GE Wins Major Hydro Service Contract in
Norway
OSLO, Norway--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 2002--Norway's biggest
power producer, Statkraft SF, has awarded the largest turbine upgrade
contract in the company's history to GE Hydro, a unit of GE Power
Systems, for the refurbishment of five hydropower plants.
The project covers 770 megawatts of capacity and is valued at
US$11.9 million.
This is the most extensive turbine modernization project to date
for the Oslo-based Statkraft, which owns about 30 percent of the
country's electric power production capacity, all of which is
hydro-based. The upgrades, to be completed successively beginning in
the fall of 2003 and continuing through the end of 2005, will improve
the reliability and efficiency of these aging plants and strengthen
Statkraft's position within the Nordic competitive power market.
Under the terms of the contract, GE will upgrade and refurbish a
total of 10 Pelton turbines at Statkraft's Aura North, Aura South,
Hoyanger, Mauranger and Mar hydropower plants. The turbines include
both horizontal and vertical units, all manufactured by other OEMs.
The project scope includes the design, model testing, engineering,
installation and commissioning of new runners and refurbishment of
existing parts. Efficiency improvements from the upgrades are expected
to range from one to three percent at maximum output.
Statkraft awarded this order to GE in stiff competition with the
largest international hydro turbine suppliers, said Tron
Engebrethsen, Statkraft's production director. Some key evaluation
factors were technical design and runner production, turbine
efficiency, reliability and price. Reliability of the runners is
particularly important to us and in this regard, GE offered a product
that satisfied all of our requirements.
This multi-unit service contract demonstrates GE Hydro's
commitment to the Nordic market and our ability to bring value to our
customers. We are proud to be selected by Statkraft for this historic
contract and look forward to working with them to upgrade these power
stations, said Per Simonsson, GE Hydro's regional sales director for
Europe.
The turbine runners for the project will be manufactured at GE's
Norway production facility. Using a newly developed GE technology, the
runners will be made from solid, rather than traditional cast,
forgings to improve the accuracy and fatigue strength of these core
turbine components.
Equipment for the project is expected to begin shipping in
mid-year of 2003 and will continue through 2005.
Statkraft SF is a Norwegian, wholly state-owned power utility.
Norway's largest producer of electric power, the company operates an
aggregate production capacity of just over 35 TWh, corresponding to
about 30 percent of the nation's hydropower production. Statkraft has
approximately 1,200 employees and is Norway's largest land-based
taxpayer. It also has ownership interest in Norwegian energy companies
Skagerak Energi, Agder Energi, HEAS, BKK, Trondheim Energiverk, E-CO
and Fjordkraft, and has power trading subsidiaries in Germany and The
Netherlands.
GE Hydro, headquartered in Oslo, is a world leader in the supply
of turbines, generators, and water systems for the hydropower and
water control industries. Capabilities include complete water to wire
solutions for new hydroelectric plants and refurbishment and service
for existing plants.
About GE Power Systems
GE Power Systems (www.gepower.com) is one of the world's leading
suppliers of power generation technology, energy services and
management systems, with 2001 revenues exceeding $20 billion. The
business has the largest installed base of power generation equipment
in the global energy industry. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Power
Systems provides equipment, services and management solutions for the
power generation, oil and gas, distributed power and energy rental
industries.
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CONTACT: GE Power Systems
Dennis Murphy, 770/859-6948
or
Masto Public Relations
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