Rio Tinto Alcan award major power upgrade
Weir Power & Industrial Services Alloa and alliance partner,
Andritz VA Tech Hydro have been awarded a significant refurbishment
contract by Rio Tinto Alcan.
The contract is for the supply,installation and commissioning of
five hydro turbine generator units and ancillary equipment at
Lochaber Power Station in the Scottish Highlands. The mechanical
scope of works will be shared with partner Andritz VA Tech Hydro
who will have overall design responsibility to supply the Francis
turbine and governors. Weir will supply new main inlet valves,
mechanical balance of plant, site infrastructure and
installation.
Lochaber Power Station was built with the intention of supplying
electric power to the nearby aluminium smelter located at Fort
William, between Loch Linnhe and Ben Nevis.
Construction began in 1924 and was completed in 1929 when the
station was the largest hydroelectric installation in the United
Kingdom. The station will remain in operation during the
modernization which involves existing horizontal twin jet Pelton
turbines driving double DC generating units being replaced with
horizontal Francis turbines driving AC generators.
The project is a continuation of a number of successful
contracts that have been jointly executed by Weir with VA Tech in
the recent past. The first unit will be installed and commissioned
in 2009 followed by two units in 2010 and two units in 2011.
