Harbin Electric Machinery Co., Ltd. (HEC) has completed and shipped the first turbine runner for Unit 1 of the Tarbela Phase V Hydropower Extension Project in Pakistan, marking a milestone in the delivery of what the company says are the largest single-capacity hydropower units it has exported.
The runner, which was shipped from Harbin Electric’s Southern R&D and Manufacturing Centre at its Zhenjiang facility on 24 July, will be installed as part of the Tarbela Phase V expansion, where HEC is supplying three 504MW Francis turbine-generator units.
Located on the Indus River, Tarbela Hydropower Station is Pakistan’s largest hydropower facility. The Phase V expansion is being developed under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and will add three new generating units to the existing scheme.
According to HEC, the turbine runner is the largest and heaviest export runner it has independently developed. It features a cast-welded structure and is also the first large Francis turbine runner manufactured at the company’s Zhenjiang production facility.
The company said the project presented significant engineering challenges due to the sediment-laden waters of the Indus River and the complex operating conditions at the plant. To address these, HEC established a dedicated research and development team and applied manufacturing techniques including multi-stage composite machining and segmented stress-relief treatment to improve dimensional accuracy and structural stability.
During the design phase, engineers carried out multiple rounds of hydraulic simulation and finite element analysis to optimise the runner for operation under low-head, high-flow conditions.
HEC also said it introduced a hard thermal spray coating to improve resistance to abrasion caused by sediment, helping extend component life in the harsh operating environment.
The company stated that the completed runner is designed to operate across the full load range from 0% to 100% while providing high operational stability and wide load adjustment capability. It added that the runner met or exceeded its internal performance targets during manufacturing and testing.
