Feasibility analysis of mini hydropower and thermal power plants at Hindiya barrage in Iraq

Abstract

Mini hydropower plants can be considered as good instruments for power generation at a low cost with high efficiency. This study is undertaken to help address the electricity shortage that Iraq has faced for many decades. This study covers the design and analysis of two alternatives, which are hydropower and thermal power plants, through a mathematical financial feasibility approach. The study area is Hindiya barrage on the Euphrates River. A complete design of the powerhouse plant is presented. In the thermal power plant, two proposals were tested, one at a cost of 60 US$ per barrel of oil and the other at 30 US$. Most of the financial parameters are considered. The hydropower plant generation is more feasible than the thermal power generation. This result provides the impression of a low payback period in the power production from the established barrages on the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.