IPARI HPP

On the river Ipari

PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI RIVER BASIN
AQUAHYDRO LTD
The information presented in this report is confidential

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents ......................................................................................................................................... 2
1.

Object location and basic parameters .................................................................................... 3

2.

Topographic map of potential course object territory.......................................................... 5

3.

Brief geological data of object location, geological map ...................................................... 6

4.

Seismic data of the object location and the map................................................................... 8

5.

Hydrological and meteorological data................................................................................. 12

6.

Energy calculations and hydraulics ..................................................................................... 18

7.

Infrastructure ........................................................................................................................ 21

8.

Grid Connection ................................................................................................................... 22

9.

Estimated calculation ........................................................................................................... 24

10.

Economic and Financial Analysis .................................................................................... 24

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

1. OBJECT LOCATION AND BASIC PARAMETERS

Ipari HPP construction is planned in the region of Samegrelo, Upper-Svaneti on the river
Ipari. The Estimated installed capacity of the HPP is 3.2 MW, the head race benchmark in
the upstream is 1090 m. From the head the water flows to the 1550 m long penstock,
downstream water benchmark is 903 m.

Project location map.

The river Ipari flows from the northern slope of the Chishla ridge on the 2800 meters high
and joins the River Inguri from the left side, at the Ipari village on the 770 m benchmark.
The length of the River is 12 km, full drop 2030 m, Average slope - 170 , catchment area
- 32 km, average height - 1940 m. 45 medium and small tributaries run into the river.
Network frequency of river basin is 0.80 km / km.
The basin of the river has an asymmetrical shape, which is bordered by the river Khelra from
the east and from the west by the river Mukhashura catchment basins. The Basin length is 14
km, the average width - 4 km.
The surface of the basin is characterized by mountainous terrain. It is highly fragmented by
the erosion deep gorges of the tributaries, which sides are aslope enough, some sections are
steep. At the watershed ridges the heights of the mountains change within the 1250-3020 m.

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

By the tectonic terms the catchment area is the part of the folded zone of Gagra-Java and
includes Khaishi and north subzones of the porphyritic Juri. The border between subzones
goes on the deep fault of the Idliani-Rckhmeuli which crosses the study space by the
direction of the geographical parallel.
The mojor part of the catchment basin of the river Khelra is covered by of the herbal
vegetation. Mainly here is the mixed forest _ beech, oak, fir, chestnut, hornbeam. The forest
is sparse in the downstream. The Woodness consists 80%.
The river Ipari is fed by snow, rain and ground water. Its water regime is characterized by
spring-summer floods, summer-autumn flooded conditions and relatively stable shallow
water-resistance of winter.
Project includes the following components:

Low threshold dam, jigger headlamps and fish ladder;

Closed grid of desilter camera, fish-protection grid;
Penstock (1550 m);
Power knot, equipped by two horizontal axis Pelton type turbines;
Access roads.

The main technical parameters of the IPARI HPP are:

Gross head - 187 m;
Type of dam - low threshold dam, height - 3 m, width - 30 m;
Metal penstock, length - 1550 m, diameter - 1,2 m;
Number of turbines 2, type - Pelton - horizontal axis - 2 water jets;
Maximum power - 3.2 MW;
Average output - 14.2 GWh;
Grid connection: with the 35 kV tyre the Ipari HPP will be connected with the
existed 35 kV line voltage of Khudoni-Mestia;
Cost - 4.4 million US dollars.

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

2. TOPOGRAPHIC MAP OF POTENTIAL COURSE OBJECT

TERRITORY
Tipography of the object location is presented below on 1:25000 scale map:

Displacement area of the objects 1:25000 map and plan.

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

3. BRIEF GEOLOGICAL DATA OF OBJECT LOCATION,

GEOLOGICAL MAP
According to the tectonic zoning, the study area is included in the south slope folded system of
Lias schists of the Greater Caucasus, Bajocian volcanogenic series, upper Jura and cretaceous
carbonate in Gagra-Java spreading zone and in particular includes lower and upper Muashi
subset formations of the lower Jurassic period of Khaishi subzone.
According to the geomorphological point of view, the gorge of the river Ipari is the part of the
erosian-denudational mountainous terrain that is developed on the substrate of the lower
Jurassic period of the Muashi subset formations with the ancient and modern glacier tracks.
The slopes of the Ipari river gorge is represented by the lower Jurassic period lower subset
formations of Muashi: dark gray grapholite and sandy shales with the rare layers of quartz sand
(J12ms1) and Muashi upper subset and grapholite shales alternation with the rare mid layers of
the quartz sandstones (J12ms2); Rocks are cliffy and semi cliffy, characterized by gravelly
grained and gravelly clay with the residual soil.
In the lower gorge of the river Ipari, at the mouth of the two large tributaries, where the
future dam will be built, in the river-bed and on the both banks glacial-river sedimentation
is spread that is represented by the boulders, nodules, pebbles and sand deposits.
At the joining area of the river Inguri, at the the building deployment location of the future HPP
deluvial-proluvial formations are marked that is represented by gravelly grained bottom and
gravelly clay filler.
At the territory of the hydropower complex layout area the tectonic faults and the modern
geodynamic processes (landslides, mud-slides) are not observed, if we dont take into
consideration mud-slides hazardous areas that is fixed at the outfall of the river (from the fund
resources) the study of them is necessary on the next stage of the additional works.

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

4. SEISMIC DATA OF THE OBJECT LOCATION AND THE

MAP
Georgia and the whole Caucasus region situate within a wide deformation zone between the
Black sea and the Caspian sea, which is a part of the Alps-Himalayan collision belt. The
movement of the Arabian plate to the north towards the Eurasian plate determine the main
tectonic picture of the region. Continental collision caused the wrinkling and uplifted the
main mountain range of the Greater Caucasus, which is currently the tallest mountain
system segment in the western Alps-Himalayan Belt. Here two continental plates collision is
marked: Arabian Plate moves to the north and collides with the Eurasian plate. The collision
of plates generates two types of deterioration: types of displacement fault in Iran and Turkey
and overthrust faults in Caucasus.
Due to the general seismicity of the Caucasus in the 80-90s, increasing of seismic activity was
observed, which indicators are the powerful earthquakes that happend one after another:
Spitak earthquake in Armenia in 1988 M = 7.0, Racha earthquake in 1991 M = 7.0, Barisakho
earthquake in Georgia in 1992 M = 6.5, Erzincan earthquake in Turkey in 1993 M = 7.3.
Active faults are mostly located on the borders of tectonic blocks. Longitudinal and
latitudinal direction faults of the Caucasus should be noted. The number intrazonal fault has
the same direction. Most of these faults are intratelluric.
According to the quality of technical lability the territory of Georgia is divided in five major
geotechnical units: I- anticli-norium of the mountain range of the Caucasus, II- folded
system of the southern slope of the Caucasus, III- the belt of Georgia (Mtatusheti), IV- folded
system of Adjara-Trialeti and V- the belt of Artvis-Bologna (Armenia), see map.
The catchment basin of the river Ipari is located II _ in the southern slope of the Caucasus
folded system II4 porphyritic Juri north subzone of Gagra-Java which represented
geosincline during the whole Mesozoic and lower Paleogene. It is built with the huge thick
sediments and partially with the volcanogenic formations. The intense wrinkling and south
leaning is characterized for the entire system. Here is developed strongly compressed
isoclinic or asymmetric common Caucasian direction of traction linear wrinkles.

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

Seismic data analysis shows that its an average seismic region. The magnitude of the strong
earthquakes which are fixed here is equal to 7, whereas micro seismic intensity is 9 Ball
(MSK scale). Reiteration period of the strong earthquakes is 103-104 years type.
Variety of seismic catalogs has been used for the purpose of seismic analysis: the Caucasus
earthquake catalog which was existed in the seismic monitoring center; special catalog for
Caucasus that was created within the Assessment Program for the Global Seismic Hazard and
the catalog for the strong earthquakes.

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

The study area (central part of the Caucasus) is one of the most seismically active region in
Georgia. On the map you can see the epicenter map of the existed historical earthquakes that
are fixed in the catalog. (Only medium and strong earthquakes is contained M>3).
In the period of instrumental observations the region was distinguished with the high
seismic activity particularly epicenter zone of Racha earthquake in 1991 is noteworthy.
Racha earthquake was the largest seismic event. The magnitude of the earthquake is M = 7.0,
whereas the intensity in the epicenter was 9 Ball. The epicenter of the earthquake was
located in the mountainous villages of Racha and Imereti.
Racha earthquake was related to the active fault of Gagra-Java. The earthquake epicenter is
still seismically active. The measurement data show that in this region the crust movement
of the earth is quite intense, about 4-5 mm per year. Intermountain area has the same speed
towards the central part of the Caucasus folded system. This modern data are in a good
agreement with the geological and seismic researches.
On the presented map the seismic zoning of Georgia is shown. It was prepared by the
Institute of Geophysics of Georgia and according to the map the Ipari HPP locates in the
earthquake zone equal to 9 Ball.

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IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

11

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

5. HYDROLOGICAL AND METEOROLOGICAL DATA

5.1.

Hydrological data

By hydrological point of view, the river Ipari has not studied. Thats why its average annual
flow values is determined by the method given in the hydrological reference book by name
Surface water resources of the USSR Volume IX, Issue I, West Transcaucasia ".

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IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

Ipari river gorge.

Meeting of the Inguri and Ipari rivers.

However, in addition, from the nearby checkpoint stations the average value of multi year
water flow has been calculated, which is equal to the values which are given below, so the
below-described method was taken into consideration.
According to the above mantioned method, for the study river basin location district
between the average heights of the pond and flows module from the influence curve,
adequate of the average height, the average annual flow of the river basin module is
determined which in our case is equal from 45.0 l / sec km. From here, the average flow of
the river Natseshari in the main building section of the presented HPP project section is
equal to:

Fkm2 Ml / sek .km2 29.3 45,0

Q0

1.3 m3/s
1000
1000
In the same hydrological reference book, according to the intra-annual distribution of the
hydrologically unstudied rivers, percentage distribution between months is estimated
according to the average heights of the basin. The obtained results are given in the table
below. The ecological flow of the river (which is equal to 10% of the average annual flow of
the river in the water intake section) and the amount of water that is supplied for the HPP is
given, the leaving the environmental flows is also forseen.

13

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

Expenditure
Av. monthly
On the head
Environmental
Flows
Taken by HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

II

III

IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
50 % provision (average hydrous)

0.4

0.4

0.6

1.5

2.5

2.9

2.5

0.13
0.3

0.13
0.3

0.13
0.5

0.13
1.4

0.13
2.4

0.13
2.8

0.13
2.4

IX

XI

XII

1.7

1.2

0.8

0.7

0.5

1.3

0.13
1.5

0.13
1.0

0.13
0.7

0.13
0.5

0.13
0.4

0.13
0.3

Year

River Ipari intra-annual distribution of the average annual costs of accounting provision in the project section.

Average annual flow hydrograph of the river Ipari in the project section.

Average monthly and annual costs of the river Ipari, which are given in the water amount
box that should be taken by project HPP intake is accepted as the calculating values.

14

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

Watershed map.

5.1.

Meteorological data

The basin of the river Ipari belongs to the river Inguri basin that locates in the climatic
region of the western Caucasus, where humid subtropical climate is dominated. On the
thermal regime of the west Caucasus affects the Black Sea and its influence is weakened in
the basin of the river Inguri.

15

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

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One of the main feature of the climat conditions is the air temperature, according to the
multi-year meteorological observations of Khaishi that locates near the project power plant the
average monthly, annual and extreme values of temperature is given in the table below:

The average monthly, annual and extreme temperature of the air.

As the represented table shows, the hottest months in the region are July and August,
whereas the coldest is - January.
The annual sum of precipitation in the region varies in the range of 1421 mm. The annual
precipitation is almost equally distributed between months. The following table shows the
average monthly and annual number of rainfall according the same observation data of the
Khaishi meteorological station.

The average monthly and annual sum rainfall in mm

According to Khaishi multi-year meteorological observation data, the snow coverage

commonly appears 6.XII and disappear 21.III. At the same time, the average decade height of
snow cover by the same meteorological station data amount 48 cm and the maximum
average decade height is 135 cm.
The emergence and disappearance dates of the snow cover, according the same multimeteorological station observation data is presented on the table below.
Meteorological
station
Khaishi

Number of
snowy days

Emergence date of snow cover

Disappearance date of snow cover

Number

Average

Early

Late L

Average

Early

Late

62

6.XII.

25.X

24.I

21.III.

21.II.

24.IV

Emergence and disappearance dates of the snow cover.

16

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

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Snow cover maximum decade heights of different providing values according to Khaishi
meteorological station multi-decade observation is shown in the table below:

Provision

Meteorological
station
Khaishi

P%
95

90

75

50

25

10

15

29

44

64

83

107

Snow cover different provision values of maximum decade heights (cm).

Annual procession of the air humidity practically coincides with the annual course of the air
temperature. High rates of the air humidity deficit is fixed in the summer months, whereas
the minimum - in winter. Air humidity characteristics, according to multi-year observation
data of the same meteorological station are presented in the following table:

Met.
station

Khaishi

Humidity

II

III

IV

VI

VII

VII
I

IX

XI

XII

Year

Absolut.

5.2

5.4

6.2

8.4

12

15.4

18.1

17.8

14.4

10.5

7.7

5.8

10.6

Percent %

81

79

74

70

71

73

74

74

78

81

80

82

76

Deficit.

1.2

1.5

2.7

6.2

6.9

7.4

7.7

5.3

2.9

1.9

1.3

4.2

Air humidity.

All directions of wind blow in the region. But the prevailing are the east and the west
directional winds which is due to the direction of the river Inguri. The following table shows
the wind directions and the number of stills according to the multi-year observations of the
same meteorological station.

17

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ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
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meteorological
station

NN

NNN.E

S.E

S.W

NN.WN

Still

Khaishi

11

54

23

52

Wind directions and annual number of stills in %

The average annual wind speed is 2.3 m / sec. During the warm period of year the average
monthly speed is maximum, whereas the minimum speed is fixed in winter. The following
table shows the average monthly and annual rates of wind:

Monthly and annual average wind speed in m / s

The following table shows maximum speeds of the different repetition according to the multiyear observations of the same meteorological station.
Maximum wind speed (m / s) available one-time

Meteorological
station

1 Year

Khaishi

14

5 Years
16

10 Years
17

15 Years

20 Years

18

19

The maximum wind speeds in m/s.

6. ENERGY CALCULATIONS AND HYDRAULICS

The energy report is based on average monthly data. During the energy report the following
things are foreseen: sanitary water dam out, losses in the hydrotechnical scheme, the
effectiveness of aggregates and the number of working aggregates, the efficiency of generator
and other parts.

18

Energy calculation of the Ipari HPP that is based on the multiannual average monthly expenses is listed in the following table:

Monthly capacities of the Ipari HPP.

Monthly output of the Ipari HPP.

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

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7. INFRASTRUCTURE
Construction district is 60 km far from Mestia. From Zugdidi - 80 km, while from Tbilisi - 430
km. Within the project area of the HPP approximately 4000 m road rehabilitation works
should be implemented, see the map.

21

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

The road in the gorge of river Ipari.

8. GRID CONNECTION

Ipari HPP will connect with 35 kV belt with the existed 35 kV voltage line KhudoniMestia transmission line. 1450 m length new 35 kV transmission line will be built, see the
following topographic map:

22

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

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IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

9. ESTIMATED CALCULATION
Estimated calculations of the project is given in the table below:

Consequently, total investment of the project amounts 4.4 million US dollars.

10. ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

As a result of the project estimation, the amount of investment costs 4.4 million US dollars,
which is 1.34 million dollars per MW.
The HPP generating 14.2 GWh electricity, with the consideration of the sales price of the
electricity - 53 USD / MWh, the price of the sold electricity amounts 0.75 million US dollars
per year.
During the financial analysis the following assumptions were provided:

The total capital expenditure - 4.4 million US dollars;

The duration of the construction work - 2 years;

loans and capital proportion - 60% / 40%;

The payable interest rate on the loan - 10%;

Price of electricity - 5.3 USD / MW / h.

With regard to the above mantioned assumptions and evaluation of the preliminary financial results
are as follows:

24

IPARI HPP
ON THE RIVER IPARI
PRE-FEASIIBILITY STUDY
OF THE IPARI HPP

AQUAHYDRO LTD

Financial Results
The net present value, USD
Project internal rate of return ratio, %
The profitability index (the net profit/ total value of the project)
Payback period in years

600000 US Dollars
14,7 %
1,14
8

Break-even chart is presented below:

According to the above-mentioned facts, due to the profitability of the presented project, its
implementation is recommended.

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