Mali to Commission 63-Megawatt Felou Hydro Power Station

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources India (Delhi, India)--Government of Senegal-controlled Societe de gestion de l'energie de Manantali (SOGEM) (Bamako, Mali) is set to commission a 63-megawatt (MW) hydro power station in the Kayes region in Mali. Due to be operational by the end of July 2013, the project will supply energy to the interconnected grid in the sub-region including Mali, Mauritania and Senegal.

Being developed on the Senegal River the project is jointly funded by the governments of Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal, acting through Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Senegal (OMVS) and subsequently through SOGEM. The SOGEM will be in charge of the operational and technical management of the Felou Project and will later select a private entity to operate and maintain the project.

The project is a run-of-river hydropower facility equipped with three Bulb-type turbines for a total installed capacity of 62.3 MW. The 945-meters long weir was constructed in the early 1920s and will be refurbished by the project activity, keeping the same height (maximum 2 meters). This canal is 28 m deep, 10 m wide and has a slope of 0.02%. The project development will incorporate the existing block of an old 600 kW hydroelectric facility, the turbine and generator associated with the old facility will be removed from service.

The $97 million project has been developed in collaboration with China's state-owned hydropower engineering and construction company, Sinohydro (SSE: 601669) (Beijing, China). The construction for the project started in November 2011. Sinohydro is working as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the project.

OMVS is an organization created in 1972 by Mali, Mauritania and Senegal for the purpose of jointly managing the 200-MW Manantali hydroelectric project located on Senegal River. The power station provides electricity to Mali, Mauritania and Senegal through1,500 kilometers-long transmission network. Around 52% of the power generated by the project is supplied in Mali, while the remaining 15% is transmitted to Mauritania and 33% to Senegal.

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