• US-based Ameren Corporation’s development unit is reportedly evaluating the feasibility of building a pumped storage hydroelectric power plant about 144.8km south of St. Louis. The plant, which would be located near the Taum Sauk pumped storage plant, in Missouri, could provide electricity for up to 770,000 homes and could go into production between 2007 and 2009.
• AFFECTED BY BRAZIL’S energy crunch, Aluminium producers Alcoa, Billiton and Companhia Vale do Rio Doce are planning the construction of six hydroelectric power plants worth over US$3.5B by 2008. According to preliminary estimates, the new plants would have a capacity of 5650MW.
• ARMENIA AND IRAN are planning the construction of a hydro plant to be built on the Araks river on the Armenian-Iranian border.
Estimated to cost about US$80M, the power plant will have an installed capacity of about 78.9MW and generate 469GWh of electricity a year. A joint venture between Armenia and Iran has been set up to design the power plant.
• THE CITY OF HOLYOAKE in Massachusetts, US, has bought the Hadley dam on the Connecticut river for US$17.5M from Berlin-based Northeast Utilities. The dam will be operated by the city’s Gas & Electric utility. The purchase-and-sale agreement, signed by both parties, calls for the transfer of the dam, its 7.2km system of canals, its electric distribution system and a list of about 30 large industrial customers to the city utility.
