Optimal Sizing of Low Head Hydropower Plant- A Case Study of Hydropower Project at Head of UCC (Lower) at Bambanwala

Pakistan is facing serious shortfall of electricity for few decades. Small hydropower projects can alleviate the worsening situation. The sizing of a low head hydropower plant plays a vital role in establishing the feasibility of the project. The plant needs to be optimized for energy produced, efficiencies of the plant components, number of units and its financial/economic parameters. This paper presents a review on the methodologies by which low head hydropower plants are being optimized to get maximum energy output with minimal cost. The study of various researchers is being presented regarding optimal sizing and selection of small hydropower plant components. A brief summary of low head hydropower schemes in Punjab, Pakistan is also presented herein, which are presently under construction. Moreover based upon literature review and methodology adopted for the hydropower schemes in construction stage, using graphical optimization technique, optimal sizing for power site at Upper Chenab Canal Lower (UCCL) at Bambanwala is also presented. In this study a new parameter; inverse incremental energy is employed for selecting optimum flow. Two turbines (Kaplan, pit type) with combined capacity of 3.58MW are found to be optimal for the case study site.