Hydro Performance Improved

Installation

Cathedral Peak hotel in the Drakensberg, is one of the most beautiful places in South Africa.  This privately owned hotel made the investment decision to utilize the available river for hydro power generation.

Their decision to generate turned out to be a major source of frustration as the turbine never performed as specified by the OEM, once installed.  The turbine did not perform as designed and maximum output was reduced well below design.

When all attempts failed to get the OEM to identify and rectify the faults, the owners approached WD power and requested our assistance to get involved.  The brief was to find possible solutions to achieve the desired performance of the turbine.

Solution

An initial site visit identified potential problem areas and WD Power made a proposal to rectify the defects.  The defects ranged from faulty installation to defective turbine components. WD Power, with the cooperation of the hotel owners, implemented a plan of action to rectify the problem areas.  Upon completion of the work the turbine was returned to service with full power output.  This allows the hotel to be less dependent on power from the grid and as a result, started to recover the initial investment.

This project made evident the benefit that a locally based company brings to supporting its customers.   The OEM for this turbine is based in Europe, therefore they could not resolve the site problems in a cost-effective manner.  WD Power assisted the client to achieve the desired results and a relationship was established which provides Cathedral Peak Hotel with the assurance that local support is available when required.

About WD Power

WD Power is a South African Hydro Power Generation company, based in Boksburg Gauteng.  WD Power specializes in manufacturing, installation and maintenance of hydro turbines and associated equipment.

Our experience in the hydro field puts WD Power in the ideal position to repair, replace components with locally designed solutions.  WD Power is also a services company providing field service support to our customers, using experienced technicians and engineers.  These services are provided in South Africa as well as surrounding countries with a high success rate.