A consortium which includes Weir Engineering Services (WES) and Dowding & Mills of the UK, has been awarded a contract worth £4.25M (US$6.3M) by Scottish and Southern Energy for the complete refurbishment of Clachan hydro power station. The station has the largest conventional hydro turbine machine in the UK and is located near the head of Loch Fyne in Argyll.
The contract covers the complete mechanical and electrical refurbishment of the 40MW Francis turbine generators and associated plant. While the overall project will be managed by WES, Dowding & Mills will be responsible for the electrical refurbishment. The mechanical work includes the replacement of the main inlet valve, guide vanes, governors, drainage equipment and pipework, and will be carried out by WES’s Alloa service centre. The electrical work includes the replacement of the control, protection and instrumentation systems, rewind of the generator motor and refurbishment of the stator. Design and procurement work is already in progress and should be completed by the end of this year.
The Clachan project is part of Scottish and Southern Energy’s strategy to refurbish all of its major hydro plants over the next 15 years.