draft license application - alabama power...figure a-2). the existing holt project boundary map,...

EXHIBIT A PROJECT DESCRIPTION

HOLT HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT FERC NO. 2203

DRAFT LICENSE APPLICATION

Alabama Power Company Birmingham, Alabama

Prepared by:

July 2012


HOLT HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT FERC NO. 2203


ALABAMA POWER COMPANY BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

Prepared by:

July 2012

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HOLT HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT

FERC NO. 2203



TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................1

2.0 HOLT HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT ...............................................................................3 2.1 PROJECT BOUNDARY ................................................................................................3 2.2 PROJECT STRUCTURES ..............................................................................................6 2.3 TURBINES, GENERATORS AND STEP-UP TRANSFORMER ...........................................6 2.4 PROJECT TRANSMISSION LINE ..................................................................................8 2.5 RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS .................................................................................9 2.6 SPECIFICATIONS OF APPURTENANT FACILITIES .........................................................9 2.7 LANDS OF THE UNITED STATES .................................................................................9

3.0 LITERATURE CITED ......................................................................................................11

LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE A-1 HOLT LOCK AND DAM AND HOLT PROJECT – POWERHOUSE VISIBLE ON

OPPOSITE SIDE OF RIVER ..........................................................................................2 FIGURE A-2 FERC PROJECT BOUNDARY AND TRANSMISSION LINE .............................................4 FIGURE A-3 BEFORE HOLT CONSTRUCTION .................................................................................5 FIGURE A-4 HOLT AFTER CONSTRUCTION ...................................................................................5 FIGURE A-5 NAMEPLATE FOR HOLT TURBINE ..............................................................................7 FIGURE A-6 NAMEPLATE FOR HOLT GENERATOR ........................................................................7 FIGURE A-7 SINGLE LINE DIAGRAM .............................................................................................8 J:\535\016\Docs\Exhibits\Exhibit A 07-19-12.doc

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HOLT HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT

FERC NO. 2203



1.0 INTRODUCTION

The Holt Hydroelectric Project (Holt Project or Project), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

(FERC) Project No. 2203, is owned and operated by Alabama Power Company (Alabama

Power) and is located at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Holt Lock and Dam

(Lock and Dam) on the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. The Project and

the Holt Lock and Dam are approximately 7 miles northeast of Tuscaloosa, Alabama and 40

miles southwest of Birmingham, Alabama. The pool above the dam extends approximately 19

miles upstream to the USACE’s Bankhead Lock and Dam and Bankhead Lake. The portions of

the structures owned by the Alabama Power include the headworks/powerhouse structure

(maximum height approximately 100 feet), a 130 foot long concrete non-overflow dam section

(maximum height approximately 100 feet), and a 110 foot long homogenous earth fill dam

section (approximately 70 feet in height) located between the non-overflow structure and the

right abutment. The adjacent spillway and navigation lock across the river are owned and

operated by the USACE (Alabama Power, 2006) (Figure A-1). The spillway gates allow the

USACE to control the flows in the river and allow for pool level management.

The primary purpose of the Holt Lock and Dam is to improve navigation on the Black Warrior

River and the use of the head1

1 Head is described as the distance of the water falling to create power.

created by the dam for generation of electricity is incidental. The

USACE controls the flows coming to the Lock and Dam as well as the flow available for

generation at the Project.

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FIGURE A-1 HOLT LOCK AND DAM AND HOLT PROJECT – POWERHOUSE VISIBLE ON

OPPOSITE SIDE OF RIVER

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2.0 HOLT HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT

2.1 PROJECT BOUNDARY

Alabama Power owns and operates the Holt Project, located at the USACE Holt Lock and Dam

on the Black Warrior River. The Project consists of a powerhouse that contains a diagonal flow

turbine, a generator, a 115 kV transformer, and a transmission line from the powerhouse to the

Holt Transmission substation. The existing FERC Project Boundary includes the powerhouse

and a 2.39 mile long transmission line with a 50 and 80 foot wide right-of-way (ROW) (see

Figure A-2). The existing Holt Project Boundary map, formerly Exhibit K, is being revised to

file as Exhibit G, to reflect what actually occurred in erecting the Holt-Holt (Holt) Transmission

Line (TL) during initial construction. Figure A-3 (Before Holt Construction) shows the original

proposal to erect the Holt TL in red (the proposed towers are marked as red circles). The existing

Holt-Gorgas (Gorgas) TL is shown in black and the existing towers are marked as black circles.

During the initial construction of the Holt TL, Alabama Power suspected that that there may be

high voltage interference with the proposed Holt TL as it intersected with the existing Gorgas

TL.

To resolve the high voltage interference, Alabama Power placed the Holt TL on the existing

Gorgas towers (marked as black circles) in Figure A-4 (Holt after Construction). The Holt-

Gorgas line was actually placed where the initial proposed Holt TL is depicted (red circles). The

placement of the Holt TL was not updated on the Exhibit K maps after construction; therefore,

Alabama Power proposes to correct and file revised Exhibit G maps to reflect the existing Holt

TL. Correcting the Project Boundary will involve removing 3.8 acres and adding 7.3 acres. The

removed and added lands are privately owned and Alabama Power has retained the necessary

rights to use these lands for Project purposes.

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FIGURE A-2 FERC PROJECT BOUNDARY AND TRANSMISSION LINE

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FIGURE A-3 BEFORE HOLT CONSTRUCTION

FIGURE A-4 HOLT AFTER CONSTRUCTION

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2.2 PROJECT STRUCTURES

The Project consists of a powerhouse and a 115 kV transformer. There is a 5-foot high concrete

parapet wall along the upstream face of the powerhouse to prevent overflow of flood waters into

the powerhouse, although the powerhouse would be flooded from tailwater at the spillway-

design flood level.

The Holt intake is located in the main channel of the Black Warrior River. The intake section is

81.5 feet wide and has its top at El. 207. Flows enter the penstock from the surface to

approximately 15 feet above the substrate. The turbine has a rated minimum hydraulic capacity

of 1,000 cfs, and rated maximum hydraulic capacity of 11,200 cfs2

2.3 TURBINES, GENERATORS AND STEP-UP TRANSFORMER

with a maximum intake

velocity of approximately 4 ft/sec.

The Holt Powerhouse contains one 6-blade vertical “diagonal flow” design manufactured by

General Electric. The flow off the turbine has a diagonal pattern, and is also referred to as a

“mixed-flow” turbine. A diagonal flow turbine is somewhat of a mix between a Francis turbine

and a propeller turbine. The diagonal flow turbine has longer blades than a propeller, which

results in the blades overlapping. The turbine has a rating of 66,410 horsepower at 60 feet of

head; synchronous speed is 100 rpm (Figure A-5). The turbine is directly connected to a 3-phase,

60 Hz, 13,800 V General Electric generator, a rating of 46,944 kW at 0.89 power factor3 Figure

A-6

(

). The generator is connected to a transformer at the substation, rated 48.5 MVA. The 10-year

average annual generation from the Project is about 301,096,000 MWh.

2 The actual minimum hydraulic capacity is 9,451 cfs (due to vibration) and actual maximum hydraulic capacity is

11, 044. 3 The ratio between real power and apparent power in a circuit is called the power factor. The power factor ratio

ranges from 0 to 1, with a power factor of 1 being “unity” and the optimal condition in which all the energy supplied by the source is consumed by the load.

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FIGURE A-5 NAMEPLATE FOR HOLT TURBINE

FIGURE A-6 NAMEPLATE FOR HOLT GENERATOR

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2.4 PROJECT TRANSMISSION LINE

The Project’s 115 kV transmission line extends approximately 2.39 miles from the Holt

Powerhouse to the Holt substation (see Figure A-2). See Figure A-7 for the Single Line Diagram

for the Holt Project.

FIGURE A-7 SINGLE LINE DIAGRAM

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2.5 RESERVOIR CHARACTERISTICS

The USACE’s Holt Lake extends approximately 19 miles upstream to the USACE’s Bankhead

Lock and Dam and Bankhead Lake. The Holt Lake is not included in the Holt Project Boundary.

The estimated storage capacity available for generation between 187 msl and 186 ft msl is 3,267

acre-feet (ac-ft). At normal full pool (187 ft msl), the reservoir covers an area of approximately

3,296 acres.

2.6 SPECIFICATIONS OF APPURTENANT FACILITIES

There are no appurtenant facilities associated with the Project.

2.7 LANDS OF THE UNITED STATES

The existing FERC Project Boundary encompasses 46.59 acres of which 36.81 acres are located

on United States (U.S.) government land managed by the USACE. Of the 46.59 acres in the

Project Boundary, the transmission line and 50 and 80 foot ROW account for 2.39 miles. As

described in Section 2.1, Alabama Power is correcting the Project Boundary description;

however all lands within the Project Boundary are owned by federal, state or private entities and

Alabama Power has acquired and maintains easement rights in such properties sufficient for all

Project purposes.

TABLE A-1 HOLT PROJECT STANDARD NUMBERS

HOLT PROJECT – FERC NO. 2203 DESCRIPTION NUMBER OR FACT GENERAL INFORMATION FERC Number 2203 License Issued September 1, 1965 License Expiration Date August 31, 2015 Licensed Capacity 46, 944 kW Project Location In Tuscaloosa County, Alabama near

towns of Northport, Brookwood, Lake View, Coaling, Coker, Vance, Moundville, North Bibb; about 7 miles east-northeast of the city of Tuscaloosa river mile 347 on the Black Warrior River

Total Area Encompassed by Existing Project Boundary (land only)

46.59 acres

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HOLT PROJECT – FERC NO. 2203 DESCRIPTION NUMBER OR FACT Black Warrior Drainage into Holt Lake 4,219 square miles Length of River From Holt Dam to Bankhead Lock and Dam

Approximately 19 miles

Federal lands within project boundary 36.81 acres Reservoir (owned /operated by USACE) 3,296 acres at el. 187 ft msl DAM (OWNED AND OPERATED BY USACE) Construction Type Concrete gravity and earth embankment Elevation Top of Dam 207 ft msl Gross Head 60 ft Height 130 ft for concrete non overflow dam

section (maximum height is 100 ft) 110 ft long homogenous earth fill dam section (approximately 70 feet in height)

Total Length of Water Retaining Structures 1,050 ft (includes USACE spillway and all retaining structures but not the lock)

Spillway Gates 14- 40 ft x 35 ft Length of USACE Impoundment 19 miles

POWERHOUSE

Date of Construction April 27, 1966 In-Service Date August 15, 1968 Length (Superstructure) 128 ft Width (Superstructure) 71 ft Height 55 ft Penstock Invert Elevation From surface to 15 ft above substrate Operating Floor Elevation 167 ft msl Gross Head 60 ft Normal Tailwater Elevation 126.5 ft msl High Tailwater Elevation -100 Year Flood 168.7 ft msl Maximum Actual Hydraulic Capacity 11,044 cfs Intake Openings: Number of Openings Invert Elevation Each Intake Opening

3 186-187 ft to 132 ft msl 16 ft x 36 ft

Outdoor Gantry Crane Capacity 45 tons capacity TURBINE Number 1 Rated Net Head 60 ft Turbine Manufacturer Type

G.E. 6-blade vertical “diagonal flow”

Rated Discharge Capacity: Maximum Minimum

11,200 cfs 1,000 cfs

Actual Discharge Capacity: Maximum Minimum

11,044 cfs 9,451 cfs

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HOLT PROJECT – FERC NO. 2203 DESCRIPTION NUMBER OR FACT Speed 100 rpm Horsepower 66,410 hp Diameter of water wheel 240 in Rated Output 66,410 hp GENERATOR Number 1 Nameplate Rating 46,944 kW Rated Output 46,944 kW Power Factor 0.889 Voltage 13800 volts Number of Phases 3 Frequency 60 hertz Average Annual Generation (2002-2011) 158,629,700 kWh TRANSFORMERS Number 1 Transmission Voltage 115 kV Rating 48.5 MVA TRANSMISSION LINES Holt to Holt Line 2.39 miles FLOOD FLOWS – HOLT 100 Year Flood – Flow 331,500 cfs Probable Maximum Flood Elevation 206.4 ft msl RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER BLACK WARRIOR RIVER PROJECTS Bankhead Lock and Dam (L&D); Oliver Lock and Dam

Bankhead L&D is approximately 19 RM upstream; Oliver L&D is 9 RM downstream

3.0 LITERATURE CITED

Alabama Power Company. 2006. Holt Hydro Project Supporting Technical Information. Alabama Power Company, Birmingham, AL. Critical Energy Infrastructure Information – Not publicly available.

draft license application - alabama power...figure a-2). the existing holt project boundary map,...

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