Provincial utility B.C. Hydro has awarded a contract to Voith Hydro in Montreal for the complete overhaul of five Francis turbine units for the Gordon M. Shrum hydropower plant, located near Hudson’s Hope, B.C., Voith Hydro reported.
The decision was made after a competitive model test at the facilities of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale in Lausanne, Switzerland. The project is the largest turbine replacement project BC Hydro has awarded so far, Voith reported. The value of the contract was not disclosed.
Voith Hydro’s scope of supply includes five new 310-MW turbines, site construction, installation and start-up. The first unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2012. Each year, one unit will be replaced until all five units are in service in early 2017.
The overhaul by Voith Hydro will improve the availability and reliability of these units, while the rated output of each turbine will be increased from 266 to 310 megawatts. Consequently, an additional annual electricity generation of 177 gigawatt hours with the same water usage is granted – enough electricity for an additional 15,000 homes.
The turbine units of Gordon M. Shrum hydropower plant were put into operation in the late 1960s. They represent 12 percent of BC Hydro's power production capacity.
In other news, Voith Hydro Norway and Glomma Kraftproduksjon AS recently signed a contract for the supply and installation of six new units for the Raanaasfoss hydropower project. The contract award is the largest contract ever for Voith Hydro in Norway, with a total value of about 53 million euros (US$68.66 million).
For more hydropower news and information, click here
