Local news, Canada

24/11 2022: New hydropower plant inspection and assessment brochure

With the number of aging power plants increasing worldwide, the effective assessment of hydropower assets is gaining ever-greater importance.

Owners and operators of older facilities still need to ensure and improve the long-term value, safety, and operating results of these assets. The implementation of reliable digital tools for operation and maintenance, especially predictive maintenance, is of high importance.

Metris DiOMera is a modular and flexible platform for operation and maintenance of hydropower plants that optimally meets specific customer requirements, preserves the environment, and supports operation management. Within Metris DiOMera, ANDRITZ engineers have developed a new software tool to facilitate the rapid and professional assessment of key plant components – the METRIS DiOMera ASSESS. It allows ANDRITZ to provide its strategic partners with added value assistance to maximize their generation output and optimize maintenance costs in addition to a continuous and comprehensive risk evaluation of the asset throughout its lifecycle. Operation and maintenance by ANDRITZ enhanced by digitalization will make your asset fit for the future.

With offices dedicated to gates, valves, automation, turbines and generators, ANDRITZ HYDRO Canada is fully qualified and equipped in the use of the Metris DiOMera Assess Tool to support Canadian owners and operators in the management of their assets.

For more details see our attached brochure.

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03/10 2022: WirRE award - Woman for Waterpower award for employee of ANDRITZ Hydro Canada

What is the relationship between the International Space Station and ANDRITZ Hydro Canada?

We are very proud to highlight that our dear colleague Christine Monette, Principal Engineer at ANDRITZ Hydro Canada, received the 2022 Woman for Waterpower award from the Women in Renewable Energy (WirRE) network. The presentation took place on September 22 at the WaterPower Canada gala in Toronto. This award, given in recognition of Christine's exceptional contribution to the development of technology in the hydroelectric field, allowed her to share the gala's head table with Chris Hadfield, Canadian astronaut who was commander of the International Space Station.

Congratulations to Christine for this well-deserved recognition!

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10/08 2022: ANDRITZ has successfully completed the control & protection upgrade at Des Joachims Generating Station, Canada

ANDRITZ Hydro Canada is excited to announce completion of a two-year long Protection & Control Upgrade of eight generating units at Des Joachims power plant in Rolphton, Canada on February 10, 2022.

Des Joachims is a 428.8MW key generating station in the Eastern Region of our client Ontario Power Generation. 

Working in close collaboration with the OPG station personnel and the regional project team, the ANDRITZ engineering, manufacturing and project management team in Chambly made sure that the project was delivered on time, on budget and, most importantly, on quality. 

We would like to express our sincere appreciation and congratulations to everyone involved in the completion of this important project. This highlights the value of long-standing relationship between ANDRITZ and OPG working as partners on some of the most challenging generating fleet rehabilitation projects to ensure continual flow of clean energy to Ontarian families and industry.

Scope:

• Engineering and Drawings Package;
• Cabinets and Panels Manufacturing;
• Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT);
• Site Installation : Panels, cabinets, instrumentation and cables;
• Commissioning.

The supplied equipment consisted of:

Protection & Control System:

• Eight Generator Control Cabinets;
• 16 Generator Protection Cabinets;
• Four plant control Cabinets;
• Eight transformer protection Cabinets;
• Two Communication Panels;
• 24 MTR Panels.

Instrumentation, for each unit:

• Upper guide bearing oil level;
• Lower guide bearing oil level;
• Accumulator oil level;
• Sump tank oil level;
• Generator cooling air temperature;
• Turbine wicket gates position.

Technical data:

Output: 428.8MW (8 units)
Voltage: 13.8kV
Head: 40 m

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24/05 2022: Abitibi Canyon, Canada – In commercial operation

Power Generation. Commercial Operation was achieved on Mar 21st, 2022.ANDRITZ Hydro Canada would like to thank and congratulate everyone involved on the completion of the Abitibi Canyon G2 refurbishment in Ontario, Canada for our customer Ontario Power Generation.

Power Generation. Commercial Operation was achieved on March 21st, 2022.

We have seen very good HSE culture on site, and experienced excellent collaboration with Ontario Power Generation.

Although access of components through the roof was an added difficulty at this site, good lifting, work and space planning reduced inconvenience to a minimum.

The good collaboration and communication between all of ANDRITZ Hydro Canada’s involved facilities and sectors made us find and implement efficient solutions for issues found at site. 

SCOPE:
- Turbine components refurbishment, including governor, and new draft tube platform
- Generator refurbishment and upgrades including new stator rewind and re-insulation of rotor poles
- Installation of new Rotor Spider (supplied by ANDRITZ Hydro Canada on separate contract) and new exciter (supplied by Ontario Power Generation)
- Design supply and install of new head gate, hoist and embedded parts

TECHNICAL DATA:
Output: 1 x 80.5 MVA
Voltage: 13.8 kV
Head: 72 m
Speed: 164 rpm
Runner diameter: 3835 mm
 

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April 2022: La Grande 1, Canada – Order for replacement of 12 excitation systems 

ANDRITZ Hydro Canada Inc. has entered into a contract with Hydro-Quebec in December 2021 for delivery of 12 replacement excitation systems to the La Grande-1 Generating Station.

The 1,436 MW flagship station is located on the La Grande River in James Bay, a Northern region of Quebec, Canada. The delivery of the first two units to the station is planned for January 2023, with an expected outage and return to service by Hydro-Quebec later in 2023. The subsequent units will be delivered at the pace of two per year until the end of the contract in 2028.

The scope of supply includes the design, manufacturing, factory testing and transportation of new exciter units. Hydro-Quebec will be responsible for the site work to dismantle the currently operating exciters at the end of their useful life, as well as installing and commissioning the new units delivered by ANDRITZ.

This contract strengthens the long-standing relationship between ANDRITZ and Hydro-Quebec in the ongoing effort of upgrading Quebec's generating assets. We are excited to continue our contribution to ensuring the sustainability of Quebec's hydropower, delivering clean renewable energy to Canadian and North American electrical grid.

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February 2022: Sir Adam Beck 1, Canada – Replacement works of scroll case successfully completed

The Sir Adam Beck 1 powerhouse is a 10 units station, located on the Niagara River, not far from Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario.

Two of the units (G1 and G2) were decommissioned in 2009. ANDRITZ Hydro Canada’s current project with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) consists of replacing these turbine and generator units with all new modern components with 60 Hz standard frequency, a headgate refurbishment and significant electric balance of plant work. The project also consists of a collaborative contracting model that has proven to be very successful.

Following the disassembly of the two units, non-destructive testing was performed on the existing scroll case. The condition of the scroll case flanges is critical to the safety of the units as they connect the turbine structure to the foundation as well as are subject to hydraulic loading. Following investigations and analysis, it was concluded that repairs to the existing 100-year-old scroll case was not a viable option. The decision was made by Ontario Power Generation to stop the repairs and switch to the replacement solution. The work was completed successfully over a one-year period despite immense technical challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic. The video shows a snapshot of the excellent work performed by the teams from ANDRITZ and our subcontractor Newman Brothers. 

Complex issues need complex solutions and innovation! At ANDRITZ Hydro Canada this is what makes us the perfect choice for your hydro projects. 

Technical Details: 
Scope output: 57.5 MW per unit
Head: 91.00 m
Voltage: 13.8 kV
Runner throat diameter: 3063 mm
Speed: 200 rpm

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November 2021: EB Campbell, Canada – Installation milestone with two units completed

We would like to thank and congratulate everyone involved on the successful completion of the EB Campbell U3 and U4 refurbishments in Saskatchewan, Canada for our customer SaskPower.

Commercial Operation was respectively achieved on U3 on July 19th, 2021 and on U4 on August 25th, 2021. Performance testing performed on U3 in September 2021 confirmed that all performance guarantees were met and within contract specifications.

We have seen excellent HSE culture on site, quality of workmanship, productivity of trades hired and adherence to project schedule. We also experienced very good collaboration internally and with our customer.

We are currently working on the refurbishment of U6. We are looking forward to the successful completion of the remainder of the project (4 more units) until 2025. This project will provide long-term benefits to the province of Saskatchewan by continuing to provide clean and renewable energy for years to come. 

ANDRITZ scope

• Model test
• Design, supply, and installation of six replacement runners, new distributors, new stators with new laminations and new coils, replacement of head gates, trash racks and hoists
• Refurbishment of intake gate guides, generator poles, shafts, bearings, and many other components
• Balance of Plant scope: assessment / replacement of selected instrumentation and controls

Technical Details:
Total output: 222 MW
Scope: 6 × 37 MW / 6 × 43.5 MVA
Voltage: 14.4 kV
Head: 32 m
Speed: 120 rpm
Runner diameter: 4,094 mm

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November 2021: Kettle, Canada - ANDRITZ to supply new stators

ANDRITZ has entered into a contract with Manitoba Hydro for up to eight replacement stators, units 5-12, for the Kettle Generating Station. The 1,220 MW station is located on the lower Nelson River in Manitoba, Canada. The first unit that has been released will have an outage start in July 2023, with an expected return to service in December 2023. The stator assembly will start ahead of the unit outage in the service bay in February 2023.

The scope of supply includes the design, supply, transportation, and installation of new stators with a rated output of 138 MVA each, and the refurbishment of a few other generator components such as the rotor poles. Manitoba Hydro will be responsible for the site works not in ANDRITZ scope of supply as well as the unit commissioning.  

This contract provides a long-term relationship between ANDRITZ and Manitoba Hydro as we work together to extend the life of an important generating station and will help towards continuing to deliver clean, renewable, and dispatchable energy for the province of Manitoba for years to come as we fight the effects of global climate change. ANDRITZ has been present on the Canadian hydro market since 1890, delivering about 1,000 units with a total capacity of more than 50,000 MW. The ANDRITZ GROUP has in total around 1,000 employees in Canada.

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August 2021: Muskrat Falls, Canada – Successful hand-over of third unit

We would like to thank and congratulate everyone involved on the successful hand over of the Muskrat Falls unit #3 to Nalcor Energy-Lower Churchill Project (LCP) for commercial operation, after completion in August 2021.

The hard work and dedication of the teams from LCP and ANDRITZ Hydro has contributed to successfully reaching this third important milestone. A special thank you to the commissioning team.

The contract scope for this 824 MW hydropower plant includes design, supply and installation of four new units with a capacity of 206 MW each. The scope of work includes four vertical Kaplan turbines, synchronous generators, digital governor systems with servomotors and high-pressure oil supply systems, static excitation, control, protection and monitoring systems. 

We are very pleased to have successfully reached this third major milestone without a lost time injury (or incident). We are looking forward to a successful completion of the final unit in the coming months of 2021.

Technical Details
Total output: 824 MW
Scope output: 4 x 206 MW
Head: 35 m
Voltage: 15 kV
Speed: 85.7 rpm
Runner diameter: 8,820 mm

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April 2021: ANDRITZ to rehabilitate the hydraulic passages at Carillon generating station, Canada

International technology Group ANDRITZ has been awarded a contract by Hydro-Québec, Canada, to rehabilitate the hydraulic passages of the Carillon generating station located on the Ottawa River, Canada.

Read more in the press release

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April 2021: Muskrat Falls, Canada
Video of lowering of the Kaplan turbine into the pit

The lowering of the Kaplan turbine into the pit is always a work of precision and craftmanship. The video shows the lowering of a vertical Kaplan turbine into the pit at Muskrat Falls hydropower plant, Canada. The contract scope of ANDRITZ for the project Muskrat Falls includes design, supply, and installation of four new units with a capacity of 206 MW each. Besides the four vertical Kaplan turbines, synchronous generators, digital governor systems, static excitation systems, control, protection and monitoring systems are also within the scope of works. The turbine-generator unit including the Kaplan turbine was designed in Canada and manufactured in Asia. At the site of Muskrat Falls, the unit was assembled with personnel mostly from Newfoundland and Labrador under the leadership and supervision of ANDRITZ Hydro Canada
To learn more about turbines, check out our product page. 

Technical Details:
Total output: 824 MW 
Scope output: 4 x 206 MW 
Head: 35 m 
Voltage: 15 kV 
Speed: 90 rpm 
Runner diameter: 8,820 mm

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March 2021: Join our Team

Our ANDRITZ Hydro team in Canada is growing! We are looking for your talents to join our dynamic team!

If you are looking for stability, an exciting and fulfilling career and making a positive contribution to climate change then look no further. We want to hear from you. We have vacancies in various locations across Quebec and Ontario in project management, engineering, sales, quality, HSE and site installation.

Visit our page!
 

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February 2021: Muskrat Falls, Canada – Successful handover of unit #1

ANDRITZ Hydro Canada finished 2020 on a high note with the achievement of an important milestone at the Muskrat Falls Project in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

We would like to thank and congratulate everyone involved on the successful hand over of the Muskrat Falls unit #1 to Nalcor Energy-Lower Churchill Project (LCP) for commercial operation, after completion in December 2020. It has been a long, arduous journey since the signature of this major new Large Hydro project in 2013. The route has been a difficult one with numerous challenges and roadblocks. However, thanks to the determination of LCP and ANDRITZ Hydro, this first of four great milestones has been successfully achieved.

The contract scope for this 824 MW hydropower plant includes design, supply and installation of four new units with a capacity of 206 MW each. Besides the four vertical Kaplan turbines, synchronous generators, water/air cooling and digital governor systems with servomotors and high pressure oil supply systems, as well as static excitation control, protection and monitoring systems are also within the scope of works. The turbine-generator unit was designed in Canada and manufactured overseas in Asia. The unit was assembled at site with personnel mostly from Newfoundland and Labrador under the leadership and supervision of ANDRITZ Hydro Canada.

We are very pleased to have successfully completed this first major milestone without a lost time injury (or incident). We are looking forward to a successful completion of the next three units in the coming months of 2021.
 
Technical Details
Total output: 824 MW
Scope output: 4 x 206 MW
Head: 35 m
Voltage: 15 kV
Speed: 90 rpm
Runner diameter: 8,820 mm

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February 2021: ANDRITZ to supply electro-mechanical equipment for Red Rock Falls Generation Station, Canada

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from Mississagi Power Trust, a subsidiary of Evolugen by Brookfield Renewable, for the major rehabilitation of the G1 turbine and generator as well as electrical balance of plant for G1 and G2 at the Red Rock Falls Generation Station, located on the Mississagi River in the Algoma District of Ontario, Canada. 

Read more in the press release

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December 2020: HPP Shipshaw, Canada – Successful commissioning

ANDRITZ Hydro Canada is celebrating an important project milestone achievement at Shipshaw U8 Project

We would like to congratulate everyone on the successful commissioning of a completely new generator stator for unit #8 of HPP Shipshaw, completed on November 11, 2020.

In 2018, ANDRITZ Hydro received an order from Rio Tinto for the rehabilitation of the generator unit #8 at the Shipshaw hydropower station in Jonquière, Québec. The contract scope included design, supply and installation supervision of a brand new stator. It was designed in Canada and manufactured and shop wound in four sections in India. These four sections were delivered on site beginning in January 2020. Then, they were assembled by Rio Tinto employees under the supervision of ANDRITZ Hydro Canada.

We are very pleased to have successfully completed the project Shipshaw U8, teaming up with Rio Tinto employees, without any safety incidents. We are looking forward to a successful completion of a second new stator for Shipshaw U12 being manufactured in India. We are looking forward to a successful completion of a second new stator for Shipshaw U12 being manufactured in India.

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November 2020: ANDRITZ has been awarded major refurbishment contract by Hydro-Québec, Canada

International technology group ANDRITZ has been selected by Hydro-Québec as the exclusive partner to re-equip potentially up to all fourteen 54-MW turbine generator units at the Carillon generating station located on the Ottawa River, Canada. Hydro-Québec has awarded the supply and installation of the first set of six turbine-generator units to ANDRITZ on September 30, 2020.

The first phase encompasses complete re-equipping of six units with new generators, speed governors and turbines. ANDRITZ is responsible for design, manufacture, transportation, assembly, testing and commissioning of the entire equipment.

The existing units were supplied and commissioned by ANDRITZ in the early 1960’s. With its knowledge of this technology as the Original Equipment Manufacturer, expertise and local presence of the company’s execution teams as well as the company’s proximity to the Carillon generating station, ANDRITZ is the perfect partner for Hydro-Québec in execution of this important project, which will span over 16 years in total, with commissioning of the last unit planned for 2036.

This order confirms the strong relationship between ANDRITZ and Hydro Québec and is another important milestone for ANDRITZ in the Canadian hydropower market. ANDRITZ has been present on the Canadian hydro market since 1890, delivering about 1,000 units with a total capacity of 50 GW in Canada. The ANDRITZ GROUP has in total around 1,000 employees in Canada.