GE Vernova’s hydro power business has been selected by Canadian electric power and natural gas utility company Manitoba Hydro to service the 479MW Grand Rapids hydropower plant in Canada.
Under the upgradation work, the GE Vernova division will replace the Unit-4 Kaplan runner.
The hydropower solutions provider will design, fabricate, and deliver the runner with more than 6m in diameter. It will be assembled and tested at GE Vernova’s hydro power North America shops.
Located on the Saskatchewan River in Manitoba, the Grand Rapids facility is a reservoir-based hydropower plant. It started operations in 1965 and has produced 1,580GWh of clean electricity.
The Canadian hydropower plant consists of an intake structure, a four-unit plus a house unit powerhouse, four penstocks, a main dam, wing walls, extensive dyke structures, and a four-bay spillway.
GE delivered the four Kaplan units for the Grand Rapids hydropower project.
The replacement service is expected to enhance the performance and efficiency of the Canadian hydropower plant.
GE Vernova hydro power North America leader Romain Pellegrino said: “Canada has been a pioneer in hydropower development for about 140 years; the installed based today is significant, and ageing, which creates huge opportunities to service the fleet, to help extend the project’s life, increase efficiency, and help deliver even more clean energy to the grid.
”We are pleased to be working with Manitoba Hydro on this project, which gives a great example of the possibilities that come with hydropower”.
GE Vernova said that the company delivered new runners for Units 1, 2, and 3 of the Grand Rapids facility 20 years ago.
