Patriot Hydro selects Natel to conduct feasibility study for FishSafe™ retrofits at Garvins Falls

June 17, 2024, (ALAMEDA, Calif.) — Natel Energy is pleased to announce the commencement of a feasibility study conducted for Patriot Hydro for retrofitting the Garvins Falls Hydropower Project with Restoration Hydro Turbines (RHTs). The study aims to evaluate the potential integration of Natel's innovative FishSafe™ RHT runner technology, which is designed to help hydropower projects simultaneously modernize equipment and enhance downstream fish passage.

Patriot Hydro owns and operates multiple hydroelectric projects across the United States and is exploring advanced solutions to optimize and modernize projects while increasing fish passage survival. The Garvins Falls project represents a significant opportunity to leverage Natel’s state-of-the-art computational fluid dynamics modeling capabilities and the company's novel turbine designs for improved fish passage.

Natel will develop  and analyze preliminary hydraulic designs to assess the feasibility of replacing the existing turbine runners with FishSafe™ RHT runners. The study will focus on metrics such as hydraulic efficiency, fish survival, and manufacturability, ensuring minimal alterations to the existing infrastructure, and eliminating the need for finely spaced exclusion racks.

"This project underscores our commitment to sustainable hydropower solutions that prioritize both power performance and ecological integrity," said Harry Driscoll, Senior Manager of Sales at Natel Energy. "We are excited to partner with Patriot Hydro on this important initiative and look forward to delivering innovative solutions that deliver more reliable, renewable hydropower and support enhanced environmental performance."

For more information, please contact:

Harry Driscoll

Senior Manager, Sales

Natel Energy Holdings, Inc.

Email: info@natelenergy.com

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About Natel Energy

Natel Energy is working to support healthy rivers, promote biodiversity and decarbonize the grid through hydropower that prioritizes fish survival. Natel delivers high-performance FishSafe™ turbine and plant designs informed by industry-leading CFD modeling and analysis. In partnership with turbine manufacturers, Natel designs solutions to upgrade existing hydropower plants and develop new, sustainable projects worldwide, mitigating climate change while curbing biodiversity loss.  For more information, visit natelenergy.com

About Patriot Hydro

Patriot Hydro is a hydropower company  dedicated to creating a clean energy future through the use of hydropower.  Operating in 11 states, from California to New York and New England, and south to the Carolinas, Patriot owns  39 hydroelectric power plants with a combined installed capacity of 305 MW, providing reliable, low-carbon energy to the national power grid. Patriot Hydro is committed to enhancing the environmental and operational performance of its facilities.

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Photo credit: Bob Gundersen, PSNH

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