SERHY Ingenierie has become the owner of the Toirac hydropower plant on the Lot River in southern France, between Ambeyrac in Aveyron and Toirac in the Lot department.
The company acquired the plant from its previous owners after having operated the facility since its commissioning in October 2022. SERHY Ingenierie was also previously responsible for project management during the design and construction of the scheme.
The project was originally developed by two families that owned the site and appointed SERHY Ingenierie to manage the design and construction of the hydropower facility.
The Toirac plant has an installed capacity of 1MW and is equipped with two 500kW VLH turbines. Each unit can accommodate flows of up to 28m³/sec. The scheme produces approximately 5GWh of renewable electricity annually.
Environmental measures incorporated into the development include the restoration of the upstream water level to its original height and construction of a 1000m² spawning area for dace at the foot of the dam. The gravel-bed spawning area was designed to support reproduction of the species and compensate for the effects of raising the water level.
Other measures include a 100m² otter island downstream of the plant, a fish pass comprising 13 slot pools and an eel ramp. A canoe pass has also been provided to maintain recreational use of the river.
The hydropower facility is equipped with two screens with dedicated trash racks, together with a flood discharge gate.
SERHY Ingenierie said the acquisition follows its involvement throughout the development and operation of the project and means it will now act as both owner and operator of the Toirac plant.
