Indra and Isolux Corsan to automate most of Morocco's hydroelectric plants for €29m

Morocco's National office of Electricity (ONE) awarded Indra in association with Isolux Corsan, the refurbishing, modernisation and automation of most of the hydroelectricity power plants of the country. The project, which amounts to euros 29M, will cover 25 plants with 53 generators and a combined hydroelectric capacity that exceeds 1,700 MW.

Morocco’s National office of Electricity (ONE) awarded Indra in association with Isolux Corsan, the refurbishing, modernisation and automation of most of the hydroelectricity power plants of the country. The project, which amounts to € 29M, will cover 25 plants with 53 generators and a combined hydroelectric capacity that exceeds 1,700 MW.

This turnkey project aims to refurbish the Moroccan hydroelectric plants and to create two centres for their telemanagement in Afourer and Fes. These centres will be connected with the National Office of Electricity, which is the organ in charge of power demand management and of guaranteeing the proper regulation of the electric network across the country.

Indra and Isolux Corsan will employ the latest technologies regarding hydroelectric plant supervision and control to facilitate proper operation and maintenance of the facilities for better performance and more effectiveness in power generation. Control and planning activities will also include potable water and irrigation water supplies.

Both companies will support the development of the project through their respective subsidiaries in Morocco.

Transport of experience

With this contract, Indra and Isolux Corsan will transport to Morocco the experience they gained with the Hydra project. This project was carried out by the IT company for Gas Natural, which was recently acquired by Union Fenosa. The initiative, with the cooperation of Isolux Corsan, entailed the refurbishing and complete automation of 41 plants, 91 generators and an installed power capacity of 1,692 MW, besides the implementation of a remote control system in two Integrated Control Centres in Velle (Orense) and Bolarque (Guadalajara) for telemanagement of the facilities.

This system helps guarantee the service and increases control over hydroelectric plants since it allows supervision from the telemanagement centres of all incidents registered at the plants and dams. It also facilitates monitoring of water levels, inflow and rains; and provides a detailed and updated followup of the dams. Besides this, it allows control of equipment performance and remote operation of the facilities.

In this field, Indra studied the implementation of a telecontrol system for 17 hydroelectric plants commissioned by EUAS, Turkey's state-owned electricity company. The IT company is currently working on the supervision and control project of the Sibulan plants in the Philippines.

On the other hand, Isolux Corsan has more than 60 references in automation, control and remote control of hydroelectric plants in the last years, with projects commissioned by the main utilities companies in Spain, and for Electricidade (EDP) in Portugal, Ene from Angola or Elektropriveda in Bosnia.

One is Morocco's prime utilities company. This state-owned company was created in 1963 and it aims to meet the country's demands for electricity, providing best value for money and a high-quality service. With 9,000 employees and almost 4 million customers, ONE operates in production, transport and distribution of power.

Grupo Isolux Corsán is the first unlisted Spanish construction company specialised in public works. With a workforce of 8,000 professionals, it operates into four main business areas: construction, engineering and industrial services, concessions and renewable energies in four continents. In 2008 the company registered a turnover exceeding € 3,200 million euros, an EBIT of 250 million euros and 15,000 million euros in business portfolio in 2009.