VA TECH HYDRO has been selected by the Swiss–French company Forces Motrices du Châtelot SA to supply a single vertical Francis turbine and generator, the inlet valve and a by-pass system to secure the ecological flow at Le Châtelot in case of grid disconnection.
FMC SA decided to increase the ecological flow on the Doubs river between the dam and the main powerhouse, from 50 l/s to 2,000 l/s, in order to maintain favourable conditions for the flora and fauna. One of the main features of the project is the difficult access to the site, which means that every element of the powerhouse, including the electromechanical equipment, must be lifted by helicopter with a limitation of 4.5 tons per lift.
The unit is designed to operate 8,760 hours per year at constant flow under large head variation (32 to 54 m) and commissioning is foreseen for April 2005.
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