In future the ČEZ Group is going to contribute to fulfilment of valid commitments of the Czech Republic towards European Union in the area of increasing the production share from so-called green power sources within total power demand in form of additional production of electric power in the annual volume of 60,000 MWh without the necessity to build new sources. This will be enabled by implementing the program for increasing the efficiency of the existing ČEZ, a.s. operated hydroelectric power plants. Large hydroelectric power plants will increase production due to a package of these measures by volume covering the demand of over 17 thousand households by 2022. At the same time the implemented measures should mean reduction of CO₂ emissions by approximately 60 thousand tons.

Selected interesting information from the project for increasing the efficiency of ČEZ Hydroelectric Power Plants, a.s.:

- average efficiency of every refurbished unit increased identically by over 5% after a complete overhaul of the hydroelectric power plants in Vrané nad Vltavou and Kamýk nad Vltavou

- the result of modernisation was an interim increase of production by 3,900 MWh just at one of the units of the Vrané power plant

- reconstruction of the Kaplan turbine at the small Mohelno hydroelectric power plant means an average real increase of efficiency by 8.8 % and from that resulting increase of annual production by 528 MWh

- refurbishment of the Dalešice pumped storage plant enabled an extension of the maximal achievable active power from 112.5 to 123 MW and so-called operating zone from 50 – 112.5 to 13 – 123 MW, which is an advantage for providing island operation and black-start support services

In specific cases it is possible to increase the production and unit outputs especially by

- increasing unit efficiency

- extending the operating zone of outputs, flows and heads

- extending the life durability by limiting the cavitation operation zones and reducing vibrations of the unit and pulsations in hydraulic circuit

- searching for efficiency optimum according to actual operated turbine flows

What shall we continue with?

The generously conceived program is facing the main items.  “This year we have started a refurbishment of one of the units at the Slapy hydroelectric power plant, where once the works are completed we assume an increase of efficiency 5 % and production increase by10,000 MWh”, Iva Svobodová from the Hydroelectric Power Plant Engineering of ČEZ, a. s. says. The extra electric power from Slapy will cover the demand of almost 3 thousand of central Bohemia households. There should follow a refurbishment of one of the Lipno units, the south Bohemian sea power plant, where 5% efficiency increase will improve the future production volume of one unit by 4,000 MWh per year. Extensive refurbishment with the aim to increase efficiency, extend the operating zone and increase the maximal output is also planned for the “eighth wonder of the world”- the Dlouhé Stráně pumped storage power plant in Jeseníky. Gradual modernisation of impellers and performance of overall complete overhauls of most units is assumed gradually for all hydroelectric power plants operated by ČEZ Hydroelectric power plants, a. s.

The plan responses to the requirement of increasing production from renewable sources and at the same time it also considers the limited domestic hydrological conditions for construction of new larger hydroelectric power plants. On the other hand it considers new technical possibilities that can be applied for example during complete overhaul of the turbine, such as design models, chrome-nickel steel casting and machining methods.

Neither small hydroelectric power plants stand idle

In addition to the program for increasing the efficiency of hydroelectric power plant units within ČEZ, a. s. a similar initiative has been in progress in the portfolio of small hydroelectric power plants operated by ČEZ Renewable Sources lately. Their target is to mostly increase the efficiency of hydro potential processing by ten per cent by installing new technologies. Within this intention there were refurbished power plants for example in Kníničky, Pardubice, Předměřice, Spytihněv, Obříství, Přelouč or Práčov.

Securing new sources of 100% clean ecological power is at the same time in accordance with the FUTUR/E/MOTION vision, through which the ČEZ Group declares the intention to invest in new technologies enabling to produce, distribute and use electric power more effectively and carefully in future. By commissioning other renewable source of electric power the ČEZ Group at the same time contributes to meeting the valid commitments of the Czech Republic towards European Union to increase the share of renewable sources in gross consumption.

The ČEZ Group produced in total 2.431 million MWh of electric power from renewable sources last year. Extension of production capacities of ecologically clean sources within the ČEZ Group at the same time contributes to meeting the valid commitments of the Czech Republic towards European Union regarding increasing of the share of production from renewable sources in gross power consumption.

For more information on water sources in the portfolio of the ČEZ Group see

http://www.cez.cz/en/power-plants-and-environment/hydraulic-power-plants.html