Mott MacDonald wins design contract for Jamaican hydro expansion

Mott MacDonald has received a contract to provide design and technical services for a $27m hydropower expansion project in Jamaica.

The company was subcontracted by Kier Construction for the project located on the Black River near the town of Maggotty.

The expansion is expected to double the capacity of the 6.3MW power plant which was constructed in the late 1950s.

Mott MacDonald project director Gavin McGill, said: "The existing Maggotty hydro scheme forms an important part of the country’s generating capability and our off-line construction design will aim to keep disruption to power generation to a minimum during the construction period."

Under the expansion programme, Mott MacDonald will design components including the new intake, retaining walls, pipeline and powerhouse, with added support.

The company will also provide technical advisory services for the electrical and mechanical elements and detailed hydraulic analysis and flood risk assessment for the expansion.

Work on the project will begin in 2012 and is anticipated to be complete in 2013.

The existing plant is made up of a weir and intake, 2.2km of 1.8m diameter woodstave pipeline, 100m of rock tunnel.

It also features a pipe bridge and surge tank, an existing powerhouse with one vertical axis Francis turbine.