The country ranks among the most important markets also for ALSTOM Power Austria GmbH, a company within the globally present energy group ALSTOM! The strongly export-oriented corporation – the share of export amounts meanwhile to about 60 percent – has successfully implemented a great number of projects in the past few years, as for example the rehabilitation of the power stations Peshtera, Momina Klisura, Sestrimo, Belmeken, Batak, and Aleko.
Because of this good cooperation, ALSTOM was commissioned to rehabilitate two further hydropower stations with the sounding names Orfeus and Krichim. The work encompasses the turbine rotors, different hydraulic installations, the turbine control unit, the process control system, the medium and low voltage appliances as well as static excitation and electrical protection.
A consortium headed by ALSTOM Power Austria and the partner Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation transacts the projects worth E 18 million. The order comprises engineering and project management, software design as well as installation supervision and startup. A professional competent support service is for ALSTOM a matter of course.
The observance of time limits has top priority! Thus, it is not surprising that already all parts for the Orfeus plant have been delivered and three of the four machine units have been activated. ALSTOM Power Austria engineer Thomas Szucsits: “At startup, special technologically demanding functions, like the ‘back-to-back startup’ of the motor/generator unit, as well as ‘superordinate’ tests, like island tests, load distribution, etc., have been successfully carried out within the time limit set.”
At Krichim, the machine units have been disassembled and reassembly has begun. This also goes according to plan. After the completion of work at Orfeus and Krichim, ALSTOM Power will upgrade altogether 27 machine units to state of the art.
The corporation is optimistic with regard to opportunities, particularly in the rehabilitation of existing plants. Franz Hennerbichler, the head of the hydropower plant department: “Interesting projects are to be expected in the future due to the obligation to stick to respective energy generation and transfer standards accepted by the Eastern European countries in the course of the EU accession talks.”
(Source: aqua press Int. 3/2005)
