The Cannelton Hydroelectric Project is the first of AMP’s six run-of-the-river hydro projects currently under development to break ground, in 2009. Located near Hawesville, Kentucky, on the Ohio River, the 84-MW Cannelton plant is scheduled to be commercially available in 2014.
The Cannelton Project will divert water from the existing Army Corps of Engineers Cannelton Locks and Dam through bulb turbines to generate an average gross annual output of about 458 million kilowatt-hours (kWh). The site will include an intake approach channel, a reinforced concrete powerhouse and a tailrace channel. The powerhouse will house three horizontal 28-MW bulb type turbine and generating units with an estimated total rated capacity of 88 MW at a gross head of 25 feet. A 1,000-ft-long 138-kV transmission line interconnection is planned to connect Cannelton to the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO).
Construction of the Cannelton plant will employ 200-400 workers at the peak of construction. Once online, the plant will create up to 12 permanent positions. Major components for the plant will be supplied by Voith Hydro (turbine equipment), Oregon Iron Works (gates and trash rack equipment), Iljin/PanAmerica Supply (main power transformers) and Morgan Engineering (crane equipment). Voith has also acquired a facility in Hannibal, Ohio, specifically to manufacture stators for Cannelton, as well as the Meldahl, Smithland and Willow Island plants.
- Location: Kentucky side of the Ohio River, near Hawesville, Kentucky (about 1 ½ hours southwest of Louisville, Ky.)
- Anticipated commercial operation: Summer 2014
- Operator: AMP
- Estimated capacity: 84 MW
- Estimated construction jobs: 200-400 at peak of construction
- Estimated permanent jobs: 9-12
- Formal groundbreaking: Held August 5, 2009, with keynote speaker Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear
- Excavation and cofferdam construction: Started May 2009 with contractor Kiewit/Traylor Construction, Omaha, Neb./Evansville, Ind.
- Powerhouse construction: Started October 2010 with contractor Walsh Construction Group, Chicago
The following images illustrate the progress of Cannelton’s construction in chronological order. Click the links below to view construction photos by year.
|
| |
|
|
Shoring and formwork erected for Unit 1 draft tube concrete
|
Concrete placement near the stay cone
|
Substation work
|
Lowering stay cone for Unit 3 into the pit for installation
|
Setting the bulb turbine housing for Unit 1
|
Constructing the substation
|
Rotor poles being installed on the rotor
|
Contractor pre-drilling a hole on the land side for stone
column installation |
Continued wall construction of the powerhouse
|
A view looking downstream at Unit 3
|
Rotor arriving at the site
|
Powerhouse concrete reinforcement placement
|
Closeup view of site work
|
Walsh’s planned conveyor for concrete transport
|
Aerial shot looking downstream |
Draft tube liner placement |
|
|
