Mikrohes produces Archimedes Screws Turbines (ASTs). ASTs are a new form of small, hydroelectric powerplant that can be applied even in low head sites. ASTs offer a clean and renewable source of energy and are safe for wildlife , especially fish in hydro generation options. ASTs can offer many economic, social and environmental advantages that make them an important option for providing sustainable hydropower development.
Archimedes screws can operate in low water heads (less than about 10 m) and a wide range of flow rates with practical efficiencies of 60% to 80% and can generate up to 400 kW of power. ASTs increase the number of suitable sites where it is possible to develop sustainable hydropower, including undeveloped, hard to access regions and small communities. At many low head sites, ASTs may be more cost-effective, with lower installation and operating costs than alternative hydropower systems. ASTs may also reduce the disturbance of natural sedimentation and erosion processes, and have smaller impacts on fish and other fauna. ASTs can often be retrofitted to existing unpowered dams or weirs, providing new hydropower capacity for very little marginal environmental impact.