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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
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- 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
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- 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:
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- Woronoco Hydro LLC
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- 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:
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- Turners Falls Hydro LLC
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- 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:
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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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