Brenda Burman, commissioner of the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, has named a new chief engineer: David Raff, Ph.D., PE, D.WRE. The chief engineer role dates to the beginning of Reclamation in 1902. The position was out of use for several decades, but Reclamation has “recreated this historic position for the 21st Century.”...
By Elizabeth Ingram Just one benefit, but an important one, of attending HYDROVISION International 2020 is the opportunity to earn 10 professional development hours (PDH) as a full conference delegate. HYDROVISION International is the world’s largest gathering of hydro industry professionals. It features 80 summit and knowledge hub sessions with about 300 speakers and more...
GE Renewable Energy, in consortium with Powerchina Zhongnan Engineering Corporation Limited, announced today that it has been selected by Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) to supply six Francis turbines and generators for Stage 1 of the 2,160-MW Dasu hydropower plant in Pakistan. The Dasu hydropower project is one of the most important power...
Voith and Icelandic national power company Landsvirkjun are embarking on a joint pilot project on cavitation monitoring in hydropower plants. Voith says it will install an innovative system, an add-on function for its OnCare.Health conditioning monitoring, at the 95-MW Budarhals hydropower plant in Iceland. The purpose of the new process is to quantify the effects...
Fortum has extended its operations and maintenance partnership with Maintpartner (part of Caverion) for 13 hydropower plants in Finland by two years. Maintpartner has been providing the service since 2013. Maintpartner is responsible for the local O&M of Fortum’s hydropower plants along the Oulujoki and Emäjoki rivers in the north and in Imatra region in...
Natel Energy has closed an $11 million investment, led by Schneider Electric Ventures and supported by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, to accelerate deployment of the company’s Restoration Hydro Turbine (RHT). The RHT is a fish-safe unit that enables upgrades to existing low-head hydropower plants while also improving power output and river connectivity, Natel say. The RHT...
Work has begun on a 30-tonne wave machine that will take to the seas in the third quarter of 2020. Fife-based AJS Production will begin fabrication of the 20-m-long Blue Star wave energy converter, designed by Edinburgh start-up Mocean Energy. The half-scale device will be deployed in Orkney and will undergo a number of sea...
This is an exclusive interview with Andy Eaton, head of sales Africa, Latin America & Oceania for Gilkes Hydro. At the upcoming African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africain Cape Town, South Africa, in November he is part of the Energy Revolution Africa discussion in the Knowledge Hub on “Advances in hydro powered mini-grids.” Let’s start with some background...
Enel Green Power (EGP) and Voith have signed a three-year umbrella contract for the supply of turbine governor modernization services across EGP’s global hydropower fleet. EGP’s goal is to modernize its power plants with new governors across the Americas and Europe. Voith says it will deliver, install and commission both digital and hydraulic control systems....
Thordon Bearings reports it has completed bearing and filtration system upgrades to the 7.8-MW Swift Rapids hydropower station, the oldest and largest of Orillia Power Generation Corporations’ generating stations. Swift Rapids is located on the Trent-Severn Waterway, about 32 km north of Orillia, Ontario, Canada. Two of the plant’s three 2.6-MW horizontal Kaplan-type turbines are...