian dam 'funded by Italy,' say govt sources |url=http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/news/ethiopian-dam-funded-italy-say-govt-sources|publisher=Al-Masry Al-Youm|accessdate=13 October 2010|date=May 18, 2010}}{{cite web|title=Egypt discuss response to Ethiopian dam|url=http://news.egypt.com/en/2010051710829/news/-egypt-news/egypt-discuss-response-to-ethiopian-dam.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202080146/http://news.egypt.com/en/2010051710829/news/-egypt-news/egypt-discuss-response-to-ethiopian-dam.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 2, 2011|publisher=Egypt News|accessdate=13 October 2010|date=May 17, 2010}} The power plant was inaugurated at the same time as a Cooperative Framework Agreement over the Nile Basin was signed by upstream countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, but downstream countries Sudan and Egypt refused to sign. Under colonial-era accords, only Sudan and Egypt were to benefit from the Nile's flow and could reject any upstream projects that would impede it.{{cite web|last=Sintayehu|first=Zekarias|title=Ethiopia can build any infrastructure and dams it wants on the Nile River|url=http://www.ethjournal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2547:ethiopia-can-build-any-infrastructure-and-dams-it-wants-on-the-nile-river&catid=16:top-headlines|publisher=Ethiopia Journal|accessdate=13 October 2010|date=May 22, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303194811/http://www.ethjournal.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2547:ethiopia-can-build-any-infrastructure-and-dams-it-wants-on-the-nile-river&catid=16:top-headlines|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title= East Africa seeks more Nile water from Egypt|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8682387.stm|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=13 October 2010|date=May 14, 2010}}{{cite web|last=Kate Linthicum|first=Jeffrey Fleishman|title=On the Nile, Egypt cuts water use as Ethiopia dams for power |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-sep-11-la-fg-nile-battle-20100912-story.html|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=13 October 2010|date=September 13, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100918052340/http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/11/world/la-fg-nile-battle-20100912| archive-date= 18 September 2010 | url-status= live}}
See also
{{Portal|Africa|Energy|Water|Renewable energy}}