BC Hydro's Revelstoke Unit 5 turbine on the move from Brazil
REVELSTOKE – BC Hydro is transporting the new 188 tonne Revelstoke Unit 5 Project turbine by barge and transport truck from Brazil approximately 12,000 kilometres to its new home at the Revelstoke Generating Station.
"The transport of the stainless steel Francis turbine is an exciting milestone for the Revelstoke Unit 5 Project currently under construction with a target completion date of October 2010," said Ken McKenzie, BC Hydro Project Director. "Once installed, the turbine will provide an additional approximate 500 megawatts of dependable capacity to the Revelstoke Generating Station, bringing the facility's overall capacity to 2,480 megawatts."
The turbine measures just over 7 metres in diameter. The turbine was manufactured in Sao Paulo, Brazil and left the Port of Santos in Brazil June 17, 2009. Currently the turbine is on a barge at Kettle Falls, Washington. BC Hydro expects the transport to Revelstoke Generating Station to be completed over the next week or so.
The turbine was transported by ocean vessel from Brazil through the mouth of the Columbia River to Pasco, Washington. Then the turbine will be transferred to a long-haul transport trailer around the Grand Coulee Dam to Roosevelt Lake. It will then be moved to a barge and will travel up the Columbia River to the Shelter Bay ferry landing on the Arrow Lakes Reservoir, approximately 50 km south of the City of Revelstoke. From Shelter Bay to the Revelstoke Generating Station, the turbine will be transported by heavy-haul transport trailer.
"The BC Hydro Revelstoke Unit 5 project team chose to transport the runner in one piece rather than two pieces to increase the quality and expected life of the stainless steel turbine" said McKenzie. "However the resulting weight of the 188 ton turbine makes it challenging to move and the project team has been carefully planning its transport for well over a year."
BC Hydro is advising the public that Lower Columbia River flows will be increasing significantly for a day or two to allow the barge transport to pass. This will result in water levels below Hugh Keenleyside increasing by up to one-and-a-half metres. BC Hydro expects the increased flows to occur sometime between Tuesday, August 11 and Saturday, August 15. Please exercise extreme caution when swimming, boating or fishing on the Lower Columbia, and keep an appropriate distance from the tugboat and barge.
Contact:
Jen Walker-Larsen
Phone: 250 814 6645