Innovation at first glance.
Italy, land of water and energy.
Thanks to high land gradients, Italy boasts as many as 4702 hydroelectric plants throughout the country. Producing 47552 GWh of energy, water provides us with 41% of our supply from renewable sources each year. That’s why it’s important to keep power plants in top operating condition.
What is found in our rivers?
From upstream to downstream, rivers are a vehicle for debris of all kinds. Organic and otherwise. Large branches and logs, algae flowing below the surface, and trash: in dams it is not uncommon to find it all. The same goes for intake channels before turbines, where everything accumulates in the gullies.
Maintenance and disposal, the costs that weigh on power plants.
That is why the material that accumulates at the scrubbers is a twofold problem:
- There is a need for periodic removal of the waste. The problem is that more than 85% of the floating debris is algae and other plants which are valuable asset to the river ecosystem.
- The debris has to be disposed of as (special) waste at no small cost.
River Cleaning Deflector solves the problem. By avoiding it.
Imagine that all the debris and waste that hydropower plants are forced to remove can be diverted, including algae, before it reaches, for example, the mouth of the intake channel.
Left free to flow in the natural riverbed, and recovered downsream, the material is no longer a problem and cost. This is why we created River Cleaning Deflector.
But how exactly does RIver Cleaning Deflector work?
River Cleaning, is an intelligent barrier composed of floating buoys and an anchor structure.
Thanks to the blades with which they are equipped, the buoys rotate pushed by the current like a turbine, intercepting debris and moving it with 95*% effectiveness.
*Result obtained during tests conducting by the University of Palermo.
Our winning formula: Simplicity, effectiveness, control.
We position the barrier at 45° for the best performance. Equipped with rotation sensors, electromechanical automatic handling system and video surveillance system, River Cleaning Deflector enables self-cleaning, full remote control and maximum security.
Let’s summarize: why does prevention pay off?
A 4.4 MW hydropower plant (the average second 2018 data) spends almost 200 thousand euros per year on maintenance. In addition, an average of more than 20 thousand euros per year must be considered for waste disposal.
Why incur these costs if they can be avoided completely or partially? By using the appropriate technology, one can save money and produce more.
Credits: River Cleaning, 2023
