Seattle City Light (SCL), a publicly owned utility in the US, has selected GE Renewable Energy to rebuild three generators for the 1,117MW hydropower plant on Boundary Dam, which is situated on the Pend Oreille River in the state of Washington state and provides up to 30% of SCL’s annual power requirements.
Under this project, GE Renewable Energy will have to refurbish powerhouse generators 51, 52, and 54 (3 x 145 MVA) as well as undertake engineering and site work.
This project is expected to boost the output of the generators from 166 MVA (generators 51 and 53) and 170 MVA (generator 52) to 190 MVA, thereby minimising power loses and strengthening grid stability.
Furthermore, this rehabilitation will enable reliable operation for the next four decades.
To be managed by GE Renewable Energy’s teams based in Denver, Colorado and Brossard, Canada, the onsite work on the generators will commence in July next year and is slated for completion by May 2022.
GE Renewable Energy was previously called to refurbish generator 53 of Boundary Dam.
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By GlobalDataSeattle City Light power supply officer Mike Haynes said: “Seattle City Light is pleased with the outcome of this solicitation and looks forward to a strong relationship with GE as we continue to enhance our renewable energy portfolio for our customers.”
Earlier this year, Eugene Water & Electric Board, a public utility serving the Eugene area in Oregon chose GE Renewable Energy to rehabilitate two 50 MW turbine-generator units on the Carmen Smith Hydroelectric Project.
GE Renewable Energy will complete work on the first unit by the end of 2020 while the work on the second unit will complete by the end of 2021.
GE Renewable Energy hydro business in North America general manager Pierre Marx said: “We appreciate the confidence that Seattle City Light & Eugene Water & Electric Board have shown in GE Renewable Energy. Our teams in Brossard, Canada and Denver, Colorado, are working closely with our customers to deliver the best outcomes to them.
“It is more important than ever to keep the US hydro fleet operating at full capacity given its critical role in maintaining stable and efficient electric service while enabling the addition of other renewable power sources like wind and solar.”
As per the Department of Energy’s Hydropower Vision report, the country’s hydropower could expand from its present 101 gigawatts (GW) to nearly 150GW of combined electricity generating and storage capacity by 2050.