Realigning the Nile River to provide cooling water to a power plant

The Egyptian Electric Authority (EEA) is constructing a two-unit (2x600 MW) thermal power plant with a provision to build a total of four units (4x600 MW) on the east (right) bank of the Nile River near El-Kureimat, about 90 km south of Cairo. The total cooling water requirement is 80 cubic meter per second (m(3)/s). A site visit in 1992 revealed that the available now depth in front of the selected intake canal was not adequate to provide required cooling water. After considering various concepts of open canal, it was decided to realign the Nile River locally to increase the now depth in front of the intake. A movable bed scale model was built at the Hydraulic & Sediment Research Institute (HSRI) in Delta Barrage, Egypt to investigate various concepts of deflecting structures and training works. A unique solution was eventually obtained by reshaping the existing island in front of the proposed intake to provide a wider opening between the island and the right bank to increase the flow along the right bank to assure continuous supply of cooling water.