The contract scope includes upgrading and modernizing of the control systems and the electrical auxiliary systems for its two hydropower plants Tonstad and Solhom, which cover the energy demand of roughly 230,000 households.
Voith will upgrade the old relay control systems of the plants to Programmable Logic Controller (PLC)-based ones.
The contract has an estimated total project volume of NOK320m ($38.8m).
Tonstad and Solhom project manager Torgeir Myrvold said: “This is a really exciting and demanding project. There are several technical challenges and we always have to consider that the other units in the power plant will be in full operation during the modernization.
“However, thanks to our experience and close collaboration with the customer, our highly dedicated team will be able to successfully complete the project within the scheduled time period.”
With the contract, Sira-Kvina kraftselskap aims to secure the production of clean, renewable energy for another 40 years.
Sira-Kvina kraftselskap has a total installed capacity of 1,760MW and an average yearly production of 6,300 GWh from seven power plants.
The Tonstad power plant, which has average annual production of 3,800 GWh, will see incremental commissioning of the upgraded technology annually, starting in spring 2017 with auxiliary systems.
Later, the new control systems for all five units will be commissioned from 2018 to 2022.
Commissioning of auxiliary systems at the Solhom hydropower plant will be commissioned in 2019, followed by new control systems for the units in 2020 and 2021.
In October, Voith received orders to modernize three generators of the South African pumped storage power plant Drakensberg.
Founded in 1867, Voith employs around 20,000 people, with operations in over 60 countries.
Image: Tonstad hydropower plant is Norway’s largest when it comes to average annual production. Photo courtesy of Voith GmbH.
