The company was awarded the complete electro-mechanical equipment contract for the Theun Hinboun Expansion Project, and works are to be completed by mid-2012. The project will add 280MW of installed capacity to the existing scheme.
The contract includes supply of equipment to the new Nam Gnouang plant and also the extension to the existing Theun Hinboun facility. In total, three Francis units as well as generators, governing systems, automation and protection systems, the main inlet valve, auxiliary systems, switchyard equipment and also erection and commissioning services are to be provided.
andritz was awarded the approximately Euro85M (US$122M) contract by the project developer Theun Hinboun Power Co, which is jointly owned by Electricite du Laos, GMS Power of Thailand and Norway's Statkraft.
The main civil works for the project involved construction of a 70m high RCC dam about 20km upstream of the existing Theun Hinboun dam, which will have a new intake built. A 60MW plant is being built at the new dam whereas downstream, fed by a 5.3km long by 7m wide headrace tunnel parallel to the existing tube, the new 220MW is under construction as an extension to the existing facility.
Theun Hinboun is downstream of the 1,070MW Nam Theun 2 project, which is under construction. Reservoir impounding began mid-year.
Separately, in Cameroon, Andritiz has won a contract worth more than Euro40M (US$57M) from national utility AES Sonel to refurbish the Edea I and Songloulou plants.
Work at 263MW Edea I involves replacing three 35.3MW turbine-generators sets with 49.2MW units. Additional work includes intakes, draft tubes, cranes and automation and control systems. The refurbishment and uprating is to be completed by 2011.
Penstock renovation work is to be undertaken at 384MW Songloulou as a further order for Andritz following major rehabilitation of the plant over the last seven years.
