ATLANTA, GEORGIA (April 7, 2003) --- GE Hydro and Imperial Irrigation District (IID) have entered into a partnering agreement to evaluate and upgrade IID's installed hydroelectric generation facilities in southern California. The turbines, generators and other hydro plant-related equipment installed throughout the IID network will undergo initial and follow-up assessments to determine the best way to improve overall system and individual unit performance.
"By using a single source methodology on our modernization/upgrade project, IID will benefit from using a consistent approach to immediate and future maintenance and operations performance. With the planned methodology, we expect to change out or upgrade equipment in a way that brings all equipment up to the latest performance standards while reducing our long-term total costs," said Henryk Olstowski, Generation Superintendent, Imperial Irrigation District.
Under the terms of the partnering agreement, IID will have access to GE Hydro's latest advancements in technology including fish friendly turbines and environmentally friendly oil-less hubs for Kaplan turbines, digital governor upgrades from Global Control Systems (formerly Woodward Services), and condition monitoring systems from Bently Nevada (acquired by GE in 2002). IID's upgrade and modernization plans include complete water-to-wire recommendations and equipment changes designed to improve unit efficiencies and capabilities across the seven sites and 12 units they operate.
Following the initial system assessment and evaluation, specific equipment and operational improvements will be recommended to IID for budgeting and planning purposes. Shipment of equipment for the projects is expected to begin in 2004 and will continue until IID's goals of increased efficiency, capacity and availability have been achieved across the entire installed hydro generation base. Commercial operation of the first unit is expected in late 2004 or early 2005.
"We are pleased to be able to work with IID on this partnering agreement. The concept of partnering with customers like IID is consistent with GE's ability to act as a single-source supplier of equipment and services, providing our customers with the most cost-effective means to meet their objectives of increased performance, both financially and operationally," said Jeff Wiener, Global Sales Manager of GE Hydro.
New turbine equipment will be either a Kaplan or Propeller design and will vary in size from 2 MW to nearly 20 MW. Generators requiring modernization will be wound with new coils or bars to upgrade and improve unit availability. The agreement also covers control systems, excitation systems, transformers and other electrical and mechanical balance-of-plant equipment and components. Engineering services will include unit assessments for current condition and remaining life capacity, energy studies to identify and quantify capacity gains and economic evaluations to identify potential operational gains and improvements.
IID is the largest irrigation district in the nation. It also is the sixth largest power utility in California, serving more than 110,000 customers in the Imperial and Coachella valleys and portions of San Diego County. The community-owned utility operates 14 hydro units at seven sites located on the All American Canal, which draws its water from the Colorado River near Yuma, Arizona. The water is transported to the Imperial Valley in southern California and is used primarily by the region's farmers for crop irrigation. IID's installed hydroelectric generation capacity totals 84 MW.
GE Hydro, a unit of GE Power Systems, is a world leader in the supply of hydro turbines, generators, and related electro-mechanical equipment for the hydropower production industry. Capabilities include complete water-to-wire solutions for new hydroelectric plants and refurbishment and service for existing plants.
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