'What’s exciting in the tunneling and underground space is the unparalleled benefits provided by the tunneling industry'

Exclusive interview with Leonard Kassana, GE Hydro Consulting Engineers & Planners Ltd, Dar es Salaam who discusses the Lower Kihansi Hydropower Plant in Tanzania at Hydropower Africa. Here is a sneak preview...

• Can you give us some background on the project?

TANESCO's Lower Kihansi hydro power plant located on the Kihansi River Falls, a tributary of the Kilombero River in Tanzania was commissioned formally in July 2000 but has been operational since 1999.

The hydro power plant, located in the Ududzungwa escarpment, utilizes a net head of 850m to generate 180MW with a provision for additional 120 MW in the future making a total future installed capacity of 300 MW.

The existing system at Kihansi includes a 25m high concrete gravity dam, which impounds a small reservoir with total water storage of 1.6 Million m3 with a live storage of 1.0 Million m3. The intake connects to the 2.2km inclined 1:7 headrace tunnel of 34-37.5m2 via a 25sq.m circular unlined 500m vertical headrace shaft. The power house cavern (12.6m wide, 98m long and 32m high) has 3 units driven by Pelton turbines each with a generation capacity of 60 MW connects to the 2km tailrace tunnel and 1.9km access tunnel. Total tunnels length is in the order of 10km including auxiliary tunnels.

http://spintelligentpublishing.com/Digital/ESI-Africa/issue4-2015/files/102.html

http://www.esi-africa.com/?s=kassana