Alstom has secured two separate hydro contracts in Latin America, representing a total value of almost €60M, for the refurbishment of a hydroelectric dam in Haiti and the development of a new power station in Ecuador.
In Haiti, the €35 million contract signed with the federal electricity supplier EDH includes the entire overhaul of the three units (18MW each) of the Péligre hydroelectric dam, with a rated output of 54MW. Péligre is currently operating at less than a third of its full capacity, with two units out of service and one in partial operation. Once refurbished, the units will have enhanced efficiency and reliability, and will be compliant with the instabilities of Haiti’s electricity grid.
alstom will fully restore the electromechanical and hydromechanical equipment of the plant, including a new hydraulic design for each turbine with an overhaul of existing embedded parts, new cooling and drainage systems and the refurbishment of the dam’s gates. A new Smartcontrol SX system will ensure the automation of the plant, said the company. Work on the project includes the balance of the plant and some civil works. It is expected to start within one month, with the last of the upgraded units to be commissioned in 2015.
Located on the Artibonite River, 70 km from the capital Port-au-Prince, Péligre is the country’s main electricity source while providing irrigation and flood protection for local agriculture. For this reason the rehabilitation will be performed without draining the dam’s reservoir.
In Ecuador, Alstom, as part of a consortium will supply 2 Kaplan turbines of 30MW each, generators and the control system to Manduriacu project on the Guayllabamba river. Alstom’s share represents around €25M. The consortium will also be responsible for hydromechanical equipment and balance of plant.
The commercial operation of the first unit will start at the end of 2014. The plant will have two units and the equipment will be produced at Taubaté (Brazil), one of Alstom’s largest hydro manufacturing plants.