The contract was awarded following a competitive model test at the facilities of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale in Lausanne, Switzerland. Voith Hydro’s scope of supply includes the five new turbines, site construction, installation, and start-up. The first unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2012. One unit will be replaced each year until all five units are in service in early 2017.
The overhaul by Voith Hydro will improve the availability and reliability of these units, while the rated output of each turbine will be increased from 266 to 310MW. Consequently, an additional annual electricity generation of 177GWh with the same water usage is granted – enough electricity for an additional 15,000 homes.
The turbine units of Gordon M. Shrum hydro power plant were put into operation in the late 1960s. They represent 12% of BC Hydro's power production capacity and thus have considerable impact on the electricity supply for the Province of British Columbia.
