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Bring new life to ageing hydropower plants with Eaton's hydro electrical engineering services team. Highly skilled in hydro automation projects, excitation systems, and protection and control system replacements and upgrades, our engineers guide every step of the process, from inception to completion. Eaton makes it easy for you to update, revitalise, modernise and maintain your hydroelectric assets to achieve reliable, efficient operation.
Nearly three-quarters of US hydroelectric facilities currently rely on outdated infrastructure, with many operating mismatched and obsolete hardware and controls. With Eaton as your trusted adviser, you get access to a single source of highly customised turnkey services and solutions to modernise your hydro plant. From developing the vision to seamlessly navigating the process, we meet all project objectives while staying within your budget.
Discover how modernising your facility will make it more reliable, better able to meet regulatory standards and capable of adapting to new challenges.
The success of your hydro plant modernisation depends on ensuring that a multitude of objectives come together seamlessly. With Eaton, you gain a provider with a proven track record who can oversee the complete scope of work required, engineer and deploy the optimal solutions to meet your goals, and ensure minimal disruption to your operations. Take a look at our full range of modernisation offerings for hydroelectric plant.
Considering the expense and coordination inherent in hydropower dam upgrade projects, it makes sense to rely on a dedicated, experienced engineering and project management team to oversee the process. With Eaton, you can avoid missed deadlines, going over budget and the risk of extending past planned time frames. Find out more about Eaton's turnkey hydro modernisation process. Our capabilities include:
When upgrading your hydro plant, you need a provider with broad capabilities, a proven track record and the expertise to not only oversee the process but also resolve any unforeseen hurdles along the way.
With decades of experience in the modernisation and retrofit of ageing hydroelectric facilities, Eaton offers the complete, highly customised turnkey services needed to effectively upgrade your site. Find out more about how we can help define and implement the solutions that will enable you to control, monitor and manage your plant well into the future.
Does your facility need to modernise, be more reliable, meet new regulatory standards or face a unique challenge? Request Eaton's free site assessment.
Regardless of your modernisation goals, it is essential to gain a thorough understanding of your system before embarking on any changes. Eaton offers a complete range of power system studies to help you plan, manage and modernise your grid – ensuring the optimal and safest design. Performed by experienced engineers, our studies can evaluate performance, make recommendations for improvements and provide assurance that you are meeting the latest industry standards and requirements.
Eaton engineers have the expertise to take your hydroelectric modernisation project from conception to completion, resulting in a safer, more reliable and cost-efficient power system. From a single point of accountability to a reduced risk of delays, we can transform your hydroelectric systems to serve you today and well into the future. See the difference in these actual customer installations.
Even the most reliable hydropower plant will occasionally experience a planned or unplanned outage. From equipment failure to environmental compliance projects to routine maintenance and system upgrades, Eaton helps facilities keep their electrical distribution and control systems safe when the power is out.
Design engineering solutions for hydroelectric power generating plants:
Challenge: The NERC Standards continue to evolve, with additional standards being introduced that may require compliance within a short period of time. This ever-changing regulatory world can be complex for utilities and may not allow sufficient time to understand the standard requirements or ensure proper data collection to support the new compliance needs.
Solution: Eaton engineers began each site evaluation with an assessment of the previous site PRC study reports, the existing power system equipment documentation and the protective relay setting information. Eaton evaluated the available data and confirmed assumptions for unknown data as per standard requirements; then completed all necessary calculations and system modelling to ensure compliance, as per the stated standard, and provided reports.
Result: In addition to the completion of NERC compliance reports, Eaton helped the utility to develop an understanding and knowledge of the new industry standard. This knowledge sharing supported the customer in developing a plan to ensure ongoing data collection for the compliance process.
Problem: Electrical gear was obsolete and in poor condition at a hydroelectric plant supporting eight turbine generators. The facility, which had been out of operation for 14 years, required a complete equipment upgrade.
Solution: Eaton Electrical Services & Systems facilitated the entire design-build project, upgrading and rehabilitating the electrical distribution system with an extensive range of equipment that included relay protection, substations, arc-resistant switchgear, new cabling and bus work, and more. In addition, the Eaton team completed testing and commissioning of all systems, including arc flash analysis, as well as providing drawing package and manuals, and delivering operator and maintenance training.
Result: After 14 years of non-operation, the generation facility is up and running once again, thanks to an extensive equipment upgrade and turnkey project management, all provided by Eaton.
Problem: An obsolete control system was creating operational challenges for a hydro facility that consisted of two 9,500 kVA turbine generators operating at 4.16 kV, and multiple remotely controlled gate houses.
Solution: Eaton’s turnkey contract included designing, supplying and installing the upgraded protection and control system. The solution featured a new PLC control system with HMI and remote monitoring; generator, transformer and station service protection; governor and excitation upgrades, and more.
Result: The solution enhanced the utility’s ability to remotely monitor the condition and status of the generating facility, resulting in faster response to plant issues and significantly reduced start-up and shut-down times.
