MWH Awarded Three Ohio Hydroelectric Projects

All three facilities will be located at existing locks and dams to minimize environmental impact, and will have a combined generation capacity of 191 megawatts (MW)—adding significantly to the state's renewable energy generation portfolio. MWH designed AMP-Ohio's Belleville Hydroelectric Plant, which produces 42 MW of energy and has been in operation since 1999.

"Our past work with MWH on the Belleville Hydroelectric Plant makes us confident that MWH is an excellent company to oversee these three projects. They will help protect the interests of AMP-Ohio and ensure that these facilities are well engineered, safe and efficient," said Marc Gerken, PE, president and CEO of AMP-Ohio.

The first project will be located on the West Virginia shore at the Willow Island locks and dam, approximately 42 miles upstream from the Belleville Plant. New facilities will include a two-unit powerhouse with an estimated generation capacity of 35 MW. This plant will produce approximately 195,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) annually. The second project will be located at Cannelton locks and dam near Cannelton, Indiana.

The largest of the three projects, Cannelton will have a capacity of 84 MW. This three-unit plant is expected to generate an average of 390,000 MWh annually. The third project will be located on the Kentucky shore at the existing Smithland locks and dam in Livingston County, Ky. Projected to be a three- unit, 72 MW plant, the Smithland project will generate an average of 340,000 MWh annually.

MWH has been providing engineering services to the dam and hydropower sector since 1920 and is currently working on numerous dam and hydropower projects throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. MWH has played a key role in some of the largest dam and hydropower projects in the world, including the Three Gorges Dam in China, Ghazi Barotha Hydroelectric Scheme in Pakistan, Mohale Dam in Lesotho, Tekeze Dam in Ethiopia, Caruachi Hydroelectric Project in Venezuela and Karahnjukar Hydroelectric Project in Iceland.