Climate neutrality, or “going carbon neutral”, refers to an entity achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions by either balancing carbon emissions with carbon removal (offsetting), or eliminating carbon emissions altogether. With renewable energy generation already established and a stable distribution network in operation at the Corrour Estate, the journey to carbon neutrality is continuing with increased electrification across the estate’s commercial and domestic loads.

Hydroplan are currently part of a panel of engineering and architecture consultants, designing and tendering for a sustainable energy project, which will encompass a new spatial layout, electrification of heat, provision of electric vehicle charging and consolidation of backup power generation. Hydroplan is the lead engineering consultant on the electrical distribution, including all changes to the 33kV, 11kV and 415V underground cable networks and associated substations.

Key Features:

• Remote, rural location
• Net zero emissions
• LV and HV electrical networks

The post Corrour Sustainable Energy Project first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.

Brynteg Coastal and Country Retreat is a holiday park run by Park Leisure in North Wales. During a period a sustained heavy rainfall in late 2017 a resulting flash flood overwhelmed the drainage culvert carrying a small watercourse through the site and caused extensive damage to the park.

Hydroplan was employed as a subcontractor to the main contractor, Lynwoods Building Consultancy, to carry out a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) and provide a sizing for a replacement culvert.

The job comprised of two separate tasks. Firstly a desktop FRA was carried out so that a new culvert could be sized appropriately and installed immediately. Hydroplan then followed up with a site visit and investigation to provide suggestions for further mitigating the flood risk in the future.

Key Features:

• Flood remediation
• Estimates of return period floods
• Culvert sizing

The post Brynteg Flood Risk Assessment & Culvert Sizing first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.

Hydroplan was involved in the transformation of passenger facilities and a terminal upgrade for Aberdeen Airport as a sub-contractor to Quartzelec. The overall project is set to see a 50% increase to the terminal size.

Quartzelec was responsible for implementing the electric work for the project, installing a new HV switchboard, two HV transformers and two LV switchboards, as well as over 6km of HV and LV cabling. For Hydroplan, the contract involved fast turnaround of protection and discrimination study for a new low-voltage switchboard prior to energization, which was provided quickly, and to a high standard.

Key Features:

• High tech situation
• Fast turnaround
• Collaborative approach

The post Aberdeen Airport first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.

As part of the construction of a new 6km, 40t forestry haulage road (and access for a hydro scheme) a large span bridge was required to be replaced across the River Coulin in Scotland. The current bridge was not able to handle the required traffic load requirements and the existing middle support was in a state of near collapse.

Our design team were tasked with inspecting the existing bridge and proposing the most cost-effective and quickest way to allow the construction traffic over the river to commence the construction of the hydro scheme.

After the site inspection, it was determined that the current bridge was not capable of withstanding the required load. Due to the length of the bridge, two options were proposed. A standard road bridge made of steel beams and timber decking with a concrete pier in the middle of the river or a Mabey Compact bridge compromising of longitudinal trusses formed of prefabricated modular steel panels with pinned end connections and transverse cross girders. After comparing the price and time of construction, the Mabey bridge option was chosen. This was mainly due to the speed of erection and avoidance of any works within the river, which contained spawning gravels for fish.

Once the concrete abutments were constructed on either side of the river, the main bridge structure was launched and erected from the right bank, and within a day the two river banks were connected representing a great time-saving. The old bridge was completely dismantled.

The post Coulin Bridge Replacement first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.

The Coulin Estate near Kinlochewe in Wester Ross approached their land agent’s CKD Galbraith to design and consent a 6.2km access track to facilitate the removal of their mature forestry plantation. Following an extensive planning process involving numerous external agencies, permission was finally granted in 2014.

CKD Galbraith appointed Hydroplan to undertake a design review, tendering and construction supervision of the track including

• Repair and improvement of existing 32m bridge
• Construction of a new 30m sectional bridge
• Installation of two arch culverts and numerous piped culverts

Work started in 2015 and the track was successfully completed in 2016 under the watchful eye of SNH who described it as an example of best practice for construction in upland areas upon completion.

The post Coulin Forest Access Track (CFAT) first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.

The gas-fired Ballylumford Power Station is located in Northern Ireland, approximately 25km north east of Belfast, providing around 9% of Ireland’s demand.  The station discharges cooling water into a 10km long coastal inlet called Larne Lough.

Hydroplan was asked to model the thermal plume’s dissipation in the lough during very low tide to aid a marine ecology assessment.  A site survey was conducted during the lowest tide cycle so that 2D &3D computer models could be constructed and calibrated to the recorded sea temperatures, tide levels and station discharges.

The 2D model used the SMS (Surface-Water Modelling System) program that accurately predicted the thermal plume’s distribution and dissipation over two full tide cycles.  Wind speed, direction, base water and air temperature were incorporated into the model.  The Ansys 3D model was used to model the near-field thermal distribution through the station’s discharge manifold.

The post Ballylumford first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.

The water supply utility South West Water operates a water intake at Abbey Weir, Tavistock, Devon.  The intake design was inefficient and required manual cleaning as well as manual operation of the sluice gate.

Hydroplan was asked to design a higher capacity intake with an automatic screen cleaner and sluice gate automation.  The intake is in the centre of the town, so considerable consultation with the local council was undertaken to ensure acceptable operational safety and visual impact.  The existing fish pass was nearing the end of its life so this was also redesigned so it could be replaced at the same time.

A topographical site survey was conducted to establish bed levels in relation to the weir and intake.  The 2D computer SMS (Surfacewater Modelling System) was used to show the flow patterns in the vicinity of the new intake to aid its design.  The intake was designed to efficiently pass the maximum flow whilst being visually acceptable, clear of debris and friendly to fish.

The post Abbey Weir first appeared on Hydroplan - Hydropower Consultancy.