Dear readers, Norway will soon be hosting two major hydro shows and, to whet readers’ appetites, we’ve selected the country’s water power and dams industry as a focal point for this issue of IWP&DC.
From 20-22 June the Hydropower ‘01 conference, hosted by the international-centre-for-hydropower (ICH), will be held in Bergen. On pp20-21 of this issue Tore Jørgensen from ICH discusses why Norway is considered to have one of the most established hydro industries in the world. In addition the Norwegian National Committee on Large dams will also be playing host to the fifth icold European Symposium in Geiranger from 25-27 June. See pp16-9 for an historical account of Norwegian dam construction. Arch dams, rockfill and asphaltic concrete cores have all played their roles in establishing Norway as one of the world’s major hydro players.
Taking a trip across to Ireland, we speak to the Irish Hydropower Association on pp23-5. Darrell Nightingale provides an insight into how his home industry has fared in recent years and, most importantly, what prospects the future holds for industry members.
The future prospects of the Sardar Sarovar project in India are also put under the spotlight by I M Sahai on pp26-29. In recent years the project has been at the centre of much controversy but, at last, it seems as if construction is under way again. All parties involved in the scheme have much to learn from past experiences. In this exclusive report the managing director of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam, the state-owned company responsible for the project, outlines the importance of the scheme to Gujarat and the whole of western India.
Another highlight this month is fronted by Japan’s Electric Power Development Company on pp38-9. Takahisa Shinjo gives an interesting account of how the company is utilising driftwood from its hydro reservoirs to make profitable products which range from fertilisers to face creams.
Whatever your interests or concerns, I think that this issue of IWP&DC demonstrates that we can cater for them all.
