Vancouver-based Los Andes Copper Ltd. has entered into an agreement with Icafal Inversiones SA to develop and finance a 28-30 MW hydroelectric plant on the Rocin River in Chile.

Acting through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Rocin SpA, Los Andes will incorporate a new subsidiary company to own, develop, build and operate the Rocin project.

Meanwhile, Icafal SA, parent company of Icafal Inversiones, has agreed to invest US$7.5 million into the subsidiary. $2 million of the investment will be used to finance the development of the plant, with the remainder to partially fund construction pending the project’s regulatory approvals. The investment also gives Icafal a 36.3% stake in the unnamed subsidiary.

Los Andes said it expects the development and construction of the Rocin project to take a maximum of four years to complete, at which point revenues generated by the plant will provide working capital for exploration and feasibility work at the company’s Vizcachitas mining operation.

The company acquired the non-consumptive water rights to the Rocin River this past August.

Developers of a mixed-use project in Durham City, England, have installed a 100 kW Archimedes screw turbine that will provide about 75% of the energy needed by the complex.

Located at the new Freeman’s Reach scheme, the area is being developed by a consortium consisting of Carillion Developments, Arlington Real Estate and Richardsons Capital LLP. The project is the United Kingdom’s first such city center to be planned with the incorporation of a hydroelectric power element, the developers said.

The 13-meter long, 20 ton turbine unit was manufactured by Spaans Babcock Ltd. and was also designed to help improve fish passage along the River Weir. The inclusion of the turbine helped Freeman’s Reach earn an “A”-Rated Energy Performance Certificate and BREEAM Excellent status.

The unit is expected to begin generating power in the fall.

“The hydro turbine is a great example of the innovative methods we are employing in order to achieve the highest possible standards of sustainability in this very important location,” Arlington Real Estate managing director Allan Cook said. “It is a testament to what can be achieved when the development team engaged positively with stakeholders to design a solution that works for all parties.”

The location has a long history of hydropower, developers said, with the weir fueling the medieval Bishop’s Mill more than 800 years ago. More recently, hydroelectricity was generated by a turbine installed during the 1930s that powered buildings and an ice skating rink.

“We are pleased to have been able to continue a long tradition of energy generation at Freeman’s Reach,” Carillion Developments director Neil McMillan said. “This 21st Century technology will harness the power of the River Weir for many years to come.”

The site of the new Archimedes screw will also include a visitor site called the Energy Centre, which will feature a public art installation charting the history of energy generation on the site.

Renewable energy developer Boralex has commissioned its 22-MW Jamie Creek hydroelectric plant.

Located near Gold Bridge, British Columbia, the run-of-river plant is the company’s first high-head project. The facility features two water intakes, consisting of a bypass line longer than 1.1 km and a penstock pipe of more than 2.6 km that supply two Pelton turbines.

“After a year of construction, we’re proud of the newest addition to our asset portfolio,” Boralex president and CEO Patrick Lemaire said. “Boralex has over 20 years’ experience building and operating hydroelectric assets, which it leveraged to complete this project and will continue leveraging over the assets lifetime.”

Power generated at Jamie Creek will be sold under a 40-yeaer contract to BC Hydro. The utility also has rights to a 20-year renewal period.

HydroWorld.com reported this past August that Boralex had acquired the project from Sequoia Energy Inc. Boralex said in November 2012 that hydropower remains an important asset for the company.

“The commissioning of Jamie Creek is a perfect fit with our growth strategy aimed primarily at hydroelectric and wind power assets covered by long-term contracts,” Lemaire said. “It also expands our footprint in British Columbia, where Boralex now has 36.5 MW of hydroelectric power and is actively pursuing development efforts.”