Dear IWP&DC
Referring to the article ‘Fish race 2000’ in International Water Power & Dam Construction (September 1997) and later discussions of fish passageways, we have developed an energy saving Borland fishway/turbine system in Finland.
A scale model system (scale 1:5) is now working, and the fishway prototype will be constructed in spring 1999 at full scale (for turbine water flow 5m3/sec. The turbine works on the principle that an additional small turbine flow influences migrating salmon, whitefish, lamprey etc which enter the pressure chamber. Closing the entrance to the chamber allows the water level to rise in a pressure channel leading upstream; the fish then swim freely over the hydro power plant.
Our plan to join a small turbine to a Borland fishway has been patented by us in Europe. In Finland, the water power industry is very interested in this construction, which has the benefit of producing energy using up to 95% of the required water flow.
The scale model of this technology will be available for introduction in Oulu. Now we are looking for partners to develop this technology in large fishway applications, and would be very interested to hear from partners who are interested in developing this technology.
Yours sincerely
Jukka Palko Envitop, Oulu, Finland