GHD has been appointed to deliver a Clean Energy Program,
involving the construction of the 98MW Xiaogushan Hydropower
Station, in the Gansu region in China.
GHD will deliver contract administration,
project management, hydropower plant construction, environmental
and financial services, and corporate planning.
The proposed Xiaogushan Hydropower Station, a
run-of-river plant that will not have any large reservoir or dam,
will produce clean energy for the Zhangye City and its surrounding
regions.
The primary objective of the project is to
contribute to the environmental improvement of Zhangye City,
through an integrated approach of increased clean energy, energy
efficiency and improved social services.
The project is designed to assist a region
that has one of the highest densities of poor population in China.
Hydropower development can increase power generation, improve the
efficiency and reliability of the supply of electric power, and
improve the quality of the environment. These will reduce
poverty — directly and indirectly — and accelerate
economic growth.
This innovative project is a part of the
Chinese Government’s enhanced environmental legislation. GHD’s
China Manager, Dr Jin Zhang Zou, believes this is one of many
projects that will be delivered over time and that will translate
to enormous potential for business in the region.
Says Dr Zou, "There is a good understanding in
this region that sustainable development is good for business,
tourism and citizens, and the transformation of key cities such as
Beijing into environmentally friendly cities was
partly driven by China’s goal of achieving a ‘Green
Olympics’ in 2008."