KEY PERSONNEL:
PROJECT CHALLENGES:
Minimal disruption to the ecosystem during works and in operation upon completion
Hydro-electric screw installation to generate electricity for Omagh Leisure Centre
The brief required the design team to create a facility that would generate sufficient power to meet the needs of the leisure centre and sell excess power to the National Grid with minimal impact on the salmon-rich Camowen River. Rated at 121 kw, the hydro turbine was predicted to save in excess of 133 tonnes of CO2 annually and make a contribution to the Council’s green philosophy. The design chosen was the Archimedes screw as it was the most fish-friendly option available. Flood protection was carefully controlled by the use of a temporary cofferdam throughout construction, and in particular while the line of the existing flood wall was being modified. The scheme included an in-situ reinforced concrete inlet, precast concrete intake channel with openings in the roof to provide natural light for fish passing through, in-situ reinforced concrete penstock, a fish pass with resting pools, and the screw base. The existing top weir on the river was modified to incorporate a new fish pass and eel-crawling mat.
(Images from Warner Land Surveys & Manpower Consulting Ltd)
