Characteristics of river-bed hydroelectric plants on running water

     River-bed hydroelectric plants do not depend on deviations of water flows and thus have no negative impact on water balance. Instead the river bed is blocked by a dam wall sitting on a concrete foundation equipped with fish access ways and sector breeches and valves mounted above the fundament. These are mobile and moderate the water level. At high water they unblock almost the entire width of the river bed preventing flooding of near-by terrains and facilities and flushing the precipitation accumulated above the level of the foundation downriver. Fish access ways insure the free passage of fish up and down the river.

     The ponds above the dams are small and there are no dry sections of the river left below the hydroelectric facility. Unlike derivational power plants, river-bed plants do not disturb the natural flow of the rivers.

     For the production of electricity the plants of the cascade will use one Kaplan turbine each. Safety measures will be developed for every turbine preventing the fish from swimming into the blades.

     Every plant will have an automated operation system integrated into the automated operation system running the entire cascade. The plants will be shut down automatically when risk of failure occurs.

     Should the water flow of the river fall below six cubic meters per second, the facilities will disengage leaving the water to escape freely through the dams and the fish access ways.