Norway-based Sedicon has secured a contract from Sinohydro to provide sediment removal equipment for the desanders at the Coca Codo Sinclair hydropower plant in Ecuador.

As per the agreement, Sedicon will supply 40 SediCon Sluicer units for the desanders that will have the capacity of removing more than six million tons of sediments per year.

Sedicon will deliver the desanding units in 2015 and the units are scheduled to begin operations in 2016. Each unit will be operated completely independent from the others and they remove sediments completely without affecting the power production.

With a total power generating capacity of 1,500MW, the Coca Codo Sinclair project is claimed as the largest hydropower plant in Ecuador. The project is expected to generate an average capacity of 8,600GWh per year, which is 32% of the electricity needed in the country.

SediCon technical director Tom Jacobsen said "The company is very pleased and proud to have its technology recognized and implemented in such important hydro power plant as Coca Codo Sinclair is for Ecuador."

"The decision to use SediCon technology shows a costumer demanding efficient and reliable sediment removal, knowing that every drop of water saved means more electricity to produce, Jacobsen added.

Sinohydro is the engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the Coca Codo Sinclair project.