MAGAZINE FoR HYDROPOWER
HYDRO POWER TECHNOLOGYTECHNOLOGY

Hypower
HyPower#1 | 2012#24| Spring 2014

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power for the future

SMALL HYDRO

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Global expertisecanada: impressive hydropower leadershipGreen energy mix

Vivamus elementum semper hydropower
SIT
and world events in brazil

editorial

IT’S A SMALL BUT
POWERFUL WORLD

Imprint
Publisher:
Voith Hydro Holding GmbH & Co. KG
Alexanderstr. 1189522 Heidenheim, Germany
www.voith.com
Responsible for the publisher:
Ute Böhringer-Mai
Editor-in-chief: Lukas Nemela
Tel: +49 7321 37 0
Fax: +49 7321 37-7828
E-mail: info.voithhydro@voith.com
In cooperation with:
Burda Creative Group GmbHwww.burdacreative.com
Paper:
HyPower is printed on Respecta Silk. This
paper consists of 60% recycled fiber andwas produced on a Voith paper machine.
Copyright:
No part of this publication may be copied,
reproduced or otherwise disseminated,
nor may any of the content in it be used inpart or in whole in other works in any
form whatsoever, without express written
permission of the editor.
Your Feedback: If you have any
comments or questions on this issue of
HyPower, please contact us: hypower@voith.com

Photographs:
Cover Ostkreuz/Dawin Meckel; p. 5 Shutterstock/jokerpro; p. 6: Foto Höfinger; p. 7 Harvard University,
Fotolia/Antonio Gaudencio, GlowImages/Alex Maxim, Willard Wegan, Dr. Thomas Endlein; p. 8-9
Agentur Bilderberg/Klaus D. Francke; p. 12 Ostkreuz/Dawin Meckel; p. 16 xxpool/Science Photo
Library/Dr. Morley Read; p. 17 Visum/Andia; p. 19: Cimo (2); p. 20-21 Dawin Meckel (3); p. 33 action
press/imagebroker.com; p. 34-36 Illustrations: Hokolo 3D (4); p. 38: Caio Coronel/Itaipu Binacional;
Gilberto Rodero/Itaipu Binacional (3); p. 41: VERBUND; p. 44-45 FogQuest (3); p. 46 Micha Wolfson;
p. 47 Shutterstock/jokerpro. Country maps showing hydropower capacity from Shutterstock.
All other photos are from Voith Hydro.
Join us on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/voith_hydroAll figures on installed hydropower capacity include pumped storage. Figures on hydropower potentialrefer to technically feasible hydropower potential.

Good things really do come in small packages. Small­hydropower is the foundation Voith Hydro was built on, beginning 147 years ago. But recently, as other green energy sources have taken center stage, small hydropower has been undervalued. Yet, on a global scale, the technically feasible potential
is high. Gradually, this potential is gaining recognition. Smallhydropower has huge benefits: it’s favorable, clean and a proven technology. With specially adapted turbines and machinery,such as our newly developed StreamDiver, our eQ-Solutions or
our Voith Small Hydro Generator range, environmental impact
is minimized, and output maximized.
However, technology is just one part of the equation.
People are another essential part. Excellence in project management is crucial – an area in which Voith is known for its
high standards. At Voith, people know what they do. This is
our promise to our customers. Along with our offers, we supply the best solutions, a high level of competence and provenreliability. This is reflected in all our hydropower projects
around the globe, from modernization in Europe and theAmericas, to developing the world’s largest generating unit inChina, to product innovations and celebrating a 50 year milestone anniversary in Brazil.
It is due to our customers that we have achieved suchsuccess and international reach in hydropower over the lastcentury. Long-standing customer satisfaction is the driver behind all we do: from R&D to quality, from project offers to excellence in project management – always supplied with firstclass service. Our promise is to never let you down.
In the spirit of maintaining great partnerships, we’d like toinvite you to complete our HyPower readers’ survey. Visit
www.voith.com/hypowersurvey, or complete and return the insert
in this issue. As we do with our hydropower solutions, we’re
working to produce the best hydropower publication we can – tobetter serve your needs. Thank you very much for your contribution.
Yours sincerely,

Ute Böhringer-Mai
Head of Communications
HyPower 2014 | 3

contents

contents

20

26

37

ars

ye

agenda setting

8

small miracles
How small hydropower is making
its mark – and making our world
a better place

global expertise

20 a key location

34 eyes on brazil
How hydropower benefits thisfast-growing nation

Engineering expertise sees India
serving the hydropower worldfrom the archives

22 quality and innovation
Discover more
about Voith in its
other insightful
publications.

FULL-LINE SUPPLIER

12 small but powerful
Discover the expertise of Kössler:
Voith’s European center of smallhydropower
REGULARS

2 imprint
3 editorial
6 what’s new
7	ON TOPIC
43 world of voith
44 guest perspective
46 coffee break
4 | HyPower 201416 good technology,
good people
The transformative power of smallhydro – and the people behind it

18 hydro expertise initaly and beyond
Voith’s Milan workshop continues
to grow and serve the market

Meeting modernization challenges
in Japanese hydropower plants

24 heading for new
dimensions
Voith engineers reach a remarkable
milestone in China

26 impressive business
New leadership and a visit to ahydro project in Canada

green energy mix

32 power on an even keel
The benefits of pumped storage

37 a successful
half-century
Voith reflects on 50 great years
in Brazil – and looks to the future

successful partnerships

40 cutting-edge technology
follows heritage

PROJECT DIRECTORY

History is celebrated while newtechnology goes online in Austria

47	around the world
An easy-to-check reference of the Voith Hydro
projects mentioned in this edition of HyPower42 partners in small hydroA look at a long-term and very
productive Voith-customer
partnership in Spain
HyPower 2014 | 5

what’s new
Section

73 Tons in flightrussia In a spectacular undertaking, the Voith Hydro St. Pölten branch has

airfreighted the first of six new Voith runners to Siberia for installation at thelarge Bratsk hydropower plant – part of a Voith-run modernization project at
the plant. An Antonov An 124-100 cargo plane, one of the largest aircraft in
the world, transported the first of the 5.6-meter, 73-ton runners from V­ ienna,
Austria, to Siberia. The client, Russia’s largest energy provider, ­Irkutskenergo,
requested airfreight in order to shorten the time to installation. The Bratsk
plant consists of 18 units of 255 megawatts each; six of the runners are being replaced by Voith parts. Situated on the Angara River, the only outlet
from Lake Baikal, Bratsk was the world’s most powerful hydropower plant
when commissioned in 1967. Producing around 30,000 GWh a year, it is still
one of the world’s highest-producing hydropower plants. //Voith finalist in
Innovation Award

Jinping Wins

Germany This March, Voith reached the

China Last year Voith was awarded the “May 1 st Labor Medal” by the

finals of the German Industrial Innovation­
Award. The new, efficient and particularly
environmentally friendly small hydropower
plant concept StreamDiver took Voith to theupper echelons of a highly competitive fieldof around 320 participants, finishing among
the top four competitors in the large company category, which was eventually won by
BMW. The German Industrial Innovation
Award is the first of its kind in the world,awarding the most important scientific,
technical, entrepreneurial and intellectual innovations of the German economy. //­Sichuan municipal government in China for the excellent performance in the
Jinping II project, making it the only hydropower equipment supplier to receive this award. More than 160 companies were involved in the construction of Jinping, but it was the high production quality and service of Voith
Hydro Shanghai that won the client’s commendation. “What impressed us
most about Voith is their relentless drive to improve and refine technology
and design,” said Mr. Zhaocheng Wang, Director of Yalong River Hydropower Development Company. //Energy-Saving Days
Worldwide Voith Hydro shows how con-scious behavior can save resources and­protect the environment: on the Energy andWater Saving Day in February, employees inall units were called upon to turn power- andwater-consuming equipment off or downwhen leaving their workplaces. The results
were impressive: energy savings of 20% on
average could be realized, and water consumption was also cut down remarkably.
The initiative aimed to raise awareness indaily use of energy and water and sustainably conserve resources. Figures on the consumption of resources are also important for
Voith’s sustainability reporting. //6 | HyPower 2014

on topic

The tiniest
drone
It looks like a bee, and flies
like a bee, but it’s really arobot: researchers at Harvard
have created the world’s
smallest drone, affectionately
dubbed Robobee. They hopethe miniscule flying drone willserve in fields such as searchand-rescue, crop pollination,and traffic monitoring. //Great and small
It’s often said that good things come in small packages. To markour focus on small hydropower in this issue of HyPower, we take a lookat some remarkable, small – but great – things.

Ant power

Small big seller

They’re tiny, ubiquitous – and more
powerful than appearance belies.
According to different estimates, thehumble ant can carry between 10 and
50 times it’s own body weight. In fact,some ant species can support up to
100 times their own weight – even upside down on glass, such as this Asian
weaver ant, caught on camera holding
500 mg weight by zoology specialist
Dr. Thomas Endlein. //Though small and humble, the 500 model from Italian car maker Fiat was, as an
example, one of Britain’s top-sellingcars of 2013. According to figures fromBritain’s Society of Motor Manufacturers
and Traders, the petite Italian came in at
a respectable number 12. This small­favorite continues to be a big hit, over a
half-century after the first production runof the original Fiat 500. //Heartstoppingly
small art
English artist Willard Wigan, MBE, creates remarkable, microscopic sculptures:
they fit inside the eye of a needle, and require a microscope to view. In fact, thesculptures are so tiny and delicate that the artist must enter a meditative state
when working, controlling his breathing and hand movements. Wigan’s finetechnique has made him the subject of many discussions, not just among art
lovers, but also within the research, science and medical communities. //HyPower 2014 | 7

Agenda Setting

Agenda SECTION
SettingSmallmiraclesIt’s reliable, economical, efficient and clean. By accelerating
development and decreasing greenhouse gases, smallhydropower is gradually – but markedly – improving ourworld. But to reach its full potential, it needs support.

W

ith the push toward re­newable energy in Eu­rope, and the world, one
would think small hydro would beenjoying a boom. It is one of thecheapest forms of clean energy to
produce. Yet, says the European
Small Hydropower Association(ESHA), less than half of the poten­
tial has been tapped. Small hydrocontributes about 44 TWh a year to­ward Europe’s energy needs, butmore than 50 TWh a year can bebrought on line in the future, says
Dirk Hendricks, the secretary-gener­
al of ESHA. “Done right, smallhydro can play a big role in the futurearchitecture of the electricity grid,”
Hendricks said.
In Germany, there are about
50,000 dams or weirs already in­stalled, but only 7,000 of those are
equipped with hydropower plants,
leaving a large majority untapped.
From a technological perspective,
small hydro is already mature andhighly developed. Many weak points
have been overcome, such as theneed for better fish passage. Regula­tion and policy have disadvantaged
small hydro. While wind and solar
8 | HyPower 2014

installations are bolstered by strong
lobbies and large government subsi­
dies, small hydro has been left behindin certain countries, despite the tech­
nology’s obvious benefits. Units havebeen dismantled, or permits may bedifficult to receive for new projects,
often due to a large volume of en­
vironmental regulations that are be­coming increasingly complex andmay be implemented in an uncoordi­
nated way. In Europe, legislation likethe Natura 2000 and the Water
Framework Directive has impacted
the small hydro sector significantly.
“The sector can be financiallysustainable if fair market rules areprovided,” says Hendricks. Policy­
makers need to keep in mind thathydropower does far more than pro­
duce green electricity. It is a highly
efficient way to do so, and it also con­tributes to grid stability, can be used
for flood protection and irrigation,and has a long life cycle. This is acentral point from an investor’s per­spective: a hydropower plant can last
up to 100 years, supplying steady rev­enue for decades from the cost-effec­
tive generation of electricity. But it
can take some time to obtain a return
HyPower 2014 | 9

Agenda Setting

Often the development of new sites forlarge-scale plants is not possible either
for economic or ecological reasons, so
smaller sites become more promising.
In this context, Voith is also explor­
ing the idea of small hydro in combina­
tion with wind energy. Windmills canbe connected with small hydro pumped
storage plants, so that surplus electricity
generated by the windmill can be used
for pumping – and vice versa: to pro­
duce energy when wind is not blowing.
The combined plants allow for an easier
forecast on energy production.

This small hydro plant in Blaichach, Germany, features an eco-friendly instream flow drain.

after upfront investment costs. If elec­
tricity prices are fluctuating due tochanges in the energy market and subsi­
dies for other technologies – and at thesame time costs must be recovered – it’seasy to understand an investor’s hesita­tion. However, many companies are stillpushing ahead with small hydro invest­
ments due to the inherent benefits.
Small hydro units are far more thanjust smaller versions of their larger
counterparts. Engineers have adapted
turbines and the machinery for theapplication. One clear advantage ofsmall hydro is a limited impact of theconstruction on the environment. Typi­
cally, small hydropower stations are runof river, and no reservoir is needed.
They are usually connected to the grid,
while even smaller versions – calledpico, micro or mini hydro – may be usedin an isolated way.
To keep small hydropower moving
forward, Voith conducts special R&D
activities in this area, which are closely
connected to and strongly profit in par­ticular from Voith’s R&D in large hy­
dropower as well as from the company’s
overall innovative approach. The focus
in small hydropower is on improving
the ecological standards of the technol­ogy, and works to standardize small
10 | HyPower 2014hydro components in order to improve
project economics for customers. Klaus
Schädler, Head of Small Hydro within
Voith, says, “All small hydro makers andbuyers are in a very competitive situa­tion, therefore standardization is key.
With Voith’s broad engineering knowl­edge, we are able to standardize in ahighly sophisticated way, while keeping
enough room for customized solutions.”
Voith R&D is working on low-head ap­
plications – for instance less than 10 me­
ters of head. Research has been examin­
ing ways to make the technology more
efficient and less cost-intense, since on a
global scale huge potential exists in lowhead applications. Again referring to theexample of Germany: a majority of thecountry’s dams or weirs that are notequipped for hydropower are low-head,according to Schädler. “If you alreadyhave a dam, and you just add a hydroplant to it, you could have a new hydro­
power plant with low impact on theenvironment, because the dam is alreadybuilt. The owner would have revenue
from the dam, and not just maintenancecosts for it,” said Schädler.
Voith has already come to market witha breakthrough small hydro innovation
for low-head applications. Recently

launched, the StreamDiver is a turbine
generator unit constructed to be com­pact, simple and therefore low-mainte­
nance. In addition to the technical andecological benefits, this innovative prod­
uct provides the opportunity to develop
new and previously unusable hydropow­
er locations. The power unit is installed
directly in the water with only the pow­
er cable coming out. The bulb is filledwith water, which completely lubricates
its bearings, ruling out any risk of watercontamination. This new compact tur­bine has an output of up to 800 kW perunit, which can be used for modular ex­tensions as a minimum-flow turbine, oras an alternative to existing small hydro­
power plants.
In addition, Voith is also research­
ing ways to simplify the civil engineer­ing involved in small hydropower
projects. “We’re working on smarter
solutions to build the powerhouse or the
infrastructure that houses the machineand equipment,” says Schädler.
Another area of research is small hydropumped storage. Due to the shift to amore and more decentralized and vola­tile energy production, the need forflexible energy storage has been increas­
ing during the last years, raising theinterest in pumped storage solutions.

Voith’s development efforts lead to suc­cessful new products, as shown by theexample of Voith Hydro’s small hydrogenerators: “We have thoroughly devel­
oped special generator solutions, de­signed to meet the specific requirementsof small hydropower,” says Schädler.
“They focus on a long lifetime, stable
operation at grid, and optimum life cycle
costs, and are designed to reliably and ef­
ficiently exploit small hydro potential.”
For Hendricks and the ESHA, as well asother participants in the industry world­wide, small hydropower represents
enormous potential economically, so­cially and environmentally: as a provider
of jobs, a provider of income to ruralcommunities, a provider of clean ener­gy, and a way to better manage irriga­
tion and flooding. //www.voith.com/SH

Global status of Small Hydropower(<10 MW/unit)
Installed:
74 GW,
43 %Potential:
98 GW,
57 %100 %gigawatts

Sources: Voith Hydro and smallhydropower.org

small talk
Klaus Schädler, Head of Small Hydro at Voith,
about developments in the small hydro industry.
What is the history of small hydro at Voith?
Small hydro is a Voith tradition. 147 years ago when the company
was founded, it started with small hydro. We produced only smallhydropower turbines until the 1970s, when we entered the market forlarge hydro, and today we are once again one of the largest smallhydropower manufacturers in the world.
What is the outlook for
Klaus Schädler
small hydro?
joined Voith in 1985.
In Southern Europe, there
A mechanical engiis low demand right now
neer, he has headed
Voith’s small hydrodue to the dampened econo­
division since 2009,
my. Other regions are look­and previously
ing for increased energy
served as the VP of
Operations at Voith
production. I expect grow­Hydro Canada.
ing demand in South Amer­
ica and Southeast Asia. Also,
Canada’s rich natural water resources give many hydro energy options.
Why would a company install four small machines producing 25 MW
instead of one large machine producing 100 MW?
To ensure the optimal output of energy, it often makes sense to avoid
installing a larger machine and instead install several smaller ones.
Then, when less water is available, one machine can run at full capac­
ity instead of having a large machine running at partial load. When alarge machine is run at low capacity, its efficiency is low in comparison
to the amount of water that is let through the machine. The operator
would produce less energy to sell.
What are good arguments for small hydro?
The technology comes with a long list of environmental benefits. We
have developed oil-free machines and turbines that rotate slower thanusual, to reduce fish mortality due to blade strikes. Voith has also de­veloped the Minimum Gap Runner technology, which minimizes theeffects of gap flows on fish survival and is used both in small and largehydropower plants. Another benefit is that operators can have a com­plete unit assembled in the workshop, which limits assembly time
onsite. Then there’s delivery time. It is shorter because the smaller
components can be manufactured faster and we offer a modular
product concept in small hydropower.
How would you describe the Voith small hydro product portfolio?
Our portfolio covers all equipment that an operator needs for a hydro­
power plant. This includes the turbine, the generator, the automation,and the balance of plant equipment – the complete water-to-wire so­lution. Together with our partners, we are a full-line supplier. //HyPower 2014 | 11

Full-Line Supplier2

3

Small but
powerful

1	Harnessing the power of nature: theriver at the Brunnenfeld run-of-riversmall hydropower plant in Austria.
2	Kössler technicians working on the
StreamDiver.
3 An artist’s depiction of Kössler’s new
headquarters in St. Georgen, Austria.

They may be little, but small hydropower
plants deliver good return.

D

emand for smaller, more standardized hydropower plants ison the march. At a time whenfeed-in tariffs for most renewable energy technologies have begun to decline,
as they were designed to do, small hydrohas never been so heavily promoted.
To help cope with the growing numberof customer inquiries, Voith acquired
Austria-based small hydropower manufacturer Kössler in 2007. Founded in
1928 as a repair workshop for turbinesand generators, Kössler has become oneof the European market leaders in smallhydro. Welcoming the Kössler employees into the company, Voith Hydro
CEO Dr. Roland Münch’s message wasclear: Kössler was to grow based on its
roots and competencies by developing
further in technology and growing volume in the range of its products.

StreamDiver ®: the latest
innovation in small hydropower.
1

Kössler has a lot to bring to the table:
over 80 years of experience in small hydropower, a mature and proven technology, a strong customer base and a veryskilled workforce. Profiting from Voith
Hydro’s engineering excellence andglobal network, Kössler is able to deliv-

er everything from single components
to complete power plant solutions. The
merger has put Kössler in a position to
attract new customer segments known
for rigid standards and high project
management requirements. Today,
Kössler acts as Voith Hydro’s European
center of competence for small hydro.
One of the advantages of small hydropower plants is that they are able to generate energy despite low flows andheads. Voith and Kössler were able toexploit their expertise to deliver a newcompact turbine specifically designed
for low water levels, for which conventional turbine technology was previously not economically viable. The new
product, StreamDiver, offers a compact
solution that makes it possible to mountthe generator directly into the turbine.
Water-lubricated bearings allow oiland grease-free operation, reducing theenvironmental footprint. “The successful cooperation between engineers from
Voith and Kössler is a good example of
how well Kössler has integrated into theVoith Group,” says Josef Lampl, Managing Director of Kössler.
HyPower 2014 | 13

Full-Line Supplier

4

5
6

1
2

A striking red eQ-Solutions
standardized spiral casing.
14 | HyPower 20143

But development doesn’t stop there.
Kössler engineers are continuously
working to find new materials, develop
maintenance-friendly designs and introduce simplified, innovative technologies. One example is its eQ-Solutions, astandardized compact turbine optimized
for smaller output ranges. Produced according to high standards of quality
and using state-of-the art hydraulics,
eQ-Solutions is helping to meet thechallenges of a changing market – one
in which building requirements are
more strenuous, environmental regulations are more stringent and customers
are looking for a less costly small hydrosolution – without forfeiting quality,
reliability or safety.

One advantage of small hydro is shorter
manufacturing and installation times.
Kössler has developed standardized construction manual, shortening delivery
times, and cuts installation times by carrying out construction in the factory anddelivering them to sites pre-assembled.
“There’s a lot of competition in the smallhydropower market. Customers put apremium on a good price-performance
ratio and a reliable partner,” explains
Lampl. Kössler has increased its volume
so successfully that it became necessary
to expand its existing facility in St. Georgen, to be opened in 2015. “The investment is a commitment towards the potential of small hydropower,” said Lampl
at the ground-breaking ceremony.

Price and performance wins
the bid
Kössler was able to meet high price-performance expectations of the BoschGroup when submitting a tender for themodernization of a 100-year-old hydroelectric plant in Blaichach, Germany. “To
win that order, we had to fight hard tocome up with a competitive price,” says
Karl Wieder, Head of Sales and Project
Development. “In the end, it was a combination of best price and best technicalperformance letting us win the tender.”High quality at a fair price
After modernizing an existing plant inWalchau, Austria, in 1987, Kössler was
invited in 2013 to counteract efficiency
losses caused by wear and tear by carrying out a gap correction and fitting thesystem with new bearings. Kössler was
also asked to expand the plant by supplying a Francis spiral turbine with arunner diameter of 540 mm. As a resultof the remediation, the output of thepower station was increased by approximately 420 to 630 kW.

Good ecological footprint
The community of Arjeplogs Allmänning in Sweden launched an initiative in2005 to optimize its 85-year-old smallhydropower station. The goal of the
project was to increase energy production with a minimum of environmental
impact. By introducing a Kaplan bulb
turbine with a runner diameter of 2.2
meters, Kössler was able to increase energy output by more than fivefold, withlittle adverse effects to the natural surroundings. The upgraded plant went
into production in autumn 2013.
Gerald Hochleitner, Head of Design at Kössler, says: “The ecologicalimpact is minimal as the turbine flow isapproximately 25% of the average natural flow in Skellefte River and requires
no man-made dam. It was a solution
provided by nature.” //1 	Installing a StreamDiver 		
compact turbine.
2 	At work on an eQ-Solutions
compact turbine.
3 	Upgrades and expansion 		at Walchau, Austria.
4 	The new turbine propeller isinstalled at Arjeplog.
5 	A look inside Arjeplog’s new
Kaplan bulb turbine.
6 Arjeplogs Allmänning,
Sweden: undisturbed nature.

More information on
StreamDiver:
http://voith.com/StreamDiver
HyPower 2014 | 15

Full-Line Supplier

Good technology,
good people
Small hydro contributes to the positivetransformation of the region it serves – but
deploying a project successfully requires
particular perseverance and talent.

121 	Small hydro plants like Malagone in Brazil generate local jobs
and bring environmental and educational programs to the region.
2 	Projects such as Baba protect and benefit agriculture: fromflooding and erosion, and with supplementary water supply.
16 | HyPower 2014

The Baba Multipurpose Project in the Los Ríos province ofEcuador has transformed the lives of local people since, andeven before, commercial operation began in 2013. The dam
mitigates flooding and helps prevent erosion during the rainyseason over about 20,000 hectares in the Buena Fé, Valencia
and Quevedo cantons. During the dry season, it provides
clean water for local people and farmers. The 42 MW smallhydropower plant, meanwhile, provides renewable energy to
the region.
Here, Voith installed two Kaplan turbines, the first ever inthe country, as well as the two generators for the plant’s units.
Seeing the plant enter into commercial operation with satisfied customers and colleagues was a thrill for Ronaldo Martins, Voith’s Project Manager at Baba. “Being part of the official plant inauguration in the presence of Ecuador’s president,
Rafael Correa, and having my photo taken with him was agreat feeling,” says Martins. With more than a decade’s experience working on small hydro projects in the region, Martins
was responsible for making sure Voith’s part in the project
was a success – and his job was not without its challenges.
Small hydro projects are arguably tougher than largescale ones, says Martins. “Managing a multipurpose project ismuch more interesting and challenging than managing a project with just one goal, because of all the elements that are
required.” Usually, the biggest challenge of a project in smallhydro is the time limits for construction – which tend to bevery short. The complexity is similar to that of a large hydroproject, but the deadlines are shorter, so proper planning isessential for project success. Managing deadlines and risk
management are two very important skills, especially when
the project is in a foreign country.

“Projects like Baba require an expert team, and at Voith wehave a great one – especially the engineering and field service
teams. But the success of the project was due to the commitment of the entire project team,” says Martins.
Luiz Marighetti is one of the most experienced membersof the Voith Brazil team. He joined Voith more than 30 years
ago and has worked variously as a turbine design engineer,sales manager, application engineer and lately as proposals
manager for small hydro. It is experience like his that enables
projects to be planned and executed smoothly. “I have participated in all the small hydro contracts we have signed since
2000. It means I can usually give the team the answers theyneed quickly to technical and contract questions,” explains
Marighetti.
Finding and teaching the next generation of engineering
trainees to ensure Voith has the skills and resources it needs forthe future is another important aspect of his work, he says. “Wehave very good career planning for the young engineers. We
rotate them in different roles and give them early knowledge
about various departments, as interns, within a training program lasting one and a half to two years.”
Each project is different and each teaches new lessons,adds Martins. “We always learn something on new projects,
whether in small or large hydro. We log what we learn and improve our processes.”
There is great potential to apply lessons learned from Baba
to projects in Ecuador and beyond, adds Martins. “Smallhydropower plants are becoming more important worldwide as
solutions for low-cost construction and low environmental impact become more important. Ecuador is a country that has a
big potential for the installation of new projects.” //Projects like Baba help establish strong
infrastructure, critical for agriculture:
Ecuador’s banana production benefits.

Luiz Marighetti
has worked for Voithfor over three decades in the smallhydro field, in areas
as diverse as turbine
engineering and proposal management.
Experience like his isa treasured asset.

HyPower 2014 | 17

Full-line supplier

1

3

2

Hydro expertisein Italy and beyond
With their new service center and headquarters
together under one roof, Voith Hydro Italy is bringing its
expertise closer to their customers in Italy – and beyond.

W

Refurbished distributor for a
38 MW vertical Francis turbine.
18 | HyPower 2014

ith a new after-market-business (AMB) service center in
Milan, Voith Hydro Italybrings a full line of top-quality services
closer to its customers. The workshop,
which opened last October, has completed its first orders and has many more
under way. Roland Kühnel, Head ofVoith Hydro Italy, explains, “Our customers like the fact that they canvisit us in the new workshop and see forthemselves what we are doing. We canalso more easily provide customized
solutions, and since we are cutting out
the middleman and handling more workin-house, we have a stronger competitive advantage.”
The workshop, which covers some
1,300 m2, is equipped with two cranes offive and 20 tons. With three installation
areas as well as material testing and distribution, it is designed to carry out aminimum of three projects at once. It
also benefits from Voith Hydro Italy’s

exceptional expertise. Voith Hydro acquired Italian hydropower supplier Riva
in 1992 along with all Riva’s technicaldrawings, including plans for more than
1,100 power plants. Today, of Italy’s 23
GW of installed hydro capacity, morethan half is working with Voith equipment. All of Italy’s main energy providers and a growing number of smaller independent power producers are clients.
The workshop responds to new
trends in Italy’s hydropower sector.
“Italy is one of Europe’s biggest hydropower markets, and the need for aftermarket service and rehabilitation isgreat, so we want to increase our aftermarket business. At the same time, sincealmost no new large hydro projects areplanned here, we are expanding oursmall hydro services,” says Kühnel. The
workshop aims to establish more longterm maintenance contracts in Italy andworldwide, and involve itself in newhydro projects. In summer, Voith Hydro

Italy will move its headquarters to theworkshop location, bringing all Voith
Hydro Italy’s activities under one roof.
“Having the headquarters here willallow for closer exchanges with Voith
Hydro engineers, and our customers
will be able to count on even more comprehensive and efficient services.”
Italian expertise in Switzerland
Modernizing a 100-year-old smallhydro plant on a site with a number oflogistical hurdles was not easy, but Voith
Hydro Italy met such a challenge recently for Switzerland’s Compagnie
Industrielle de Monthey (Cimo). The
company’s Vièze hydropower storage
plant plays a key role in the local economy by providing power for chemical giants BASF and Syngenta, but it urgently
needed an upgrade. Its original pressure
pipes dated from 1910 and 1921, andproduction units had been operating
since 1959 and 1960.
Daniel Baillifard, who oversaw the
project for Cimo, explains that when
Cimo chose to modernize the existing
plant, it selected Voith Hydro Italy forthe project based on a number of factors, including price, respect for deadlines, track record, and the security andquality of materials to be used. Voith
Hydro Italy supplied turnkey electromechanical equipment, a 14 MW
Pelton turbine, a vertical synchronous
generator, complete automation andother equipment.

4

The project has been a success. As
Baillifard points out, “Modernization
has allowed us to boost the plant’s energy production by 10% to 12% per
year, of which the new Voith Hydro
Italy production unit accounts for 5%.
Before this project, the plant produced
an average 50 million kWh per year.
We hope to increase that to about
56 million kWh per year. We can now
fully exploit the energy resources of theVièze, providing reliable, renewableenergy for the local chemical industry
and for future generations.” The modernization, begun in 2011, was completed on time in spring 2013. Baillifard
says, “We are very satisfied with the results of this project and with Voith
Hydro Italy’s contribution, especiallythe quality of their equipment, thecompetence of the team that installed
it, the subcontractors chosen and theplant’s performance. The plant continued to operate while the work wasgoing on, our time and budget targets
were met, and we are especially happy
to report that we had no accidents during the two-year project phase.” //1 	A distributor ring receives
final touches afterrefurbishment at the
Milan workshop.
2 	A Voith Milan AMB service
center technician at work.
3 	Getting equipment onto
the Vièze site.
4 	Inside the refurbished Cimo
power plant.

Hydropower in Switzerland
Installed capacity,incl. pumped storage:

15 GW

Potential not
yet installed:

2 GW

Switzerland was among the first nations
to use pumped storage (ca. 1890s).

HyPower 2014 | 19

global expertise

global expertise1

2

3
1 	The interior of the Vadodara turbine-manufacturing facility.
2 	A Voith India employee at work.
3 	Proudly Voith: the exterior of the Vadodara premises.

“Our strong plant engineeringskills differentiate Voith Hydro
India from the competition
as a full-line supplier in thesmall hydro business.”
Amresh Dhawan, Managing Director,
Voith Hydro in India

A keylocation
The strong team at Voith Hydro India
provides production and engineeringexpertise to supply markets allaround the world.

20 | HyPower 2014

“India is one of the most important small hydro markets
in the world,” says Amresh Dhawan, the Managing Directorof Voith Hydro in India. “It was necessary to establish a local
footprint by setting up a workshop to be competitive and to
set new quality standards in the Indian market.”
Rohit Uberoi, Head of Small Hydro Engineering at Voith
Hydro Noida (VHN), tells how in 2007 the company started
small hydropower operations in India: “The goal was to develop standardized solutions for small hydropower turbines– a ‘common standard design.’” This was followed in 2009by a separate small hydro division within VHN, which is “focused towards small hydropower business,” explains Uberoi.
The next step in the development of Voith Hydro inIndia was a manufacturing facility for turbines at Vadodara,in the state of Gujarat. Operations are so successful, says
Ravi Kalra, Head of Small Hydro for Voith Hydro India, thatwithin three years “the unit fulfilled initial expectations by
manufacturing and delivering state-of-the-art hydropower
products to all corners of the world, including Japan, Italy,
Canada and Brazil.”With customers enquiring about small hydropower capabilities, Voith began developing a special generator for the market, adapted to the requirements of small hydro. For the
manufacturing of these generators, a cooperation has been
set up with TD Power Systems (TDPS), an India-based company with Japanese roots. The international scale of this cooperation is reflected in the end projects, the first ever order
being a horizontal small hydropower generator for faraway
Cubujuquí, Costa Rica. Indeed, this was Voith’s first project in
Latin America using a power unit designed and manufacturedby the Voith India Vadodara branch. “This clearly established
Vadodara as a quality manufacturer and supplier of full-line
small hydro solutions,” says Kalra. Dhawan confirms that “thequality management systems at Vadodara are an exact replicaof Voith quality systems employed in its factories world wide.”This fundamental focus on quality, as well as the breadthand depth of expertise, have also impressed Voith’s clients.
Voith Hydro India has the capability to engineer an entire
plant, supplying turbines, generators, cranes, auxiliary sys-tems, fire detection, alarm and firefighting systems. Moreover,says Dhawan, “Our capability extends to engineering, supplying and commissioning substations and other electrical plant
items.” It is, he says, “our strong plant engineering skills thatdifferentiate Voith Hydro India from the competition as a fullline supplier in the small hydro business.”
And the next step in this development is just under way:
together with the automation department from Voith headquarters in Heidenheim, the engineering team in India is currently working on the development of a specially designed
automation solution with complete functionality, but at thesame time adapted for small hydropower applications –another cost-effective, standardized small hydropower solution with room for modular adaptations.
Voith’s future in this highly competitive energy market
looks particularly good, says Kalra: “A successful small hydroarm with its own manufacturing facilities in India helps Voith
Hydro expand its operations, not only in India but also inSouth East Asia, which hitherto was not fully served out ofEurope. There is a large potential waiting to be tapped. //HyPower 2014 | 21

Global Expertise

Quality and innovation
Recent modernization
projects by Voith have
injected new life into
traditional hydropower
plants in Japan.

Voith has come up with solutions toparticularly complex challenges during
the recent undertaking of two individual
projects in Japan, resulting in very satisfied customers.
Umamichi power station in Tochigi
Prefecture is operated by Furukawa
Nikko Power Generation. It began service in 1937 fitted out with equipment
supplied by Fuji Electric, which has now
become Voith Fuji Hydro.
Furukawa Nikko Power Generation
recently contracted Voith Fuji Hydro torenovate the aging equipment and to
improve overall performance. This involved replacing the turbine, generator
and control system, increasing the flowof water to the turbine in the process to
uprate output from 4,410 kW to 5,430
kW. The refurbished power station was
handed over in April 2013 and is performing exactly as intended.
As Hiroaki Onaka, Manager of the
Project Management and Contracting
Department at Voith Fuji Hydro, explains, this was a particularly challenging project because it required the installation of new equipment into an
existing building – which had to be retained. Just one example: the installation of the new spiral casing in a single
piece required a large hole to be madein the side wall of the turbine floor, andthe construction of a temporary bridgeover the tail race channel. This all had

Hydropower in JAPANInstalled capacity,incl. pumped storage:

50 GW

Potential not
yet installed:

12 GW

Hydropower is Japan’s leading
renewable energy resource.
22 | HyPower 2014

to be done with due regard for the overriding safety requirements.
This was also Voith Fuji Hydro’s firstexperience of procuring equipment engineered and manufactured at the company’s specialized small hydro workshop in India (see pages 20-21 for more
on Voith Hydro in India). It was a successful collaboration, particularly interms of the quality of the equipment
supplied by the Indian Voith Hydro
team. Due to the success of this project, the same customer has just ordered Voith to undertake another project at Uwanoshiro power station. This
project is set to involve an even wider
range of refurbishment activities – achallenge which Voith is ready to meet.
Voith’s other current challenge inJapan is the modernization of Chugu
power station, operated by the
Hokuriku Electric Power Company. Voithemerged as the only company in competition capable of providing theinnovative technological approach required to work within the confines of theexisting narrow powerhouse. Voith’s
innovative proposal involves replacing
two existing twin-nozzle horizontal turbines, with a total output of 3,000 kW,
with a single triple-nozzle unit of Voith
Fuji Hydro’s original design, with an
output of 3,100 kW.
Due to restrictions on crane capacity and powerhouse space, the Chugu
power station project has required considerable advance planning. Due forcompletion in December, this is only thesecond installation of a triple-nozzle
unit carried out by Voith Fuji Hydro, andis also the largest. It is an undertaking
that reflects Voith’s unequaled level ofcompetence and emphasis on unparalleled quality. //

1
3
2
4

1 	The exterior of the Chugu
power station.
2 	The generator at the refurbished Umamichi plant.
3 	Outflow at the Umamichi
power station.
4 	The upgraded Francis
turbine at Umamichi.

HyPower 2014 | 23

Global Expertise

Global Expertise

Heading for new dimensions
Voith takes an important step toward a major goal at the Xiluodu
plant, in partnership with the China Three Gorges Corporation.

Consider a bearing that has to carry a load equal to theweight of 17 fully laden Boeing 747 aircraft ready for
takeoff. That’s just one of the challenges being embraced by Voith’s engineers as they develop the next generation of 1 GW generators ahead of further expansion of capacity by the China Three Gorges Corporation at the Baihetan
and Wudongde hydropower plants.
Developing the most powerful hydro generators ever seenpresents challenges at a number of technical levels, including
the design of thrust bearings which will cope with the enormous loads imposed over a lifetime of use. But it is one that
Voith has already met with the successful commissioning of
784 MW generator-turbine units at the Xiluodu plant on the
Jinsha River – one of the largest single projects ever undertaken by Voith, with Voith Hydro in Shanghai supplying threecomplete sets of generating units: the three 784 MW Francis
turbines as well as three 855.6 MVA generators. When it is fully connected to the grid later this year, it will have a nominal

1 Voith engineers discuss a 3-D plan of the generator.

capacity of 13.86 GW, making it the world’s third-largest hydropower plant.
Thomas Hildinger, Vice President Generator Technology
at Voith Hydro, says the successful introduction of the 855.6
MVA generators at Xiluodu provides a useful stepping-stone
toward even larger machines. “Each unit is tailor made, ofcourse. There is no room for failure,” he says. “But you stilllearn from every project, and it enables you to further refine
your mathematical models and design solutions. In particular,
it helps you manage residual risk, which is fundamental toVoith’s approach to engineering.” The design of a modernhydro generator is a well-considered balance between competing demands: reliability, performance, ease of maintenance and– last but not least – project economics.
As air-cooled generators increase in output, the design
challenge is to find optimized and reliable mechanical solutions. Thrust bearings must be able to carry loads of several
thousand tons, improvements are needed in cooling systems

Voith’s solution is an elegant one in engineering terms, and is already installed in power stations in South Korea, South Africa,
the UK, Norway and Japan. Voltage represents one of the largest challenges to designers of massive generators. So far there
are only a few hydro generators worldwide rated higher than
20 kV. None over 23 kV are yet in service. Since 1970, when
Voith provided 23 kV generator bars for
the Raccoon Mountain hydropower station in the US, the company has been a
From Necaxa to Xiluodu: The most powerful generators
leader in pushing this boundary. Voith
Hydro in Shanghai has produced samples
How Voith Hydro generators continue to growof the 25 kV insulated bars with the same
[MVA*]
Rating inmegavolt-amperes (MVA)
dimension that will be required for the
1000
gigawatt machines. They have been sucThree Gorges (CN)water cooled
900
cessfully tested, achieving excellent perair cooled
800
formance in terms of their mechanical
Itaipu (BR)
Xiluodu (CN)and thermal properties.
Guri II (VE)700
How large can hydro generators be600
come? “We can go to 1.2 or 1.3 GW for
500
Bath County (USA)Paulo Afonso IV (BR)certain, or even higher,” Hildinger be400
Raccoon Mountain (USA)lieves, although this is unlikely before
Samrangjin (KR)300
2020, and there are few sites with theWehr (DE)200
flows and damming potential to achieve
Furnas (BR)
Herdecke (DE)100
this scale. For now, the 1 GW generator
Vianden (LU)
Necaxa (MX)
Suiho
(CN)
0
is a sufficient challenge to keep Hilding1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Yearer and team well occupied. //2 Inside the immense Xiluodu generator.
1

24 | HyPower 2014

and related thermal stability, while even better mica-paperbased insulation, suitable for higher voltages, is required sothat such machines can be air cooled. The thrust bearing challenge may have a practical solution, which is a unique Voith innovation: the employment of a magnetic thrust bearing to absorb part of the load and to reduce friction losses.

2

HyPower 2014 | 25

Global Expertise

GLOBAL EXPERTISE

The stay ring is lowered to the turbine floor.

IMPRESSIVE
BUSINESSA “project of many firsts” in Canada
provides the stage for a grand display
of Voith’s multifaceted potential.

Marc Gagnon, Voith
Hydro Project Manager
for the Waneta Expansion Project, on the powerhouse ground level.
26 | HyPower 2014

“What Voith Hydro does is impressive,” says Wally Penner when asked
what he finds special about the Waneta
Hydroelectric Expansion Project. Having worked in various roles on manyhydropower projects over the years,
Penner knows what he’s talking about.
He’s now the Regional Project Manager
at SNC-Lavalin, a Prime Contractor for
the Waneta Hydroelectric Expansion
Project and also Voith Hydro’s customer for the Waneta project. His enthusiasm knows no bounds, as revealed byhis comments on the project figures,the tunnel, the runner – all of them
are “impressive!” he says. And he’squite right. Anyone who visits such a
HyPower 2014 | 27

GLOBAL EXPERTISE

1
2

3

4

5

4 Inspecting a new equipment arrival: Marc Gagnon standing inside one of the head covers.
5 Workers inside the scroll case, which is almost as large as an underground train tunnel.

1 Detail of a turbine runner being installed at Waneta.
2 W orking on the stator of Unit 2 of the Waneta plant.
3 A
 n aerial view of the Waneta Expansion Project on the Pend d’Oreille River.

construction site and takes a look inside is bound to be impressed. From
the outside, it all seems fairly straightforward, but inside, the dimensions are
truly astounding. Inside the under-construction Waneta, you must descendhundreds of stairs to reach the bottom
level, known as the pump floor. The
various floors in a power station havedifferent names: pump floor, turbine
floor, generator floor and so on. Thatalone speaks to the magnitude of thebuilding’s interior, where the cleanly
poured, cool gray concrete walls reachabout 30 meters down into the rock. At
ground level there’s a good view over theconstruction site and the ongoing work.
It’s a favorite place of Marc Gagnon,
28 | HyPower 2014

Project Manager at Voith Hydro inMontreal (VHM). From here, he has an
overview of almost all the site’s sections, to assess the steady progress ofthe tasks being performed. “The sitechanges every day,” he says. “Whenyou return after three weeks, it feels likea different place, every time.” That
comes as no surprise, given the hustle
and bustle that pervades the Waneta
construction site.
Everywhere, people are drilling,
torquing, stacking and welding. Metal
clangs on metal, and instructions arecalled out. It smells both damp anddusty, of freshly poured concrete and of
welded steel. And it feels pretty warm
despite the wintry outside temperatureson this chilly January day. Wearing
brightly colored hard hats and reflective
safety vests, workers focus diligently on
their tasks. Inside the stator frame ofone of the two power units supplied byVoith Hydro, the workers are installing
sheet metal panels for the generators.
Various Voith Hydro operating units
from around the world have supplied
various pieces of equipment, applying
their respective specialized areas of expertise. The generator poles, bars andcores were made in São Paulo, Brazil, as
were the two runners, while the brightred head cover comes from Shanghai –the first time that Voith in Canada has
collaborated with colleagues in China ona large hydro project.

“It’s a project of many firsts,” explains
Gagnon: in this project, Voith Hydro in
Canada is supplying heavy electricalbalance-of-plant equipment such as
generator circuit breaker, ISO phaseduct and excitation systems, thereby
adding new expertise and new possibilities to VHM’s business. VHM is also
leading the commissioning of the project. And, after many years of experience in the hydroelectric sector, it’s Gagnon’s first project as a large hydroproject manager. Yet, he comes acrossas fairly relaxed. “This is a major projectfor Voith Hydro in Canada because it’s agood reference for similarly sized projects and because we can acquire additional valuable expertise,” says Gagnon. The contract with SNC-Lavalin isbeing executed as a design-and-build
contract, which results in a differently
structured, intensive collaboration.
“Their issues are ours and the otherway round,” explains Gagnon. “As a result, there is a lot of communication inthis project. We work very well together
in a joint effort.” That is important, too,given that one of the challenges of the
Waneta job is that many civil- andhydro-engineering tasks are occurring
simultaneously, which makes good coordination especially important. The
customer is also pleased, as Wally
Penner confirms: “Working together

with Voith is very collaborative, very result-oriented, and there is a great willingness to deal with all the issues coming up in a project like this.”Back on site, Gagnon has another favorite spot: the project office – or the“hub,” as he calls it – where Voith Hydrocolleagues meet daily to discuss thestatus and issues. “You can feel the energy, you can feel the team spirit in the
project,” he explains. This team spirit
also becomes apparent when representatives of all VHM departments involvedin the project meet for a two-day project conference to further improve internal collaboration and project flows. Twothings emerge quite clearly: first is how
many different specialties, departments

and employees from Voith Hydro alone
are involved in the success of such a
project; second is how fully all of them
are committed to achieving this success. One gets a sense of how they
identify with the project when they say,
“We need to adapt it to Waneta. It has
to be Waneta-style.” And it really is: extensive hydropower engineering expertise, custom-tailored to the project. //Hydropower in CANADA
Installed capacity,incl. pumped storage:

73 GW

Potential not
yet installed:

160 GWA large majority – over 60% – of electricity in Canada is supplied by hydro.

The Waneta Expansion Project will see the construction of a second powerhouse to share thehydraulic head of the existing Waneta Dam on the Pend d’Oreille River, in British Columbia, Canada, and just a stone’s throw away from the US border. The 335 MW hydroelectric project is owned
by a consortium of Fortis Inc., Columbia Power Corporation and Columbia Basin Trust, with SNCLavalin being the Prime Contractor. Voith Hydro is supplying the complete electromechanical equipment including the two generators, Francis turbines as well as automation systems.

Involving the Community: “We are doing it differently,” says Audrey Repin, Director External Relations at Columbia Power Corporation, proud of their high standard of quality, safety and environmental stewardship. They manage the Waneta construction on behalf of the owners, and are committed to consulting local communities and executing socio-economic monitoring and various
environmental programs. The Community Impact Management Committee, made up of local stakeholders and corporate representatives, provides ongoing input to encourage a positive impact.

HyPower 2014 | 29

GLOBAL EXPERTISE

GLOBAL EXPERTISE

Leading the way
in Canada

has very deep roots in Canada, it’s whatbuilt this country and it goes back toover 100 years ago and is really a corecomponent of our history.

Talking to William Malus, the new CEO of Montreal-based Voith Hydro in Canada,
and Peter MacLennan, the new COO of Voith Hydro in Mississauga.

You’ve both been working in thehydropower business, and at Voith,
for many years. What is special to you
about hydropower and Voith Hydro?
MacLennan: Hydropower is a longterm industry. It is steady, it makes
sense, and it stands for continuous
progress. To me, Voith, as a market
leader in this business, stands for thesame principles. It is a company basedon values, following a long-term vision
and a clear purpose.
Malus: To me, hydropower represents
one of the most natural conversions of
the earth’s resources into energy. As atechnology, hydropower is a demonstration of perseverance, stability andstands the test of time. And in thisrespect, Voith Hydro, through its long
history built on technical expertiseand strong customer relationships, is acompany of creditability and reliability.
I really see very congruent aspects between hydropower and Voith Hydro.
Are these the characteristics Voith
Hydro is particularly known for in the
Canadian market?
Malus: Yes, the values in Voith reallyemulate our approach in the market.
The company has been around for over
140 years. This is built on trustful customer relationships. “Never let a customer down” is very important to Voith
in Canada, and we definitely work behind this philosophy.
MacLennan: Customers know they
can count on us. They would say weare fair and straightforward. We have aservice-oriented company culture, and
30 | HyPower 2014

William Malus
has been working in the hydropower industry
for 15 years and joined Voith in 2007.
Hydropower, as he puts it, “is in the DNA of
Canada.” In his role as CEO, Malus aims not
only to further improve technology and Voith
Hydro’s activities, but also to make thecompany a great place for employees todevelop and grow.

“I don’t think there is
any other technologythat generates poweras sustainably ashydropower.”
we put people with this service culturein their DNA into leading positions. And
we have a strong reputation with regard
to our technical expertise and one ofthe deepest OEM (original equipment
manufacturer) knowledge bases in theindustry …
Malus: … and together with the Voithknow-how, this allows us to bring thebest design and solution perspectives
to our customers. We are very responsive to the market requirements andsee how we can adapt our offering tomeet the market demands.
How would you describe the customer
structure in Canada?
Malus: Our customers are very welleducated in hydropower. Some of them
are leading the way in terms of hydropower development and where thetechnology could go. We are really

lucky to share our expertise with thembecause in the end this makes the industry move ahead.
MacLennan: We have a diverse mix ofcustomers: the major state-owned utilities, private utilities as well as independent power producers. They have different approaches, and it is importantfor us to be close to the customers tounderstand their needs and what’s important for their success and viability.
What is special about the hydropower market in Canada?
MacLennan: We are blessed with anabundant natural water supply. Prettymuch all of our provinces have hydropower potential, and roughly only 45%of this has been developed.
Malus: The other aspect: Canada isprobably one of the most mature hydropower markets in the world. Hydropower

Based on this, do you see the futureof hydropower in positive terms?
Malus: Yes. Hydropower is the backbone of the Canadian electricity sector.
It represents about 63% of the electricalsupply in Canada. With approximately
1,500 units there is a tremendous installed base, and the average age isaround 60 years old, which is a great
opportunity to support this infrastructure with our after-market services andin modernization projects.
Do you see Voith Hydro in Canada as
being well prepared for this?
Malus: Yes, we are: as of today, we arestarting off a very solid foundation. Voith
Hydro in Canada has grown and developed tremendously over the past years.
With our teams in Montreal and Mississauga, as well as Vortex Hydro in Granby, we have a good footprint that positions us well and with very uniquecapabilities across these locations. Establishing Mississauga as a location
dedicated to services, for example, wasan important step.
MacLennan: The Mississauga service
center is gaining importance, covering
all of Canada, especially remote locations, which face logistical challenges.
Not only do we have a deep know-how
of generator modernization, but we also

have a high service culture across all
disciplines. Plus, Voith in Mississauga is
the center of excellence for winding andcoil technology, both for domestic andinternational customers. We tailor our
products on demand to customer’s
needs, and we want to continue to expand our expertise and activities to create more value for our customers.
Apart from that, what are your futuregoals in your new positions?
Malus: We see automation and aftermarket services as very good segments
to further develop in Canada. Also insmall hydro, both new and refurbishments, there is huge potential. In addition, asset management is an element
we are examining to see what we cando to help our customers in terms oflooking at their full hydropower stationand seeing how we can best support
their assets.
MacLennan: We want to further improve cycle times. This is something
our customers are working on as welland where we can work together. Our
improvements can help them to improve their cycles. This helps the customer to get their plants back on timeensuring their availability to produce
power.
Is there anything that would help
support the prospects of hydropowerin Canada?
MacLennan: Equal conditions for all renewables would further support hydro-

power as a clean and reliable source ofenergy. Today, wind and solar experience far more support from some of ourgovernment entities. I believe over time,
the public and governments will again
realize the far-reaching and sustainable
benefits of hydropower.
Malus: Budget and environmental approvals could be further improved. The
Canadian government made good decisions in the last five years and worked
hard to make the process of approvals
faster and less bureaucratic. It can always be better, but the good part is: thedialogue is occurring.
You described hydropower as a very
mature technology. Is it also a modern technology?
Malus: Although it’s a mature technology, hydropower is very dynamic andcontinuing to evolve. The use of newmaterials, new processing techniques,
new engineering tools – these are allvery innovative aspects. I also think in a
lot of cases hydropower is taken for
granted. It’s in the background, it does
its job, and it has still the lowest cost ofenergy when you look at it in the longterm. I don’t think there is any othersource of technology that generates
power that has such sustainability in life
than hydropower. Each of us as people
in hydropower are stewards to promote
this message: hydropower is a good
aspect for the future and an importantpart of the renewable mix globally supporting CO2 reduction. //Peter MacLennanjoined Voith 10 years ago. Working in project management and field
service, he gained experience “on the front line,” which he says isessential for the business. As COO he wants to continue withsustainable growth and ensure the continued high quality of products
and services and, to achieve this, focus on people management,
based on his motto: “Once you are in hydropower, you stay there.”“It is important for us to
be close to the customers
to understand their needs.”
HyPower 2014 | 31

GREEN ENERGY MIXGREEN ENERGY MIXPower on aneven keel
The Erzhausen pumped storage plant is refurbished tokeep contributing to Germany’s energy transition.

On the River Leine, close to thegeographical center of Germany, lies the small village of
Erzhausen. At only 99 meters above sea
level at the riverbank, it is the lowest
point in Northeim district. It is this geographical situation, along with the hills
to the east of the river, that makes
Erzhausen ideal for a pumped storage
plant like Erzhausen, which, run by energy company Statkraft, has been operating here since 1963.

Voith employees work in
the interior of the Erzhausen
pumped storage plant.

32 | HyPower 2014

After several decades of reliable service, Statkraft has hired Voith Hydro tocompletely overhaul and service the mechanical components of Unit 3 of theirfacility, including turbine and pump aswell as the corresponding sphericalvalves, to ensure smooth, uninterrupted
operation for further decades. The orig-

inal machinery is removed and taken to
the Voith facility in Heidenheim, where
it is disassembled into its individualcomponents. The pieces are tested tocheck for stress fractures and other destructive wear, before being repainted,
sealed and re-assembled, ready for re-installation. “The goal is to reduce downtime and have the facility operational as
quickly as possible,” says Daniel Christ,
Project Manager for Erzhausen at Voith
Hydro in Heidenheim. “During a project like this many technical challenges
arise. To solve them reliably, we use
proven methods and the benefit of ourexperience with such power units.” This
doesn’t mean that the refurbished facility will not benefit from technologicaladvancements that have occurred since
its original construction. “Where required and possible we are installing
new grease-free bearings to replace theprevious systems,” says Christ. “Theyare safer and more environmentallyfriendly.” New processes are used tocoat original mechanical components,
reducing wear and protecting against
corrosion, and worn seals and bearings
are replaced.
In addition, Voith is fulfilling andeven exceeding the demanding Health,
Safety and Environment (HSE) setup
of Statkraft: “Keeping in line with ourHSE policies is very important in all our
power plants, and thus also our rehabilitation projects, and Voith is meeting our
expectations” comments Dennis Geyermann, project manager for Erzhausen at
Statkraft.
Facilities like the one in Erzhausen
were once built to perform a role thatno longer exists in Germany’s 21st century energy market. Originally, pumped
storage plants were filled at night using
cheap power from nuclear power stations, and drained to cover the midday
peak in electric consumption. Nowadays, the noon peak is amply covered bysolar power, and pumped storage has
started to play a different role, powering
up and down many times a day to evenout the fluctuations of a system that increasingly includes input from volatilerenewable sources like wind and solar.
Besides this flexibility, pumped storage
plants score with stabilizing the grid andother services to the system. //Hydropower in GERMANY
Installed capacity,incl. pumped storage:

10 GW

Potential not
yet installed:

6 GW

The shift to green energy is currently a
hot topic in Germany (see right).

Voith stands behindpumped storage
This energy storage solution can play a keyrole in Germany’s “Energiewende.”
A debate is currently going on in Germany on the best direction
the “Energiewende,” or energy transition, should take. Positively,
the field of renewable energy is rapidly expanding. But one thing iscertain: the transition to greener energy won’t succeed without
efficient energy storage.
Voith has brought their expertise in the area of short-term energy storage into the public arena with the platform “Pumpspeicherwerke – Partner der Energiewende” (pumped storage plants –partner of the energy transition), a joint venture with the German
Energy Agency (dena) and other prominent industry partners. The
platform champions the unique benefits of pumped storage, andmakes clear that pumped storage can store energy from solar andwind sources in an efficient and climate-friendly manner.
At the same time, Voith has recently conducted a study with
the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) of
Aachen, which shows that additional pumped storage in Germany could go into operation as an economically viable replacement to a significant number of conventional power plants currently being used as cold reserve. The capacity of additional
pumped storage plants instead could be used to take up evenmore energy from wind and solar that would otherwise be lost
due to down-regulation. //HyPower 2014 | 33

Green Energy Mix

Green Energy Mix

1Eyes onBrazil2

As Brazil takes center stage in 2014, Voith Hydro’s work
behind the scenes is supporting development and growth.
4
3Brazil has been reaping the benefits of its vast hydropower resources for decades. Eager togenerate more clean, reliable energy,
the nation is upgrading these resources
and has tasked Voith Hydro with severalof these projects. They include the1,420 MW Salto Santiago plant, where
Voith is completely refurbishing andrenewing four power units, as well as
making upgrades to electro-mechanicalequipment and automation technology.
Voith’s scope of work includes building
the 130-ton, 6-meter-diameter runners
and delivering them to site in a single
piece – a logistical challenge that involves trucking them safely throughdensely populated regions. At Água Vermelha hydropower plant, meanwhile,
Voith is refurbishing the six generators,
six Francis turbines, complete automa34 | HyPower 2014

5tion systems as well as the electrical andmechanical balance of plant equipment.
Roberto Avigni, Business Developer for Modernization Projects at Voith,said both were critical to the grid due totheir location near the center of demandfor electricity in one of Brazil’s most industrialized areas. Taking such units outof service in a national energy systemthat relies so heavily on hydropower is
not done lightly.
The main challenge in completingthe projects successfully is the timepressure imposed by the schedule –which cannot be permitted to slip. Refurbishments can be challenging in thisregard, because unforeseen issues canalways arise, says Avigni. “As the projects unfold, inevitably new challenges
arise that no one has anticipated. It’scompletely different from installing a

new unit. You have to be ready with amitigation plan for any number ofthings that could go wrong.”
Part of the reason Voith won thecontract over competitors is its reputation for never letting the customer
down, Avigni points out. “You have tobe sure that in 10 months you still deliver everything ready. It’s not just thecustomer but also the government expecting everything to be punctuallyback in operation. We have to beon schedule. No matter what, theunit will be there on time.”
Voith is also providing innovative
solutions at Salto Santiago, which will
be one of the first plants in Brazil permitted to increase the amount of energy
it supplies commercially. Brazilian government mandates the amount eachplant can supply, based on conservative

6

1 Voith
Hydro Manaus and the Arena daAmazônia stadium.
2 T
 he Água Vermelha dam on the Grande River.
3 V oith Hydro in Brazil headquarters andthe Arena Corinthians stadium in São Paulo.
4 T he Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro –home of the 2014 World Cup final.
5 T he impressive dam at Itaipu hydropower plant.
6 U
 nder Voith refurbishment: Salto Santiago plant.

approaches that allow for low water levels, to guarantee the continuity of supply
in all circumstances. After 2010, however, the government permitted producers
to generate more than their allocation.
Conditional on improved equipment
output and efficiency, plants can increase
their supply, and reap the financial rewards of doing so.
“Salto Santiago is the first to benefit
from the new regulations and we haveworked closely with the customer to generate 24 MW extra. We did the calculations and the return on investment wasgood – so the customer decided to moveahead,” Avigni says. “In fact, they werevery happy with tests by an independentlab showing that the results were better
than we promised, so they may be able toclaim even more energy.” //HyPower 2014 | 35

Green Energy Mix

ITAIPUThis project in the state of Paraná marked
Voith’s first major excursion into the Brazilian market. The first unit of the plant went
into service in 1984. For more on Itaipu andVoith’s history in Brazil, see pages 37-39.
Installed capacity:	 14,000 MW
Turbines:
20 x 715 MW Francis
Generators: 
20 X 737 MVA synchronous

SALTO SANTIAGO

Voith is undertaking a complete refurbishment of Salto Santiago hydropower plant,also located in the state of Paraná. The sizeof the new parts has posed a big – but notinsurmountable – logistical challenge.
Installed capacity:	 1,420 MW
Turbines:
4 x 355 MW Francis
Generators: 
4 X 350 MVA synchronouságua Vermelha

The Água Vermelha dam, where Voith’s work
includes the modernization of six turbinesand generators. The facility, straddling Minas
Gerais and São Paulo states, provides both
energy generation and flood control.
Installed capacity:	 1,396 MW
Turbines:
6 x 232.7 MW Francis
Generators: 
6 X 323.7 MVA synchronous
36 | HyPower 2014

Hydro powers
Brazil’s future
World Cup football and hydropower
meet in the city of Manaus: home to aworld-class stadium and an important
Voith Hydro manufacturing facility.

T

he city of Manaus is a microcosm of Brazil. New buildings are sprouting up and development is bringing higher living standards and great pride in rapid progress.
The city’s crowning achievement is the showpiece Arena daAmazônia, which will host four World Cup games this year.
With all this development, however, comes huge growth in demand for electricity – and the risk of blackouts if it is not met.
The need for reliable energy is greater than ever, as the eyes of
the world turn to Manaus and the whole of Brazil in 2014.
This scenario underlines Voith’s central role in contributing to
the success of hydropower. Brazil will have to increase electricity-generating capacity by about 6,300 MW per year, says
Wellington Capelari, Head of Sales for the Brazilian market.
“Hydro energy represents nowadays around 71% of total electrical energy production.”
The economic and political importance of hydropower inthe region was highlighted by the recent visit of Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff to Estreito and other hydropower projects in the region. “We will need full capacity there during theWorld Cup, and the role of Voith Hydro in this development
is very important. Our expectation is to have 30 machines operating by then. We should have enough to use all the river capacity,” says José Fozzate, Project Manager at Voith for the
Santo Antônio project.
Back in Manaus, Voith’s factory in the city is key in supporting all the projects in the region. Leonardo Nuzzi, Manager at Voith Hydro Manaus, says the city is well-positioned
close to existing and future major hydropower projects in
Brazil. “We already manufacture components here while other competitors are far away from the region. We have a modern workshop with equipment including a state-of-the-art vertical lathe and a crane capable of lifting more than 350 tons.
And we are well-positioned for the large hydropower projects
under development in northern Brazil,” says Nuzzi.
The factory is also providing much-needed jobs and training for local people, he says. “Although it’s a big industrial district, there was no heavy industry, so this kind of business is
new to the region. We trained the local people to weld and operate big machines. A major part of the workforce is now madeup of local people.” //from the archivesarsye

The beginning: opening of the Voith facility at São Paulo in 1966.

T

A successful
half-century
Reflections on 50 years of Voith Hydro in Brazil – andthe commissioning of a landmark hydropower project.

here have been many high points
in the history of Voith in Brazil,
such as the opening of the manufacturing workshop in São Paulo (1966)and of the foundry (1970), the inauguration of the new facility in Manaus (2011),
or major landmark projects like Teles
Pires, Estreito, Xingó and Peixe Angical.
In fact, Voith’s presence in Brazil stretches
back to 1905, when the company delivered five turbines to the Itatinga hydropower plant in the city of Santos. The reallandmark year, though, is 1964, with thefoundation of Voith Brazil in São Paulo.

1905
Delivery of first 5 turbines to Brazil
for Itatinga hydropower plant

1964
Foundation of Voith Brazil

HyPower 2014 | 37

from the archives

from the archives

1

2

3

4

5

7

8

6

1 	The official opening of the Voith worksin São Paulo.
2 	A 250-ton turbine cover is installed at
the Itaipu plant.
3 	Working on the new regulator at Itaipu.
4 	Here, the immense size of the Itaipu
plant is evident: a rotor is installed asworkers look on.
5 	A big order from China: preparing theworld’s then-largest turbine for service.
6 	The central control room at Itaipu.
7 	Immense power: Itaipu from the air.
8 	President Dilma Rousseff visits Estreitohydropower plant.

When introducing his country, Gilson
Campos, Head of Communications for
Voith Hydro in Latin America, talks
with justifiable pride: “Brazil,” he says,“is a big country with many natural resources, and it has a lot of potential for
generating clean and renewable energy
with hydropower plants.”
Campos, along with the rest of hiscolleagues, is celebrating 50 successful
years of Voith in Brazil. He appreciatesthat it has not been without its challenges. “Competitive prices, deadlines andsocial responsibility have all been very

1966
Official opening
of Voith facilityin São Paulo38 | HyPower 2014

strong issues,” he says. But with a dedicated and highly skilled workforce,training programs, and a good work
ethic based on continual improvement,
Voith has succeeded in securing a strong
market position.
Amidst countless high-profile projects, Voith’s work on the Itaipu hydropower plant, located on the BrazilParaguay border, is particularly impressive. Construction work started at Itaipu
in the mid-1970s, and by 1984, now 30
years ago, the start-up of a Voith gener-

1970

ating unit and turbine heralded thelaunch into service of the plant. The
project was a long time in preparation,
remembers Werner Lacher, Sales Director for Voith Hydro Brazil. “I worked
in the technical field, and as Head ofEngineering, I managed all the design
activity here in Brazil and the accompanying manufacturing and site assembly,”
he says. And, he adds that he “had theopportunity to see all the work done.”
Current Site Manager Alberto Neto
charts his involvement in the groundbreaking Itaipu project over more than

1978
Opening of theVoith foundry

Delivery of turbinesfor Brazil’s Itaipu
hydropower plant

1984

three decades. In the 1980s, when he
was just 20 years old, he knew that Itaipu
represented the “biggest hydropower
plant to be built in the world.” Filledwith anticipation, he boarded a plane forthe first time in his life at São Paulo, andwithin a few hours – on seeing the“three-meter-diameter wheels of thetrucks” employed at the Itaipu site – began to grasp the scale of the project.
By 2007, Voith had supplied 13 of the
20 turbines and 11 of 20 generators for
Itaipu. The project not only generates

2000
First generating unit of
Itaipu hydropower
plant goes into service

To date, Voith has supplied 260 turbines tohydro plants in Brazil

clean, reliable energy, but also brings
ongoing social initiatives to the region,
provided by the operator Itaipu Binacional, notably promoting education, science and technology, plus supporting
programs that protect children from exploitation. Though not without its ups
and downs, in the past couple of decades
Brazil has undoubtedly become one of
the world’s strongest emerging economies – a development the likes of Gilson
Campos, Werner Lacher and Alberto
Neto have experienced first-hand. As always, however, Voith is keeping an eye

2011
Opening of the Voith
Hydro Manaus manufacturing facilityon the future: “We have the technology,
the manpower, the quality and the reliability,” says Marcos Blumer, the newpresident and CEO of Voith Hydro
in Brazil. “There is still plenty of room
to grow.” //Hydropower in BRAZIL
Installed capacity,incl. pumped storage:

90 GW

Potential not
yet installed:

178 GW

No. 1: Brazil is the nation with theworld’s greatest volume of fresh water.

2014
Voith celebrates
50 years in Brazil

HyPower 2014 | 39

successful partnerships

Successful Partnerships

Cutting-edge technology
follows heritage
Modernity has caught up with tradition at a small but captivatinghydropower plant in Pernegg, Austria.

Some may have had pangs of regret on bidding farewell tothe historic Francis semi-spirals – affectionately named Eva,
Margot and Irmgard – after 80 years of valiant service at Pernegg power plant, near Graz in Austria. But old age and therenewal of water rights made an overhaul of the plant necessary to raise efficiency and the standard operating capacity.
In 1927, Pernegg was Austria’s most powerful run-ofriver plant when the original turbines were first installed. Built
by Voith in Saint Pölten, it has supplied over 600,000 hours of
reliable, successful service.
From 2010 to 2013, the facility underwent a thoroughmodernization, with Voith delivering three new generators,
Kaplan turbines and all associated control systems. Today,
after Voith has concluded the extensive refurbishment on theplant, it is one of the most productive power plants on the
Mur River in Styria and will supply electricity to 35,000 households in the region.
Rupert Emsenhuber, Project Manager at Voith St. Pölten,
has vast experience in hydropower turbine rehabilitation andmodernization projects. He said that the company decided toreplace the old Francis semi-spirals with new Kaplan turbinesrather than installing new Francis turbines or building a
new power plant. “We faced several daunting challenges, notleast because the building housing the plant is a protected
historical structure. Therefore, only minor structural changes
in the area where the machines were to be installed could
be undertaken.”
Cavitation safety was another key issue, as the hydraulicdevelopment of the project had to account for limited space
to install new suction pipes as well as the Kaplan turbines.
Eventually, all three suction pipes were changed simultaneously and a subaqueous dam was made. A four-month standstill at the power plant gave the client time to refurbish theupper channel, renew the inlet rake, the rack-cleaning systemand high stop-logs, and install suction pipe locks in addition
to doing other hydraulic works. But in terms of logistics, justentering the power plant was the first proverbial bridge tocross, as the gate could not be altered, either. Another formi40 | HyPower 2014

dable hurdle was the unusual, vertically positioned engine
room gate. This made delivery of large parts difficult. Delicate
operations ensued and cranes were needed outside the power plant to uncoil heavy components such as the stator, therotor arm of the generator and the support blade ring. All thishuge machinery had to be reloaded onto special vehicles to
get it into the engine room.
Despite the restrictions and the pressure of keeping power outages to a minimum, the entire project went exceedingly
well. Its success is due in no small part to the cooperation
among all those involved, and the project team’s zest to reach
their target. “All contractual values and also short time milestones were reached and even surpassed. It was a brilliant
experience for the whole team working on this project,” says
Emsenhuber. In May 2013, the client took over commercial
operations, with a grand opening held in September.
Thanks to the upgrade, output per unit has risen fromsix MW to 8.1 MW at a net head speed of 16.5 meters, a flowof 53 meters and a runner diameter of 3 meters. The efficiency of both turbines and generators has increased, reducing
maintenance costs and making the entire plant more reliablein the process.
And the proud old ladies have not been banished: visitors
can view one of the three original hydroelectric generatingsets in a newly built, light-flooded museum located opposite
the power plant. The set consists of a Francis turbine provided by Eva, Margot’s generator and turbine control unit, andsmall parts from Irmgard. A permanent exhibition tells thestory of Pernegg and explains how electricity is generatedusing hydropower. //1 	On site is a stunning glasswalled museum housingparts of the historic old
Francis turbines.
2 	The exterior of the historicallysignificant Pernegg plant.
3 	The new, modern machinery –completely upgraded by Voith.

123Section
SUCCESSFULPARTNERSHIPSThe Talleres de Tolosa SA plant, now Voith Tolosa SA, in the 1960s (left). Long-term satisfied Voith customer Julian Romeral pictured with his
grandson as well as Carlos Aguerre and family after visiting Vadocondes hydropower plant (right).

Partners in small hydroCelebrating a productive partnership anda milestone anniversary for Voith in Spain.

Eighty-year-old Julian Romeral has
small hydropower in his blood. Fromthe 1930s, his family ran flour mills
powered by Francis turbines alongside
the Duero and Arandilla Rivers in Spain.
Romeral studied engineering, but
went into business. Spain’s Energy
Conservation Law of 1980, incentivizinghydropower production, moved him tobuy the old hydropower plant Vadocondes on the Duero River in 1982.
But Vadocondes needed new turbines. Romeral contacted small hydrosuppliers with installations in Spain, andfinally, a visit with Hermann Fierenz atVoith in Heidenheim and observing
Voith small hydropower plants helped
him to decide on Voith.
“At Voith, I observed meticulousness in every process, and quality control. These factors led me to chooseturbines that were more expensive: but
Voith offered the best price-quality ratio, and the most trusting relationship I
had found,” explains Romeral. And sobegan work on Vadocondes – and a
42 | HyPower 2014

partnership spanning 30 years. “Duringsite installation, I met a person who cemented my trust in Voith: Manfred Merz,
the ‘square head’ (a Spanish expression meaning a rigid, mathematical,
logical thinker),” says Romeral. “He wasa perfectionist, very focused on details– on microns. This was something I was
not – I just wanted to see the works
done as soon as possible.”
Vadocondes went into operation in
1984, with an output of 1,080 kW.
Since then, Romeral has contracted
Voith to carry out a further four smallhydropower projects.
Voith in Tolosa was established in
1963, and in hydropower first specialized in turbine refurbishment. They expanded during the 1980s following thepromotion of small hydropower by the
Spanish government – at the same time
Romeral engaged in the industry. “Customer relationships are the basis of ourbusiness, and one of the fundamentals
in Voith. Our relationship with Mr.
Romeral was important for us in thedevelopment of our presence in themarket. He was one of the first investors to install a plant after small hydroinstallations were promoted,” says
Carlos Aguerre, General Manager ofVoith Hydro in Tolosa.
Now, having reached the milestoneof 50 years in Spain, the Tolosa branch
is involved in several international projects, having supplied more than 200
small hydropower turbines to 22 countries. The branch is also engaged inmodernization of large hydropower
plants in Spain.
“We are actively working on supplying new units and the refurbishment ofexisting plants in Spain as well as insome Latin American countries, where
Spanish investors develop activities.
We have a long history and exciting future producing machines that produce
clean, renewable energy,” says Aguerre.
This success is grounded in greatcustomer relationships, as Romeral can
attest: “Every time I needed them, Voith
was there, for support of any kind.’’ //Hydropower in SPAIN
Installed capacity,incl. pumped storage:

20 GW

Potential not
yet installed:

4 GW

In Spain’s renewable energy landscape,hydropower is second only to wind.

World of voith

Dynamism and precision
Voith Turbo is leading the way in thefield of high-performance punching, nibbling and forming machines. The newly
launched HDE high-performance punchsystem offers convincing performancewith high-dynamic behavior and a precise
control mode, specifically tailored to thehigh-end segment.
Newly developed valves and intelligent hydraulic and electronic control circuits enable the high-dynamic behavior of
the HDE, which has a punch stroke of
4 mm and can achieve a cycle time ofaround 18 milliseconds – highly beneficial
for the machine operator.
The new DECV valves (Direct Electronic Copy Valve) deliver accurate control of the HDE. A fast and precise impulse response is achieved via direct
actuation by a servo motor. A repeatabilityof up to 0.01 mm permits high-precision
bending and forming processes. With its
rugged, compact valve, and flexibility of
application, integration into a machine orsystem is simple.
The HDE’s load-controlled “two-pressure system,” featuring supply circuits for
low pressure and high pressure, assures
optimal power balance: using the HDE
will reduce energy consumption by up to

60%, compared with that of single-circuit
systems. Additional pressure sensors andintegrated process monitoring provides
improved diagnostics, and the softwaretool “PunchMaster” can retrieve diagnostic data from the HS4 punch controller via
Ethernet from anywhere in the world.
Maintenance needs can thus be detected
quickly, reducing machine downtime –hence costs for repairs and service calls
can be avoided. //Greener transport
Voith Industrial Services is assuming responsibility and contributing to environmen-

tally friendlier transportation with an e-mobility pilot project at their Schweinfurt,
Germany, location. Here, as one of the first steps of the initiative, three electric cars are
now in operation, serving transport needs such as delivery and service trips to customers. The Voith Schweinfurt branch offers technical services to industry in the region.
“Acting responsibly and in an innovative manner is a tradition in Bavaria,” said Klaus
Rehberger, deputy mayor of Schweinfurt, at theunveiling of the cars. This is also a standard
on which Voith bases its own performance. “Electric vehicles are ideal
here – they are sustainable,
future-oriented and economical,” says Schweinfurt branch manager
Helmut Walter. //From waste
back toresource
Thanksto

Voith

Paper,

treatment of paper mill wastewater is now more economical.
Voith’s anaerobic reactors effectively break down paper millwastewater, dissolving organic
contaminants into biogas. In amill producing 1,400 metrictons of paper daily, up to
780 m3 of methane can beproduced per hour. Paper producer Saica chose to include a
Voith R2S reactor in the wastewater treatment system of its
new mill. The system breaks
down up to 80% of the sludge,
producing up to 25,000 m3 ofmethane gas daily. The result?
Lower energy costs for paper
mills, easily adhered to legal
limit values for wastewater,and dramatically reduced
sludge – leading to lower
sludge disposal costs. In somecases, the treated wastewater
can be reused instead of fresh
water: all in all, an economicaland environmentally friendly
solution. //HyPower 2014 | 43

guest perspective

Out of thin air

3

A practical and low-cost
technology is providing water
to those who need it most.

1	Finding an optimal location is crucial for a successful fog collection system.
2	Fog collection technology is simple – but highly
effective.
3	Locals learn to help maintain the installations.

Water is everywhere around us on earth. In developed
nations, we are fortunate enough to have it on tap.
But in many other regions of the world, water can’t
always be accessed via conventional collection means. Water
supply and collection may be difficult, hazardous, or unpredictable due to geographical and meteorological factors.
Fog collection, the practice of harnessing water directlyfrom the air, is helping communities with little to no access towater gain access to hundreds – even thousands – of liters perday. It’s a simple concept, but one that is making an enormous
impact, thanks to Canadian charity FogQuest: Sustainable
Water Solutions, which set up fog collection installations (suchas those pictured at right) around the world.
FogQuest is the creation of the charity’s executive director
Dr. Robert S. Schemenauer, a cloud physicist and atmosphericscientist. Schemenauer spent 15 years developing fog collection technology, and organized the First International Conference on Fog and Fog Collection in Vancouver in 1998. But hehad even greater plans for fog collection. “I decided that in order for the technology to benefit more people, a formal organization with more resources was required,” says Schemenauer.
Subsequently, FogQuest was founded in 2000.
So, how does fog collection work? Systems of wide, finemesh nets strung up between posts (imagine a volleyball net),are set up in fog-rich spots: generally on slopes or summits,facing prevailing winds. Water drops carried on the breeze arecaught in the nets. Droplets combine on the mesh surface andtrickle down into a trough. From here, a hose drains the water
to a collection tank. As Melissa Rosato, associate executive
director of FogQuest, explains, “It is a passive technology inthat no energy is required, and there are no moving parts.”
These factors make fog collection an ideal system for remotelocations in the developing world, she says.
It’s in these locations where this volunteer-run charity ismaking a major difference. Since 2000, dedicated teams of
FogQuest volunteers have initiated and developed fog collection systems in places as diverse as Nepal and Guatemala –where the charity has its longest-standing initiatives. “Fifty44 | HyPower 2014

1
2

nine individuals from seven countries have visited the Tojquia
project in Guatemala,” Rosato says, noting that this is the largest fog-collection project in the world. The charity is also working on projects in Chile, India, Morocco, Peru and Tanzania.
Local people must become the agents for sustainable fogcollection technology, insists Rosato. Locals are involved atevery step: from first accessing the terrain, through to building
the collectors and planning ongoing maintenance. “This process sets in place the knowledge and confidence needed by theusers to ensure there is a sustainable source of fresh water overthe long term,” says Rosato. “Sustainable technology needs toemphasize local capacity, knowledge, training and access toresources,” she says. “Education and participation need to be
central to a project.”
So, could fog collection perhaps work in our own cities
and backyards? “Fog collection works best when there is fog,
light wind and ample areas that are relatively free of obstructions that would interrupt the wind carrying the water droplets,” says Rosato. In a densely built environment this might be“Sustainable technology needs
to emphasize local capacity,
knowledge, training and accessto resources.”
Melissa Rosato, associate executive director of FogQuest

difficult to find, she acknowledges – not to mention that thedemand that a larger population would place on a fog collection system would be too great.
However, Rosato notes that there are interesting applications for fog collection in developed countries where the primary purpose might not be daily human consumption. “Insome regions, fog collection is currently being used to provide
a water source for fighting forest fires. For educational or ecotourism type of activities, fog collection can be used in parks as
a supplementary source of water for hikers or fauna.” //HyPower 2014 | 45

Is small hydro currently benefitingfrom the experience and expertisethat Voith Hydro has in large-scalehydropower stations?
Yes, quite clearly. As one of the world’s
leading providers in hydropower technology, we have comprehensive expertise in this field. Our small hydro portfolio benefits from the engineering
excellence of the global Voith Hydro
network. We offer outstanding technology, ranging from engineering, throughto the products themselves. That includes 3-D model drawings, complex
flow calculations, high-tech equipment
featuring five-axis milling machines, andour plants, known for their high operational reliability.

Coffee BreakVoith Hydro CEO Dr. Roland Münch on the significant
strength Voith displays in the area of small hydropower.
Dr. Münch, how would you describe“small hydro” in a very simple andvisual manner?
Small hydro plants are small but sophisticated. They are small machineswith a large output. Just imagine: asingle 25 MW turbine can safely andreliably supply a small to mediumsized town with electricity. Just because they’re small in size doesn’tmean they’re small in performance.
Voith Hydro is positioning itself as acomplete provider in the hydropower
46 | HyPower 2014industry. Does that also apply to thesmall hydro segment?
The history of hydropower began withsmall plants that grew to become bigger and bigger over the course of time.
We have been actively involved in shaping this history for more than 140 years.
Today at Voith, we are developing andable to offer complete systems for small
and large-scale hydroelectric power
stations. We have specifically developed and optimized our solutions in thesmall hydropower segment for this areaof application.

How do small hydro products differ
from those created for the largehydro segment?
Besides the size of the plants, smallhydro plants have a higher degree ofstandardization. The focus here is on
mature, highly reliable technology andquality products available at optimized
costs. With our modular packages in
the area of small hydro, we offer a wide
range of options and custom-tailor
them to the needs of our customers.
Is small hydro also an innovation
driver at Voith Hydro?
Yes. For example, with the StreamDiver,
we brought a newly developed, innovative product to market, to generate
electricity from hydropower in locations
where this was previously not possible– perhaps due to environmental reasons, or insufficient heads. The StreamDiver scores points thanks to its compact design, water-lubricated bearings,
and minimal maintenance and operating costs. It’s just one example of how
Voith continues to make advances insmall- and large-scale hydropower. //2All plants mentioned inthis issue and Voith’sscope of supply

Project
Directory

1

1 Waneta Expansion, Canada: ­Expansion project including two
167 MW Francis turbines, generatorsand complete electromechanicalbalance-of-plant equipment.
2 Baba, Ecuador: Two Kaplan­turbines and generators with a total
output of 42 MW including balanceof-plant and automation systems.
3 Salto Santiago, Brazil: Four
360 MW vertical Francis turbines,­generators, automation systems

34and electromechanical equipment.
4 Água Vermelha, Brazil: Six
generators, vertical Francis turbineswith a total output of 1,396 MW,
automation systems and electromechanical b­ alance-of-plant equipment.
5 Arjeplog, Sweden: Expansion of acommunity small hydro project, with a
Kaplan bulb t­ urbine and synchronous
generator with 0.6 MW output.
6 Erzhausen, Germany: Revision ofa horizontal pump unit with turbine,

6–10

5

12–13

pump and corresponding sphericalvalves.
7 Blaichach, Germany: Threevertical Francis turbines with a
total output of 5 MW.
8 Rénovièze, Switzerland: 14 MW
Pelton turbine, synchronous ­generator
and complete automation system.
9 Brunnenfeld, Austria: Kaplan S
turbine, synchronous generator andautomation system with 321 kW output.
10 Pernegg, Austria: Three11­ enerators, 8.1 MW Kaplan turbinesgand control systems.
11 Xiluodu, China: Three 784 MWFrancis turbines and three 855.6 MVA
air-cooled synchronous generators.
12 Umamichi, Japan: Modernization
project including replacement of avertical Francis turbine, generator andcontrol system for the 5,430 kW plant.
13 Chugu, Japan: Modernization
involving three-nozzle h­ orizontal
turbine with an output of 3,100 kW.

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Tel: +49 7321 37 0
Fax: +49 7321 37-7828
www.voith.com

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