Benesov, Czech Republic – 27 July 2004– Mavel, a.s., a Czech engineering and manufacturing firm focusing on turbines and related technology for small hydro power, announced the commissioning on July 12 of the refurbished Fujiyoshida small hydroelectric power plant just 15 kilometers from Mt. Fuji in Japan.

The Japanese firm Himawari, a small hydro developer, contracted Mavel to provide all design and technical engineering and a complete ‘water to wire’ package. Mavel’s delivery included turbine, sluice gates, trash racks, cleaning machine, generator (Siemens CZ) and the electrical and control system. The electrical and control system was produced by Mavel’s subsidiary CKD TurboTechnics, s.r.o.

The power plant at the site had been using a 60 year old Francis turbine and producing about 70 kW. Mavel installed a new Horizontal Francis Turbine with Spiral Case and diameter of 450 mm. Mavel’s turbine almost doubled the power output of the site to 132 kW. The head at the site is 16.5 meters and flow is 1 m3/s.

Mavel noted that this was its second installation in Japan. The first installation was in Oomachishi and was for one of Mavel’s mini MT5 turbines.

Mavel a.s. provides engineering and all technology, including Kaplan, Francis and Pelton turbines, for hydroelectric power plants ranging from 2 kW to 20 MW. The company is based 50 kilometers southeast of Prague, Czech Republic.