The 250MW Bujagali hydroelectric project in Uganda has begun supplying power to the national grid prior to full commissioning in July, Bloomberg has reported.

Consorcio Construtor Belo Monte (CCBM) has awarded Metso a EUR30M contract to supply equipment, together with services and parts, for construction of the Belo Monte project on the Xingu River in Para State, Brazil.

Puget Sound Energy is currently carrying out refurbishment of its Snoqualmie Falls hydropower project, which is one of the oldest hydro stations in the US. Here Andy Hunting and Elizabeth Dubreuil take a historical look at what was the world’s first underground hydro plant.

While agriculture in many regions is served by irrigation and more projects are built or modernised, water availability and its efficient use are of increasing concern, as Patrick Reynolds reports