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Collins Hydro Project
Sebec Hydro Project
Turners Falls Hydro
Woronoco Hydro
Pepperell Hydro
Indian River Power
Prior Projects

Operating Projects

Swift River now operates 4 hydro projects, but previously has developed and operated over 20 renewable energy projects in New England.

Collins Hydro Electric LP
 
Collins has two 750 KW full Kaplan turbines at net head of 15.4 feet installed in bulbs which operate under float control as run-of-the-river hydro projects.  Average annual production of 5,640,000 kWh is sold to Commonwealth Electric Company on a long-term fixed price contract.  Collin's generation history is summarized in the following graph:

Sebec Electric LP
 
Sebec has a 315 KW and a 555 KW semi Kaplan turbines installed at the end of Sebec Lake in an abandoned site owned by Bangor Hydro Electric Co (BHE).  The site is leased for 40 years from BHE.  Rated net head is 15.8 feet but under some conditions head may increase to 17 feet. The ESAC equipment is installed in bulbs which operate manually since they are set at the end of the 11-mile long Sebec Lake.  Average annual production of 3,164,000 kWh is sold to BHE on a long-term PPA whose price increases steadily during the next 15 year period.  Output history is summarized in the following graph:
 
 
Woronoco Hydro LLC
 
The owners of SRC and DHC bought the Woronoco hydro project from IPC which shutdown its Woronoco paper mill about 5 years ago.   Woronoco has a 1,700 KW Francis turbine installed recently in a much older wicket gate case.  On average this turbine generates about 9,148,000 kWh per year. Also in the same powerhouse there are two 450 KW Francis turbines and generators that have not operated for about 10 years that SRHOCO has begun rehabing since these t/g sets are part of the 2,700 kW FERC license. In addition, the owners have found a 1,100 kW vertical Kaplan unit which they propose to add to the FERC license as soon as it is possible to complete the agency consultation for a FERC license amendment.  The average net head is 55.4 feet and Woronoco plans to add another 2.5 feet of flashboards to bring the site back to its historic head.  Average annual production of 13,250,000 kWh will be sold to a local municipal electric company on a long-term contract or sold to WMECO at the hourly ISO spot price.  Recent output history is summarized in the following graph:
 
 
Turners Falls Hydro LLC
 
The owners of SRC and DHC also bought the Turners Falls hydro project from IPC, which shutdown its Strathmore paper mill about 3 years ago.   Turners Falls has a 950 KW vertical Francis turbine installed recently in a wicket gate case and scroll case built in 1918.  On average this turbine could generate about 8,322,000 kWh per year.  The average net head is 44 feet.  If the Water Exchange Agreement (WEA) is continued, the combination of annual production of 1,662,000 kWh plus 7,391,000 kWh of compensated energy will be sold to a local municipal electric company or industrial customer on a long-term contract or sold to WMECO at the hourly ISO spot price.  Expected output is simulated in the following table:
 

Pepperell Hydro LLC

Swift River Hydro Operations Company (SRHOCO) purchased the hydroelectric plant at the Pepperell Paper Company site on the Nashua River in East Pepperell, Massachusetts after it closed down in the fall of 2002. The facility was designed in 1917 for three vertical Leffel Francis turbines.  On average, these turbines could generate 7.1 GWh per year, but two of the turbines were damaged so significant rehabilitation and modernization was carried out in 2004-05.  Pepperell Hydro Company LLC recently won a bid competition to sell its renewable energy certificates (RECs) generated by the upgraded plant to the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) under a 10-year fixed price REC Sales Contract. This contract helped to support the financing of the rehabilitation of the project.

Prior Projects of Swift River

From 1982 until 1989, Swift River developed, financed, constructed and operated 18 hydro projects around New England.  The first 3 of these projects were sold to Consolidated Hydro in 1985 and all but Pioneer, Collins and Sebec were sold to Swift River / Hafslund in 1989.  Of this original group of projects, Swift River still manages and operates Collins Hydro LLC and Sebec Hydro LP.  For more information see the Prior Project page.

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