Thordon Bearings has supplied a water-lubricated SXL turbine guide bearing and segmented shaft seal to Empresa Provincial De Energía de Córdoba (EPEC), a state-owned power company in Argentina. This marks the first time the company’s SXL bearings have been installed in a Latin American operation.
The bearing was fitted as part of a project to convert one of four 6MW Francis-type turbines at the San Roque Hydroelectric Power Plant from grease to water lubrication. The plant is located in Córdoba, Argentina’s fifth-largest province and home to the highest number of energy consumers in the country.
Thordon’s Buenos Aires-based distributor, Marine Logistics S.A., was responsible for replacing the original turbine guide bearing and carrier on the No.3 turbine. Before installation, precise measurements of the existing housing’s conical geometry had to be taken on-site. Once measurements were completed, the original white metal bearing, which had been lubricated with a grease and water mixture, was removed. A new turbine guide bearing carrier was manufactured, incorporating a bronze tapered keyset for the split SXL bushing. To fit the bearing, it was cooled using liquid nitrogen for compression and interference fitting into the carrier.
Marine Logistics also installed a water injection system and new seals, followed by tests for leaks, water pressures, and operating temperatures before commissioning. EPEC personnel received training on how to disassemble and reassemble the new bearing system.
“This conversion optimises turbine efficiency and reduces the environmental impact for EPEC,” said Claudio Di Bartolo, a naval technician at Marine Logistics. “By eliminating the need for grease, maintenance, procurement costs, and the associated labour and logistics are reduced.”
EPEC’s General Engineering Manager, Federico Ramacciotti, said: “The conversion of our hydropower turbines from grease to water lubrication is very much in keeping with our long-term sustainability strategy. Thordon Bearings is known globally for the high quality, reliability, and performance of its grease-free bearings, and with local support and training from Marine Logistics, it was an easy procurement decision to make.”
Following this initial installation, EPEC plans to issue tenders next year for the complete conversion of three additional hydroelectric turbines at the same facility. Thordon’s SXL and ThorPlas-Blue bearings will also be considered for other EPEC power plants in Córdoba.
The San Roque Dam, located in Córdoba’s Punilla Valley, provides water for drinking, irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric power. EPEC operates eight thermal power plants and nine other hydroelectric plants in Córdoba, supplying 63% of the region’s power demand.
Anthony Hamilton, Thordon Bearings’ Technical Director, highlighted the potential for further hydroelectric projects in Argentina. “Hydropower is Argentina’s largest source of clean electricity, supplying around 20% of the nation’s total. However, the country currently only uses around 20% of its estimated potential, and several substantial hydropower projects are currently underway, which we also hope to be involved with.”
He added that hydropower plays a crucial role in the energy mix of other Latin American countries, including Peru, Brazil, and Uruguay, and expressed optimism about future opportunities in the region.
