HyPower
Customers magazine for Voith Siemens Hydro

July 2004

Summary

03

Editorial
Changing the business andchanging with the business04

Hydro Advocacy
What is hydro’s future?

06

Making sure that hydro power has a voice

07

Brazil: Hydro will keep its share

08

Water is the issue!

Editorial

20

Market splinters
Improving hydro’s share:
India’s 50,000 MW initiative

22

News from the Far East
Motor-generators for 1,000 MW pumped
storage project in China

23

24
10

12
13

Hydro power in the U.S.,
a resource with tremendous potential
Focus on North America
Voith Siemens Hydro in North America
Voith Siemens York helps US Army
Corps of Engineers celebrate 50 th
anniversary of J. Strom Thurmond

14

First outage completed at Bath County

15

Duke Power to uprate the Jocassee
pumped storage project16

Lower Colorado River Authority
partnership extension

17

Canadian Hydro completes Pingston
Expansion Hydro Plant

18

Hydro Québec awards Mercier

19

Contract for La Tuque

24

25

26

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia:
Contract for modernization
News from Africa
Gilgel Gibe:
Opening ceremony for largest Ethiopianhydropower station
Tanzania:
Replacement runners for Kidatu
hydropower station
News from Europe
Successful model test for Austria’s Braz
stationEssay
A lot of waterVoith Siemens Hydro Power Generation
Changing the business and changing with the business

There was quite a flurry of information disseminated during theDr. Hubert Lienhard
Renewables Conference in Bonn,Chairman of the Board
Germany beginning of June. The
of Voith Siemens Hydro
outcome of the conference yielded
Power Generation
the fact that hydro power is renewable and sustainable. Large hydro is not excluded; allhydro power is considered renewable.
Reflecting on these results, much credit needs to be given
to all of those who participated in this debate. An unprecedented effort of combined forces got the job done. My
special thanks go to the International Hydro Association(IHA). Through their efforts, hydro is now included inseveral action plans and declarations. In addition to thismost recent achievement, hydro was included as a renewable energy source at the 3rd World Water Forum in Kyoto
and the World Summit on Sustainable Development in
Johannesburg, again due to the work of the IHA.
Therefore, our focus in this issue is to showcase some of
the many activities and organizations who work to
improve the public image and awareness of hydro powerin both developing and industrialized countries of theworld. Therefore, we are pleased to welcome Linda Church
Ciocci’s comments from the National Hydropower Association of the United States, Richard Taylor’s for IHA,
Alessandro Palmieri’s for the World Bank and Cassio
B. Viotti’s for ICOLD.

As we prepare for HydroVision 2004, we reflect on a market that has experienced a decrease of new hydro development. Taking up the challenge and focused on modernization, rehab and upgrade expertise in North America,
our York, PA operating unit has succeeded in this changing market, by developing new technology and partnering
concepts for our customers.
The time for the industry to gather and focus theirresources in terms of company and public politics is long
overdue.
I am convinced that after years of an uncertain future, weare back on more positive ground, with respect to public
and political acceptance. We want to continue to be apartner in the dialogue: changing the business and changing with the business.
We are interested in your opinions and comments, pleasefeel free to direct them to me personally.

Yours sincerely

Dr. Hubert Lienhard

My e-mail address is Hubert.Lienhard@vs-hydro.com

hypower 8/2004

Dear Readers,

0203

Hydro Advocacy

What is hydro’s future?
After the first International Conference on Renewable
Energies 2004, June 1-4, in Bonn, Germany, theperspectives for hydro in all sizes is back to where theindustry has long thought it should be.

In its concluding Political Declaration,
one of three documents that will form
the basis for future international
policy, and signed by all 154 participating countries, hydro power was
identified as one of the renewable
technologies “to be substantially
increased with a sense of urgency”.
This confirms our long-held view that
this “fuel” has the capacity to contribute essentially in the world energy
mix, and it will take its share as thelargest of all renewables, exceeding
90% and around 20% of the worldwide generation mix in all fuels.
The declaration explicitly recognizes
that hydro power, together with solar,
wind, biomass/fuel and geothermalenergy “can significantly contribute tosustainable development, to providing
access to energy, especially to thepoor, to mitigating greenhouse gas
emissions, reducing harmful air pollu-

tants, thereby creating new economic
opportunities, and enhancing energy
security through cooperation andcollaboration.”

Years of loud NGO protests versus
almost mute industry statements
seem to be overcome in the meantime.

Zealand). According to observers,
hydro power also owes a great deal tothe determiniation of two courageous
energy Ministers from Uganda andBrazil. These two women obviously
made strong interventions in favor oflarge hydro during the plenary sessions in the conference that made aturn-around in the general attitude
among delegations from 154 countries. Being a Germany-based international company we had wished formore enthusiasm for hydro during
the conference from our own national
administrational functionaries andrepresentatives.

Who gets the credit?
Undoubtedly the positive outcomeof the Bonn conference was achieved
through the work of IHA and thenational hydropower associations(especially CHA, NHA-USA, NHANepal, NHA-India and IHA-New

The good in the bad – where it all
started: The World Commission on
Dams’ (WCD) report
This report, worked out over two
years with financing from the WorldBank and other institutions, but also
the industry itself, did not make theHydro’s advantages over other fuels
need not be listed endlessly andrepeatedly, at least that is what we
had thought over the years. A big
mistake, from which we have started
to learn relatively late.

The WCD and DDP processes –our opinion
We do not state that the WCD report
is wrong: it is the result of a two year
process among diverse stakeholders
who had never come together before.
It pointed out negative effects ofhydro power that are not debatable,
including the influence on existing
ecosystems and high social costs
through resettlement. On the other
hand, WCD also sited positive contributions of dams for electricity andwater supply. It is of importance toemphasize that the 26 guidelines for
implementation are currently underdiscussion with regard to their practicability.

Governance and financing
Before we recommend guidelines toothers, we have to respect the national policy of governments for theircountries. Project identification, siting, and development, is usually intheir control, rather than in those ofprivate investors. Their rules forstakeholder participation are of paramount importance. What we should
do is offer support to them within theframework developed by IEA, IHA andothers to help develop the projects inthe best possible way.
Secondly, banks and institutions that
finance the projects, also influence
decision-making policy for projects.
Often, standard policies are amended
to fit projects in this sector.
Of late, one astounding example withregard to practial approaches, comesfrom the Asian Development Bank
(ADB) that has just invited comments
on a proposed change in its water
policy that might make it easier todevelop large water resources projects. Not with the goal to exclude
stakeholders, but “while ADB should
continue to pursue its cautious
approach to projects involving dams,
it is impractical to expect all stake-holders to agree on the justification
for such projects”. ADB said, “thecurrent requirement is impracticalbecause it requires unanimous agreement of stakeholders”.
(Source: Hydroworld Alert,
7 th of June, 2004).
The common future for hydroIt will be of utmost importance tocontinue the dialogue among all andto build upon common ground, rather
than trying to resolve dissenting
views with an all-inclusive process.
A very good example for progress on
this is that the World Bank is currently working on the sustainable performance of existing hydro assets:
the high potential of modernization
opportunities in existing facilities
creates an efficiency jump that makes
new, long drawn out project development often obsolete!
This goal is promoted as a strategic
priority by the WCD, and – without
doubt – shared by utility owners andindustrial companies. Approaches likethis clearly show the way forward.
For more information:
Barbara.Fischer-Aupperle@vs-hydro.
com

hypower 8/2004

same industry very happy. However,
it finally forced industry’s public
relations resources to act. Finding themoral basis of the 2000 report waseasy for all of us in a world withdramatically increasing needs for
power and water. However, to declare
the resulting 26 guidelines as theultimate process manual for everybody could not be a shared vision
between NGOs and industry.

04
05

Hydro Advocacy

Making sure that hydro power
has a voice
Through its members in 82 countries, IHA seeks to promote hydro’s present
and future contribution through better networking, evaluation of good practice, and representation in decision-making arenas.

Hydro’s future will be influenced by
the performance of existing schemes,
including those under development,
and the willingness to share experience. Barriers for hydro powerinclude:International Hydropower
Association (IHA) –Executive Director,
Richard Taylor
rmt@hydropower.org

 disconnects within the sector
 lack of capacity to deliver the
positive case for hydro hydro’s image (academia, government, civil society) market-driven policy
 geopolitics
 lastly, hydro might be a victim of
its own success
The current world market shares forhydro are 19% for electricity and 91%
for generation by renewables. By
displacing 4.4 million barrels of oilequivalent each day, hydro takes fromsome of the world’s most powerfulactors. Also, because of its intrinsic
advantages, hydro is likely to play amajor role in renewables initiatives.
This complicates governmental strategies to re-direct funds previously

intended for research and development of new energy industries.
IHA has been building its capacity toalign hydro’s benefits with the goalsof decision makers. It has worked tounderstand the thinking in political,
financial and advocacy arenas. Positive outcomes have been achieved(Johannesburg’s World Summit of
Sustainable Development, Kyoto’s
World Water Forum, Bonn’s Renewables 2004).
It is now time for the sector tostrengthen its resolve to optimize its
communications and representation.
In particular, it must continue to package hydro in the sustainability box.
For more information:www.hydropower.org

Brazil:Hydro will keep its share
We at ICOLD regard dams as an effective development tool, and as a consequence we are fostering the participation of the developing countries asmuch as possible in our activities. In this manner we think that the experience gained by the countries that already developed their hydro resources
could benefit those countries that need it most.
Currently, Brazil is in the process ofchanging its regulations, with asignificant influence in slowing thepace of new power plant development. Nevertheless, I believe thathydro will keep its large share of new
installations, because it is cost effective, the technology and equipment
providers are available locally andthere is no need to import fuel as inother alternatives.
For more information:www.cbdb.org.br
www.icold-cigb.org

hypower 8/2004

Cássio Baumgratz Viotti
President,International Commission
on Large Dams – ICOLD
Past Chairman,
Brazilian Committee
on Dams – CBDBIn the case of Brazil, there has been amarked development of the installedhydro power capacity, since the firstlarge dams for that purpose, TrêsMarias and Furnas, were started in
the late 1950’s. Since then, theinstalled capacity of the country has
grown 17 fold, while the population
has grown 2,5 times. Of the installedcapacity more than 80% comes fromhydro power and based on Brazilian
constraints, only hydro could makethat achievement possible.

06
07

Hydro Advocacy

Water is the issue!
Developing countries invest about $ 75 billion annually in water-related
investments. About 90 percent of investments come from domestic sources.
The World Bank Group has historically invested about $ 3 billion a year inwater-related sectors, accounting for about 5 percent of investment indeveloping countries. Lending for water accounted for about 16 percent ofWorld Bank lending over the past decade, including irrigation, hydropower,
water supply and sanitation, and water resources management (environment, watershed management, etc.)

Alessandro Palmieri
Lead Dams Specialist –World Bank

The challenges to improve technical,
financial, social, and environmental
performance of water management
remain formidable worldwide. The
World Bank Group is committed tousing its knowledge, convening
power, ability to link water issues toother sectors through economy-wide
engagement, a multi-disciplinary
perspective, relations with almost all
riparian countries, a combination ofknowledge and financial resources,and engagement at all scales (local,
watershed, city, irrigation district,river basin and aquifer, country,
regional) and ability to integrate
across these.
Investments for growth
In many countries, investments inwater resources infrastructure havehigh direct and indirect economic
growth and development payoffs andcan be part of an effective strategy forpoverty reduction. Investments instorage dams, hydro power, and otherhydraulic infrastructure should be
carefully evaluated from an economic,
environmental, and social perspective
as part of the planning and decisionmaking process.
Involve stakeholders
There is also a special responsibility
to include stakeholders in decision
making about water and energy, andto ensure that their needs, especiallythose of the poor, are fully represented.
Decision-making on water infrastructure should be part of a much larger
policy framework. Much controversy
about dams could be turned into
constructive dialogue if the discussion over alternatives is moved
upstream in the planning cycle, into
policy and strategic planning. This
upstream assessment of options
should be undertaken with involvement of concerned stakeholders andwith due consideration of alternative
development plans. When weighing
the choice against other options forthe development of a sector or river
basin, some questions are worth
considering: “Would the country
pursue expanded electricity or foodproduction? Would it consider invest-

Needs of countries
The solutions need to be customized
to the needs of the country and need
to be country-owned. Water infrastructure does not necessarily mean
construction of large dams orhydropower plants. Developing countries need to make large investments
in infrastructure of all scales, ranging
from local rainwater harvesting structures, to major infrastructures suchas dikes, canals, dams, and inter basintransfers. Other countries may needpumping storage systems, tunnels,
water transport schemes, undergroundwater storage, etc. Water infrastruc-ture is just a tool, and the benefits of
it should be aligned with the needs ofthe people and equitably distributed
among stakeholders. The potential forincreasing the performance of existing dams and hydro plants is too
often underestimated. Such potential
exists in most cases for infrastructures that were designed 30 years ago
or more. The resulting direct benefits
can include environment, additional
storage, peaking capacity, enhanced
ancillary services, improvement of
reliability, reduced O&M costs, etc.
Commitment for Hydro
The World Bank Group will continue
to be a partner in bringing about bothinvestment and reform in a sequenced
and prioritized manner aimed atachieving sustainable integrated water

Hydro’s future will not appear too
bright until the environment-sensible
community realizes that serious
development of renewable forms ofenergy cannot take place without
further tapping the water cycle, atleast for the foreseeable future, especially in the developing countries. The
future of renewables is in a synergy
between hydro and other forms ofrenewable energy sources, especiallythe intermittent ones (wind and solar).
Progressive energy utilities are
already exploiting this promisingavenue. It is hoped that others will
follow.
For more information:www.worldbank.org

hypower 8/2004

ments in new assets, or would it prioritize rehabilitation of existing infrastructure, or better management ofpresent demands?”

resources management and water
services and therewith responsible
growth and poverty reduction. The
institution will continue to supporthydro power at a range of scales –large, medium, small, and micro –depending on national and local
needs and opportunities. The gloomy
subject of climate change, the keyrole of storage in mitigating climatechange effects, and the huge energy
needs of the planet demand serious
responses, based on science, not on
ideology or advocacy.

08
09

Hydro Advocacy

Hydro power in the U.S.,
a resource with
Hydro power accounts for approximately 8 percent of the United States’
electricity generation and approximately 75 percent of its renewable energy.
Over the last decade, however, growth in the U.S. hydropower industry has
been rather stagnant. Few, if any, new projects have been built and upgradesat existing hydro facilities or development at non-hydro dams have been
scant. While hydro plays an important role in our energy mix, it could playa much stronger role. The potential for growth is far greater than many
perceive – and that’s a problem.
Because policymakers and many within
the electric industry believe that mostof hydro power’s potential has alreadybeen developed in the United States,hydro power has largely been left outof programs that could spur new
growth.

Linda Church Ciocci,
Executive Director,
National Hydropower
Association (NHA)

Potential for growth
Hydro power has tremendous growth
opportunities. According to the U.S.
Department of Energy, approximately
21,000 megawatts of unused hydropower potential sit at existing dams in
the U.S. If developed, this potential
could meet the yearly energy needs
for more than 6.9 million homes andresult in 42 million metric tons of
avoided carbon emissions. This is atremendous resource that could add
significantly to our energy mix andcontribute to national efforts to reducecarbon emissions – and we could dothis without building a single newdam.

What’s more, the growth potential issignificantly larger than originally
thought. With new hydropower technology – environmentally improved
turbines and newly developed low
head/low power, free-flow and microtechnologies – it appears that hydropower could double its current contribution to our nation’s energy mix –going from 255,586,000,000 KwH ayear to 500,000,000,000 KwH a year.
That’s a lot of energy! But to accomplish that goal, we will need to lookbeyond “traditional” hydro, and so
will our policymakers.

Challenges to growth basicallyboil down to two problems:
Economics and policy.
With regard to economics, bringing
new generation on-line is capital intensive. In addition, there is a regulatory
process that accompanies new development – a regulatory process thatcan be rather expensive and time
consuming on its own. Until recently,
the low price of competing energy
sources, particularly natural gas, andthe rising regulatory costs of hydro,
have kept new hydro development
plans on the drawing board. It has
been cheaper and easier to build agas-fired plant than develop or upgradea hydropower project. A large gasfired plant can be permitted and built
in 18 months, whereas an existinghydro plant could take as long as
10 years to relicense. Adding capacity
or making efficiency improvements to
a project can take quite some time
under certain scenarios. Uncertainty
is a killer in the energy business.
While existing hydro power is a very
affordable energy source, new hydrois expensive to build. It, like wind andsolar, needs tax incentives to overcome its initial market hurdles.

NHA is working to overcome thesechallenges
The National Hydropower Association
NHA, based in Washington. D.C. isthe only national trade association
exclusively representing the U.S.
hydropower industry. The Association’s diverse program areas range
from policy, advocacy, public relations, legal and marketing to researchand development, compliance, damsafety and operations and maintenance.

Hydro’s future is bright
Despite the failure to secure a PTC forhydro power to date, I am optimistic
about hydro’s future. Hydro power
offers too many important attributes
that are essential for our future energy
and environmental needs. It is clean,reliable, domestic and has tremendous
growth potential. Policymakers simply
can’t afford to ignore these facts –and they won’t, it just may take some
additional time for them to “see thelight”.

Over the last decade, NHA has focused
its efforts on improving the regulatoryenvironment in which U.S. hydropower operates. We have successfully
secured new rules that govern hydrolicensing by working to create newhydro licensing processes – thealternative licensing process and theintegrated licensing process. We havemade significant progress. NHA
continues to push for hydro’s inclusion in federal incentive programs. But
it is anyone’s guess at this point if
Congress can enact a comprehensive,or even piecemeal, energy policy
during this election year. What’s more,
it will be a huge uphill battle to gethydro power included in a production
tax credit (PTC). But NHA continues
to fight on Capitol Hill.

For more information:www.hydro.org

hypower 8/2004

tremendous potential

1011Focus on North America

Voith Siemens Hydro
in North America
The insatiable demand for energy in North America, already greater thananywhere else in the world, continues to grow at a steady pace.
Hydro owners in the United States
focus on increasing energy production by upgrading the thousands ofhydroelectric plants that were built
from the early 1900s through the mid
1980s, while Canadian hydro owners
continue to construct new hydrofacilities and modernize existing ones.
With a specialized business strategy
known as “Integrated Services”,
Voith Siemens Hydro has positioned
itself to help customers evaluate,
optimize and implement hydro modernization as well as new hydroconstruction with the focus on value
added solutions that provide thelowest total ownership cost.
Examples of this include innovative“fish-friendly” Kaplan and “aerating”
Francis runner designs developed,
installed and tested to reduce evenmore the environmental impact ofhydro.

The North American operations
consist of: Headquarters, engineering forturbine, automation and balance ofplants, turbine model testing,manufacturing, project management
and field operations – York, Pennsylvania, USA
 Generator engineering and manufacturing – Mississauga, Ontario,
Canada Québec project management andadministration – Montréal, Québec,Canada Weld Mart – Chattanooga,
Tennessee, USA.
Voith Siemens Hydro’s Montréal officehas established to a more centrally
located, downtown location. Locatedwithin walking distance from ourmain clients and major engineering
consultants, Voith Siemens Hydro is
now better positioned to service theneeds of our Canadian customers. In
addition to business development
activities in Québec, the Montréal
office has been expanded to provide
local project managemement andproject administration support.

Montréal

Mississauga
Chattanooga

York

Headed by Sylvain Bouchard, theteam which includes Serge Berube
and Gilles Latremouille, brings over
50 years of project experience in theelectric energy sector. The team iscurrently managing the Mercier and
La Tuque contracts recently awarded
to Voith Siemens Hydro by Hydro
Québec.
For more information:
Stanley.Kocon@vs-hydro.com
Sylvain.Bouchard@vs-hydro.com

Voith Siemens York helps
US Army Corps of Engineers celebrate
50 th anniversary of J. Strom Thurmond
On April 14 th, members of the York project team attended the 50th anniversary celebration of the J. Strom Thurmond powerplant. Attending the ceremony for York were E. Mark Garner (President), Frank Daley (Vice Presidentof Project Management), Greg Snyder (Project Manager), Jim Bartkowiak(Project Engineer), and Yash Amin (Project Administrator). Marshall Hall,
Voith Siemens York’s Site Project Manager, and his team represented Yorkat the powerhouse tours conducted as part of this commemoration.
Aerating Francis runnerE. Mark Garner’s comments centeredon acknowledging the effective partnership which has been built between
USACE, Voith Siemens York, andE. Mark Garner andColonel Roger Gerberother stakeholders on this project.
Celebrating the award given jointly to
USACE and Voith Siemens York for
aerating runners installed at thisjobsite, we look to the future of the
project and our relationship.
In addition, E. Mark Garner presented
a plaque to Colonel Roger Gerber,
District Commander, congratulating

the USACE on 50 years of outstanding
stewardship to the region served bythis project.
The J. Strom Thurmond powerhouse
is located on the Savannah River inSouth Carolina, and houses sevenhydro units installed back in 1953.
Rehabilitation work continues withcompletion scheduled for 2006. The
installation of the first aerated runnerhas significantly increased oxygen
levels and has already exceeded
expectations.
This summer, Colonel Gerber took
on an assignment in Iraq. We want towish Colonel Gerber well, and to
welcome the new Commander of theDistrict.
For more information:
Mark.Garner@vs-hydro.com

hypower 8/2004

E. Mark Garner was invited to address
the attendees along with other dignitaries representing the federal, stateand local government, and the Thurmond family.

12
13

Focus on North America

First outage
completed at Bath County
Voith Siemens Hydro York has completed overhauling the first of six
generating units at the Bath County pumped storage station in Virginia,
USA. The first outage started in 2003 and was completed with the unit
returning to service on schedule in 2004. When fully upgraded, the new unit
capacity of 414 MW will result in a plant capacity increase of 8%. The rehabilitation project began in 2003 and will continue for the next six years,
with one generating unit to be completed per year.

New runner during transportation to site

Voith Siemens Hydro supplied andinstalled new components for thepump-turbine and new windings forthe motor-generator. Also, during theoverhaul of each unit, many of theexisting components were rehabilitated in the Voith Siemens Hydro York
manufacturing facility. In addition to
the installation of the new pumpturbine and motor-generator equipment, Dominion Allegheny Energy has
installed new unit controls and excitation systems. During the overhaul,
five over-weight and over-sized shipments were made to and from theVoith Siemens Hydro factory.

New runner during unit assembly

For more information:
Robert.Steele@vs-hydro.com

Duke Power to uprate the Jocassee
pumped storage project
Voith Siemens Hydro was recently awarded a contract for the uprate of
two large pump-turbines as part of a long-term Integrated Services AllianceAgreement with Duke Power and Devine Tarbell & Associates, Inc. (DTA).
The new runners will be the largest ever shipped in one piece from the Voith
Siemens Hydro, York, PA factory, with a diameter of nearly 7.5 m and aweight in excess of 130 tons. Although the original runners were suppliedby Voith Siemens York/Allis-Chalmers in two pieces over 30 years ago, an
extensive evaluation and risk assessment performed by the team resulted in
the single piece supply decision.
The new Jocassee runner

By working together from the initialstages of the project, Duke Power,
DTA and Voith Siemens Hydro havebeen able to extract the maximum
benefits from the project while minimizing risk through model testing andopen dialogue through the entire
process. The work will be performed
with a two unit outage with the units
expected to be returned to service inMay, 2007.
For more information:
Gregory.Snyder@vs-hydro.com

hypower 8/2004

Original two piece runnerin the Voith Siemens York/
Allis-Chalmers shop

The model test was actually conducteda few years ago to establish critical
performance results needed to develop
a sound business case for the uprate
and the new runners will provide very
competitively priced, high-value
peaking capacity to Duke Power.

14
15

Focus on North America

Lower Colorado River Authority
partnership extension

Wirtz Dam, Texas

Uprated runner for Starcke

Voith Siemens Hydro in York, PA has recently finalized and signed with theLower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) of Texas a new Alliance Agreement
extending the long-term relationship.

Mr. Kyle Jensen, LCRA’s Manager forRiver Operations, offered his perspective on this milestone – “In October,
the LCRA Board approved the extension of the partnership agreement.
The agreement was extended becauseof the effective and mutually beneficial
relationship we have enjoyed with
Voith Siemens Hydro in the past.
We look forward to continuing thisrelationship in the future.” LCRA andVoith Siemens Hydro are making plansto celebrate this long-term relationship during the 2005 Water Powerconference which is being held in
LCRA’s corporate home of Austin TX.

This new agreement updates the
Master Services Agreement (MSA)
which has since 1994 formed thebasis for the modernization partnership with LCRA.

The LCRA program represents one ofVoith Siemens Hydro’s longest-running partnerships, which will now
focus on the modernization of the
Starcke plant.

Starcke inside view

For more information:
Gregory.Snyder@vs-hydro.com

Canadian Hydro completes
Pingston Expansion Hydro Plant
On April 26, 2004 the 15 MW Pingston Expansion Hydroelectric Plant began
generating electricity and was fully commissioned by April 29, 2004. This
plant is an expansion of the 30 MW Pingston Hydroelectric Plant locatednear Revelstoke, B.C. that achieved commercial operation last spring.
The entire plant is 45 MW and is 50% owned and operated by CanadianHydro. The power and environmental attributes from this plant have beensold to BC Hydro for 20 years. The company’s total installed capacity is
now 111.4 MW.
Canadian Hydro is a developer, ownerand operator of low-impact renewable
power plants, which are all certified
under the EcoLogoM program.
Canadian Hydro Developers, Inc. ispassionate about meeting the goalsof investors and the needs of theenvironment.

As an industry leader, Canadian Hydro
is focused on building a sustainable
future for Canada and with over
14 years experience, Canadian Hydrois the working model for the unlimited
development potential of low-impact
renewable energy.
The project was handled by Voith
Siemens Hydro’s small hydro unit,
Voith ESAC Hydro, in France.
For further information,please contact:
Jean-Pierre.Fouilloux@vs-hydro.com

hypower 8/2004“We are extremely pleased with thecompletion of our first of four
2004/05 construction projects,” said
John Keating, Chief Executive Officer.
“This project was completed on-timeand under budget and will generatepredictable, long-term stable cash
flow.”

16
17

Focus on North America

Hydro Québec awards Mercier
Hydro Québec, one of the largest hydroelectric power producers in the world
with a generation portfolio exceeding 35,000 megawatts, has selected
Voith Siemens Energie Hydraulique, the Montréal office of North Americanbased entity of Voith Siemens Hydro, to supply the complete electromechanical equipment for Hydro Québec’s Centrale Mercier Hydroelectric
Station and Centrale La Tuque Modernization Projects in the province ofQuébec, Canada.

The contract for Mercier is to design,
supply, install, and commission fivecomplete new generating units, eachwith a capacity of 10 MW. Voith
Siemens Hydro Power Generation will
supply and install the complete electro-mechanical equipment package
consisting of Kaplan type turbines

Québec, Canada

and generators as well as governors,
excitation system and controls.
The installation and commissioning
is expected in the spring of 2006.
For more information:
Alan.Mead@vs-hydro.com

Contract for La TuqueThe contract awarded to Voith Siemens Hydro, York, for La Tuque includes
the design, supply, installation and commissioning of three complete newgenerating units, digital governors and other related components for its
existing station at La Tuque, in the Province of Québec, Canada.

The La Tuque powerstation contains
six generating units rated at 36 MW
each. Three units were previously
rehabilitated leaving units 2, 4 and 6
to be replaced with new 58 MW
machines in order to meet requirements for additional flow passage
through the station.
The turbines are significantly larger
than the existing units due to thelarge increase in flow and capacity.
The project involves the replacementof almost all of the existing generating equipment as well as modifications to the existing civil works.
For more information:
Alan.Mead@vs-hydro.com
hypower 8/2004

The work to supply the larger Francis
type turbines and the 65 MVA synchronous generators begins immediately, commencing with turbine model
testing to be conducted at Voith
Siemens Hydro in York, PA, USA. The
project is expected to be completed in
2009.

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Market splinters

Improving hydro’s share:
India’s 50,000 MW initiative
When India started generating electricity in 1897, the source of choice washydro power. With an estimated potential of 150,000 MW coming fromhydro, this choice came as no surprise. The country’s first hydro project,
Sidrapong near Darjeeling, was thus followed by numerous others.
At the time of the country’s independence, hydro accounted for around 37%of the total installed capacity and even rose to over 50% in 1963. Since
then, hydro’s share has declined steadily to the present share of only about
one fourth. Now, the Indian government is taking significant steps to boosthydro power capacities to the desired share of 40%.

Although India has one of the lowest
per capita energy consumption rates
in relation to comparable countries,
it suffers under a shortfall in energy
generation and in peaking power.
Furthermore, projections foresee adramatic increase in energy demand.
To address this problem, the Ministryof Power in India has launched an
ambitious program called “Power forAll”. Under this scheme, all villages inIndia are to be electrified by 2007 andall individual households by 2012.
Since the government clearly sees
the advantages of hydro electricity asa non-polluting and secure form ofenergy that, in contrast to thermal
generation, is virtually unsusceptible

to price fluctuations, it has given highpriority to the development of hydropower projects.
Pre-feasibility studies under way
for 162 projects
In order to convert this potential toinstalled capacity, a ranking study ofthe identified hydro potential wasundertaken assessing each project.
By 2002, almost 400 projects adding
up to a capacity of around 106,910 MW
were assessed and ranked under thisscheme.
The decision was made to generate atiered list of viable projects which
could be developed in a phasedmanner as a follow-up to the ranking

Omkareshwar – successful acceptance ofmodel test witnessed by NHPC
(from left to right: W. Kellner, J. Choudhary,J. Sehnbruch, S. Sharma, M. Maiwald,
H. Vergé, HW. Kellermann and Dr. S. Riedelbauch)study. In this way, a total of 162
projects with a combined capacity of alittle over 50,000 MW have begun
preparing pre-feasibility studies
which will be completed by September of this year. Consequently, anumber of projects will be identified
that could be developed during the
11 th and 12 th Five Year Plan (20072017) and beyond.
Voith Siemens Hydro committed tosupport hydro’s boost in India
Since October 2003, Voith Siemens
Hydro, in consortium with JaiprakashIndustries Ltd. (JAL), India, has beenworking on the Omkareshwar hydropower project. The 520 MW hydroplant is located on the Narmada Riverin India’s federal state, Madhya
Pradesh. Voith Siemens Hydro is
responsible for most of the electromechanical equipment, including
eight vertical Francis turbines andsynchronous generators, each with a
rated capacity of 65 MW, associatedauxiliaries, and a 220 kV outdoor
switchyard. At present, the civil works
are in full swing on site.
Work at Omkareshwar
progressing well
Currently, excavation of the powerhouse and preparation of concrete
works are progressing at site and all
Voith Siemens Hydro supplies areon time. Mechanical erection will bestarting in August 2004.

View of the downstream flow section below
the runner during the model test

Voith Siemens Hydro has begun manufacturing the turbines and generators in its Brazilian facilities andmechanical turbine parts and otherequipment in India.
The project is a pilot for Voith
Siemens Hydro in various aspects:
 turnkey powerplant execution in aconsortium fast-track project with 48 months(or less) execution time high content of local manufacture
A very robust and compact engineering process involving all Voith
Siemens Hydro companies together

Omkareshwar – NHPC and Voith Siemens
Hydro test team at the test rig (from left toright: Dr. S. Riedelbauch, KA. Sundararaman,
J. Choudhary, S. Sharma, M. Maiwald)with JAL as the partner, has resulted
in a highly developed and interlinked
project execution schedule.
Model tests successful
In May 2004 Corporate Technology ofVoith Siemens Hydro had successfully
passed an intense eight day model
test for this project in the presence ofexperts from the customer, National
Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd.
(NHPC). Contractually committed
guarantees and operation parameters
had been reached to the full satisfaction of NHPC. After commissioning in
2007, Omkareshwar will be among
India’s largest hydropower stations.
For more information:
Werner.Kellner@vs-hydro.com

hypower 8/2004

Omkareshwar site – excavation worksof power house area on the right bankof Narmada river

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News from the Far East

Motor-generators for 1,000 MW
pumped storage project in China

Voith Fuji Hydro K.K., the Japanese entity of Voith Siemens Hydro, hasbeen awarded a contract in consortium with Alstom Power Hydro by Hebei
Zhanghewan Pumped Storage Company Ltd. to supply equipment for the
1,000 MW Zhanghewan pumped storage project in Hebei Province, China.
The 67 million euro project is financed by the Asian Development Bank andaims to improve the efficiency of generating energy in the Hebei southern
power grid.

Excellent teamwork…
Voith Siemens Hydro’s 34 million
euro contract includes the supply offour motor-generators, each with an
output of 278 MVA, excitation systems, generator main circuit breakers,
protection relays and other electricalauxiliaries, as well as installation of
all electrical equipment. Alstom
Power Hydro, as the leader of theconsortium, is responsible for themechanical equipment including four
pump-turbines. The commissioningof the first unit is scheduled in early
2008, the completion of the entire
station in 2009.

…with benefits beyond energy
The efficiency of energy and the
reduction of emissions in meetingpeak power requirements are themain objectives of the Zhanghewan
pumped storage project, located in
China’s north-east Hebei Province.
This is because the majority of old,
small, coal-fired power stations
can no longer satisfy these power
demands. The reliability and efficiency of existing power plants and –particularly at peak times whenworking at full capacity – are nolonger sufficient enough to guarantee
demanding energy supplies.

Contract signing

But the objective of the project reaches beyond improving these aspects:
Zhanghewan will also complete theupgrading and expansion of electrification in the modest agrarian areas ofthe province. In addition, the heightened dam will improve flood prevention and control, and increase thedownstream irrigation area. It will
also provide drinking water to areas
along both banks of the lower Gantao
River.
For more information:
Masataka.Sunaga@vs-hydro.com

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia:
Contract for modernization

From the late 50s…
…heading for tomorrow with an
up-to-date control system
Cameron Highlands is located in thecentral mountain area in north western Malaysia. Amidst a landscape ofbrooks and rivers, a cascade consisting of the seven plants Kuala Terla,
Kampong Raja, Habu, Robinson Falls,

Jor, Woh and Odak was built between
1959 and 1968.
Spring-fed by a system of piping,reservoirs and natural river flow,these hydropower stations have been

generating an overall annual output
of 281 megawatts since their installation.
In order to guarantee continuous
electricity supply for the future, Voith
Siemens Hydro was selected to modernize these plants. The scope of
supply covers the electrical andmechanical upgrade for the threemajor plants of Jor – equipped withfour 27 MW Pelton turbines, Woh –equipped with three 55 MW Francis
turbines, and Habu – equipped withtwo 2.5 MW Francis turbines, as well
as minor repairs to two smaller
plants.
In addition to the mechanical upgrade, new plant control equipment
will be provided. By installing thesophisticated VSHyCon Excellent
CS7 control system, which integrates
all power plant control functions fromsensors to central plant control level,
the operator will be able to operate
all seven plants from a central control
room at Jor hydropower station.
For more information:
Volker.Steffen@vs-hydro.com

hypower 8/2004

Voith Siemens Hydro recently signed a 32 million Euro modernization contract with Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Malaysia’s national electricity utility
company. During the next three years, Voith Siemens Hydro engineers will
be modernizing the three major and two smaller plants of Cameron Highlands hydropower station. The updated power plants will also be equippedwith the newly developed VSHyCon Excellent CS7 control system, whichallows both local and remote operation.

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23

News from Africa

Gilgel Gibe:
Opening ceremony for largest
Ethiopian hydropower station
On February 22, Gilgel Gibe, Ethiopia’s largest hydropower station was
ceremonially commissioned. Together with the government-owned Ethiopian
Electric Power Corporation (EEPCO), Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and
Minister of Infrastructure Dr. Kassu Illala welcomed government officials
and industry leaders to the ceremony. After five years of construction andinstallation, Voith Siemens Hydro turned over the 184 MW plant to its operators. Gilgel Gibe will guarantee future energy supplies to the Ethiopian
capital Addis Ababa, and neighboring regions.
In 1998, Voith Siemens Hydro signed
the contract for constructing,installing, and commissioning a newhydropower station in south central
Ethiopia, about 270 km from Addis
Ababa. The scope of supply covered
three Francis turbines rated at
66.7 MW each, with digital governor
systems and turbine inlet valves.

The main financial support for Gilgel
Gibe, which will make up 40% of thecountry’s present installed capacity,
came from the World Bank Group(IDA) along with co-financing fromthe European Investment Bank (EIB).
For more information:
Dieter.Schwarz@vs-hydro.com

Tanzania: Replacement runners
for Kidatu hydropower station
Voith Siemens Hydro has been awarded the supply of new runners for two
turbines at the Tanzanian Kidatu Ihydropower plant. The original Francis turbines – with a maximum output
of 55.7 MW at a maximum headof 173 m, were installed in the midseventies.

The new runners are scheduled to beinstalled and commissioned in 2005.
After modernization, the machines will
provide a maximum output of 56.2 MW
each. The runner diameter for these
new turbines is 2,312 mm.
For more information:
Bernhard.Hausenblas@vs-hydro.com

News from Europe

Successful model test
for Austria’s Braz station

Brunnenmuehle,
Germany

Braz is one of the eight Austrian
National Railway hydropower stations
which generate so-called traction
power – a mode of power especially
adapted for train operation.
Voith Siemens Hydro specialists will
perform all modernization work on
the hydropower plant located in the
Vorarlberg region.

From left to right: Dr. Wolfgang Rohne (Voith
Siemens Hydro, Germany), Friedrich Spitzer(Voith Siemens Hydro, Austria), Helmut Usel(Österreichische Bundesbahnen, Austria),
Prof. Dr. techn. Dr. hc. Heinz-Bernd Matthias(Technische Universität Wien, Austria),
Dr. Stefan Riedelbauch (Voith Siemens Hydro,
Germany).

Voith Siemens Hydro will replace oneof the three existing horizontal Pelton
twin turbines. The new unit will beequipped with two runners, each witha diameter of 1,867 mm and an output of 7.5 MW. Power generation willthus be increased from 10 MW to
15 MW. Commissioning is scheduled
for 2005.
For more information:
Wolfgang.Rohne@vs-hydro.com

hypower 8/2004

This spring, another successful model acceptance test took place at the“Brunnenmuehle”, Voith Siemens Hydro’s technology testing facilities in
Heidenheim, Germany. During a three-day testing phase, the Pelton turbine
model for the Austrian Braz hydropower station optimally fulfilled all
guarantees and operating parameters as specified in the contract with theAustrian National Railway’s power station business division.

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EssayA lot of water
Have you ever wondered where on Earth you can find a genuinely large
amount of fresh water – pure, fresh drinking water? You need look no further
than the Great Lakes. There are five of them, spanning the U.S. Canadianborder; they have an overall surface area of about 245,000 square kilometers and contain approximately one fifth of our planet’s fresh water
reserves – a total of almost 23 quadrillion liters.

Lake Superior is the largest of theGreat Lakes, 563 km long and 257 km
wide; the deepest point on the lakebedis 406 m below sea level, and it has avolume of 12,231 cubic km.

But the remaining four lakes areequally impressive. Altogether, they
form 16,000 kilometers of shoreline,
adjoining eight U.S. states and one
Canadian province. The Ice Age
glaciers to which they owe their
existence also created tens of thousands of smaller lakes, scatteredacross the entire Northeast and Midwest of the United States, including
large parts of Alaska.

The Great Lakes are of considerable
interest to the shipping trade. Major
ports include Duluth, Minnesota,
Superior, Wisconsin, and Buffalo,
New York, which is situated at thewestern end of the waterway thatconnects Lake Ontario with Lake Erie.

Including the Great Lakes, this routeis over 3,770 kilometers long and is
one of the world’s most frequently
used inland waterways. A curiosity
worth mentioning: the Great Lakes are
the only freshwater system to havegenuine tides, with the ebb and flow
often accounting for a difference of
6 meters in height.
The Niagara River waterfalls between
Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, on the
Canadian-American border, are anatural spectacle of a very special
kind. They were created about 4.000
years ago, due to gradually retreating
erosion, which to date has dug itself
into the dolomite rock 11 kilometersagainst the direction of flow. A logicaldevelopment: the Falls are used forgenerating hydro-electric power. Less
than 50% of the water volume of
600 million cubic meters is diverted
for this purpose, preserving thisincredible monument to nature for all
to see.
During the tourist season, the gatesthat otherwise divert the water into
the turbines are opened during theday. Goat Island divides the Niagara
Falls into the 350 m wide American
Falls and the Horseshoe Falls, which
are 800 m wide. About 85-90 % of thewater flows over the later. A canalbetween the two lakes makes boat
cruises possible, despite the presenceof the mighty Niagara Falls.
Because of their impressive scenery
the Falls have also become a Hollywood icon. In Henry Hathaway’s
thriller “Niagara”, Marilyn Monroe

gave an impressive performance
worthy of this inspiring backdrop.
Detroit, the USA’s seventh largest cityand the world’s major motor vehicle
manufacturing center, is home to theheadquarters of the General Motors
Corporation, the Ford Motor Company
and the Chrysler Corporation and issituated on the shores of Lake Michigan. These industrial giants haveattracted many service corporationsin the fields of research, design andadvertising to the area.
But along with their industrial significance, the Great Lakes create an
eco-system that is unique on Earth,impressing people with its sheer
mass, size and beauty. It boasts
abundant bio-diversity and vitality,
due of course in particular to –the water.

hypower 8/2004

The seaway between the Great Lakes
and the Atlantic is deep enough (upto 9 meters deep) for the passage ofocean-going vessels. Ships of all
types navigate the 293 kilometers
long St. Lawrence Seaway. The Seaway was opened in 1959 and includes
a system of canals between Montréal
and Port Weller on Lake Ontario.

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Copyright 2004
Reproduction permitted,
provided source is given.

www.msw.de

Editorial coordination:
Barbara Fischer-Aupperle

10000

Voith Siemens Hydro
Power Generation GmbH & Co. KG
Alexanderstraße 1189522 Heidenheim/Germany
Tel. +49 7321 37 68 48
Fax +49 7321 37 78 28
www.voithsiemens.com