International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE)
ISSN: 2277-3878, Volume-8 Issue-4, November 2019
6323
Published By:
Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering
& Sciences Publication
Retrieval Number: D5114118419/2019©BEIESP
DOI:10.35940/ijrte.D5114.118419
Abstract: Malaysia, although having a good number of small
to medium hydro power potential sites, has still not exploited all
of them. The focus of this manuscript is a feasibility study of the
technical viability of power generation from a medium
hydropower potential site, the Bukit Merah Dam site, on the
Terusan Besar irrigation canal in northern region of Malaysia.
This study is carried out using flow data of 2016 from the main
irrigation canal of Bukit Merah dam. The data was obtained
from Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Perak. The power
capacity, yearly energy output of the potential hydro site are
studied in this work. Technical analysis of the power output
capacity and yearly energy output of three (3) hydro-turbine
types (Kaplan, Propeller, and Francis) operable at the same given
head and design flow were studied. The study shows that there is
a potential capacity of 2.2 MW and an annual energy generation
capacity of 7028.47 MWh at a turbine peak efficiency of 92.8% at
a design flow of 19.23 m3/s using Kaplan turbine.
Keywords: Agricultural Dam, Hydropower and Potential sides
I. INTRODUCTION
The energy demand of Malaysia has been steadily
increasing from year to year. To meet this demand, more
fossil fuel power plant has been committed to be built and
will operational in the near future, despite its government
having set a target for energy generation from renewable
energy [1]. Currently, 42.6% of Malaysia’s electricity comes
from natural gas, followed by 28.9% from coal, 18.6% from
hydro, 6.3% from diesel and the remaining from renewable.
This shows that significant amount of Malaysia’s electricity
comes from fossil fuel [2]. Another 6,682MW additional
capacity of fossil-fuel based power plant will start operation
between June 2019 and January 2023 [3], which will add to
the carbon emission generation to the atmosphere.
Revised Manuscript Received on November 19, 2019
E Roslan, College of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Jalan
IKRAM-UNITEN, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Suhail Shaari, College of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional,
Jalan IKRAM-UNITEN, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Faiz Zamri, Institute of Sustainable Energy, Universiti Tenaga
Nasional, Jalan IKRAM-UNITEN, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
Afifi Akhiar, Institute of Sustainable Energy, Universiti Tenaga
Nasional, Jalan IKRAM-UNITEN, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
Fatihah Salleh, Institute of Energy Policy and Research, Universiti
Tenaga Nasional, Jalan IKRAM-UNITEN, 43000 Kajang, Selangor,
Malaysia.
Zakwan Ramli, College of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional,
Jalan IKRAM-UNITEN, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Abd Halim Shamsuddin, AAIBE Chair for Renewable Energy @
UNITEN, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Jalan IKRAM-UNITEN, 43000
Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
Bukit Merah dam was constructed in 1906 with the main
purpose of providing irrigation water for double annual
harvesting of paddy of 24,000 Ha of paddy field under the
Krian Sungai Manik project. Other than agricultural
purposes, it was also built to supply domestic and industrial
demand in the Krian district. Two canals are connected to
the dam, namely Terusan Besar (Main canal) and Terusan
Selinsing (Selinsing canal). Bukit merah dam has a reservoir
area of 41km
2
, a capacity of 74.98Mm
3
and a catchment area
of 480km
2
[4].
Fig. 1 Bukit Merah Dam
Converting existing agricultural dam to generate
electricity is a low-hanging fruit to mitigate increasing
carbon dioxide emission from energy due to increasing
energy demand and it is certainly not a new idea. The
Government of United States conducted a survey in 2007 to
estimate the capability of existing dams owned by the
federal government across the United States. Through the
study, it is estimated that from 871 existing federal facilities,
a total capacity of 1230MW of electrical power generation is
feasible technically and economically [5]. Other than
estimating the energy output based on head and flow the
stream, the costs varies based on location, which might
include construction, licensing, fish and wildlife mitigation,
recreation mitigation, historical and archeological
mitigation, water quality monitoring, fish passage
mitigation, fixed operation and maintenance, variable
operation and maintenance and regulatory related costs. [6]
This study shows the potential of generating electricity
from Bukit Merah dam, specifically from its main canal,
based on the flow data of January until December 2016.
E Roslan, Suhail Shaari, Faiz Zamri, Afifi Akhiar, Fatihah Salleh, Zakwan Ramli,
Abd Halim Shamsuddin
Hydropower Potential of Agricultural Dam in Bukit
Merah