DRC 8MW Pelton – Hydro Turbine repairs

Travelling after lockdown

A small team of our engineers undertook our first visit into the African interior, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. This was to attend to an urgent request for assistance on a new Hydro Electric site on which the client was experiencing commissioning difficulties, prevented them from generating power. Although the site access was very difficult and presented some challenges, due to limited flights and travel restrictions that can change from day to day, our team succeeded in overcoming the issues.

Our client required an urgent precautionary bearing inspection to be done on two turbines installed in the DRC. As the turbines were stationary, pending the inspection, this was urgent and had to be done on a break down basis in order to get the Power Station back in a generating footing, as electricity being a scarce commodity in this remote part of Africa.

Assistance Required

WD Power did a full bearing inspection, check and corrected some alignment issues and repaired bearing oil seal damage in a record period. Allowing the client to resume generation, as all the other installed components could then be returned to service.

Although in this instance the problems were rectified quickly, the client made the correct decision, not operating the plant until the defects were correctly identified and sorted out. The bearing alignment problems would have resulted in future and long term damage to the bearings, oil seals and possible serious damage to the turbine, leading to an extended out of service period and no electrical power being available to the community.

Thankfully, our engineers are safely back home after an arduous return journey during which alternatives modes of transport had to be arranged, adding to the time away from base in South Africa. The satisfaction of having a successful operation behind them and a happy customer to be able to generate power made up for the hardships.

Well done to our team!