Steps of a feasibility study (team leader)

As team leader of a feasibility study for a small hydropower project, I would organise the work in the following steps.

1. Mobilisation and planning: Review the pre-feasibility report and terms of reference; form a team (hydrologist, geologist, civil/structural, hydraulic, electro-mechanical, survey, environment, social, economist, cost engineer); prepare the work plan, schedule and budget; collect maps and data.
2. Surveys: Topographic survey at 1:500-1:1000 of headworks, waterway, powerhouse; river cross-sections; alignment survey of access road and transmission line.
3. Hydrological study: Install/read the gauge, discharge measurements, long-term flow series by correlation, FDC, design flood, sediment load, environmental flow.
4. Geological and geotechnical study: Mapping, geophysics, core drilling, test pits, rock/soil tests, and construction materials survey; assess slope stability.
5. Selection of the project parameters: Optimise design discharge and installed capacity (energy vs. cost), fix the intake, waterway type, powerhouse position and the tailrace level.
6. Preliminary design: Weir/intake, desander, headrace, forebay, penstock, powerhouse, tailrace, access, and switchyard; hydraulic and structural calculations; turbine selection (type, number, rating).
7. Transmission and market: Line route to the grid, substation, and a check with NEA about the PPA/tariff.
8. Environmental and social: IEE (up to 50 MW) with baseline data, impact and mitigation, resettlement and land acquisition plan.
9. Quantities, cost and schedule: Bill of quantities, unit rates, project cost (±10-15%), construction schedule and implementation plan.
10. Economic and financial analysis: Energy and revenue, B/C, NPV, IRR, payback, sensitivity to cost, flow and tariff; financing plan.
11. Report: Main report, drawings, annexes; present to the client; revise by comments.