Meldahl Project | American Municipal Power

Home » Generation Assets » Hydroelectric Power » Meldahl Project

The Meldahl Hydroelectric facility, currently under development, will become the largest hydroelectric power plant on the Ohio River. The 105-MW Meldahl plant is scheduled to be commercially available in 2014.

Meldahl is a run-of-the-river project on the Captain Anthony Meldahl Locks and Dam located in Foster, Kentucky, approximately an hour southwest of Cincinnati. The project will divert water from the existing U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Meldahl Locks and Dam through bulb turbines to generate an average gross annual output of approximately 558,000 MWh. The site will include an intake approach channel, a reinforced concrete powerhouse, and a tailrace channel. The powerhouse will house three horizontal 35 MW bulb type turbine and generating units with a FERC licensed estimated total rated capacity of 105 MW. The licensed transmission path includes five miles of 138 kV line.

The AMP member community of Hamilton, Ohio, holds the license to develop. In July 2009, AMP and the city of Hamilton signed an agreement for the development of the project. AMP will build the plant and other AMP members will receive 48.6 percent of the output. Upon commercial operation of the Meldahl project, AMP will obtain a 48.6 percent share of the existing Greenup hydro project, currently owned by the city of Hamilton. The 72 MW Greenup Hydroelectric Plant is located on the Ohio River at the Greenup Locks & Dam, near Portsmouth, Ohio.

The Meldahl plant will employ 200-400 workers at the peak of construction, and, upon completion, will provide up to 10 permanent positions. Excavation and cofferdam construction began May 2010 by Angelo Iafrate Construction Company of Warren, Michigan. The powerhouse construction contract was executed in a joint venture with Alberici Constructors and Baker Concrete. A formal groundbreaking was held June 29, 2010, featuring Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as well as state and local officials.

The Meldahl Hydroelectric facility, currently under development, will become the largest hydroelectric power plant on the Ohio River. The 105-MW Meldahl plant is scheduled to be commercially available in 2014.

The following images illustrate the progress of Meldahl’s construction in chronological order. Click the links below to view construction photos by year.