Hydropower Engineering

The expansion of hydropower as a reliable, sustainable and long-term cost efficient source of energy is experiencing a renaissance in many regions. ILF actively helps shape this expansion by managing customized projects of any type and size. In the last 35 years ILF has successfully planned and designed 130 hydropower projects with capacities of up to 1,400 MW around the world. As a one-stop shop ILF provides integrated, interdisciplinary services for hydropower projects from the initial study, through the design and tender phase to commissioning and start-up. Emphasis is always placed on developing individual solutions that meet the most stringent quality standards and take complex framework conditions into account.

To optimize projects in terms of economic efficiency, ILF also uses unique special software (such as RENRisk) and performs financial analyses. The early integration of all relevant stakeholders to increase a project’s acceptance and likelihood of approval, and the diligent preparation of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments in line with international standards (e.g. IFC, equator principles) complement ILF’s range of services. Among ILF’s clients are public institutions, private project developers, renowned construction companies, and international financial institutions.

ILF renders all services required to successfully implement hydropower engineering projects. These services include:

Project Services for Hydropower Plants:

Project management including project control
Studies of alternatives for hydropower plants using ILF’s special in-house software
Conceptual design
Feasibility studies
Financial studies and analyses, tariff modelling, cost-benefit analyses
Bankable feasibility studies
Permit application design
Basic design
Preparation of tender documents (for different contract models such as FIDIC, DB/EPC, DBB, PPP, etc.)
Detailed design
Construction design
Construction supervision
Commissioning and support during operation
As-built documentation

Technical Services for Hydropower Plants:

Hydropower and pumped storage potential studies and master plans to identify economically and ecologically feasible power plant sites for specified areas
River management programs
Hydrological analyses, sediment transport studies
Natural hazard analyses (avalanches, rockfalls, debris flows, floods, etc.)
Studies on reservoir sedimentation and flushing
Steady state and transient hydraulic analyses
Civil and structural engineering for dams and structures
Tunnels, caverns and underground structures
Geological and geotechnical consulting services
Mechanical and electrical engineering
Design of turbines, hydraulic steel structures, instrumentation and control equipment
Environmental and social impact assessments and monitoring
Landscape protection and nature conservation measures

Fields of Expertise: