The Willow Island hydroelectric facility, currently under development, will add 35 MW of new, renewable generation to the region. The plant, located near St. Marys, West Virginia, is scheduled to be commercially available in 2014.
The Willow Island project will divert water from the existing Corps Willow Island Locks and Dam through bulb turbines to generate an average annual output of approximately 239 million kilowatt-hours (kWh). The site will include an intake approach channel, a reinforced concrete powerhouse and a tailrace channel. The powerhouse will house two horizontal FERC rated 17.5 MW bulb type turbine and generating units with an estimated total FERC rated capacity of 35 MW at a gross head of 20 feet. A 1.6-mile-long 138 kV transmission line interconnection is planned to connect to PJM.
The Willow Island Locks and Dam are located in Pleasant County, West Virginia, approximately 162 river miles downstream of Point Bridge, Pittsburgh. The Willow Island project is under construction on the West Virginia side of the Ohio River, on the opposite shore of the locks.
The Willow Island hydroelectric plant is being developed on behalf of 79 AMP member communities in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Michigan participating in the project.
The project will employee 200-400 construction workers at the peak of construction and, once online, will provide up to nine permanent operating positions. Excavation and cofferdam construction started June 2011 with contractor Ruhlin Construction, Sharon Center, Ohio. Voith Hydro, based in York, Pennsylvania, will manufacture the turbines and generators.
- Location: West Virginia side of the Ohio River in Belmont, West Virginia (about 40 minutes northeast of Parkersburg, W.V.)
- Anticipated commercial operation: Fall 2014
- Estimated capacity: 35 MW
- Estimated construction jobs: 200-400 at peak of construction
- Estimated permanent jobs: 7-9
- Formal groundbreaking: Held July 21, 2011, with keynote speaker West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin
- Excavation and cofferdam construction: Started June 2011 with contractor Ruhlin Construction, Sharon Center, Ohio
The following images illustrate the progress of Willow Island’s construction in chronological order. Click the link below to view construction photos from 2011.
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Temporary barge unloading facility
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Weighted berm construction downstream
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Construction of the raker wall on pier 8
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View of unwatering pumping operation
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Installing filter fabric and cutting sheets to elevation
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Leveling out material on the weighting berm
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Backfilling upstream cells from barges on river
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Dumping materials for upstream weighting berm from the top
of the cell |
Upstream cofferdam complete
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Cofferdam closed on the downstream cell (fill needed)
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Cofferdam nearly filled on the downstream |
Cofferdam nearly closed on the downstream |
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Willow Island 2011
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Cannelton Hydro Project
Meldahl Hydro Project
Smithland Hydro Project
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