GE Hydro Solutions has signed a service contract with HYDRO Exploitation SA, acting on behalf of the asset owner Electra-Massa SA, to refurbish two 120 MVA vertical synchronous generators at the Bitsch power plant station in Wallis, Switzerland. The main objectives of the generators’ refurbishment are to extend the lifetime of the plant for several decades and increase the performance as well as reliability of the power station. In addition, Electra-Massa SA aims to maintain the plant fully operational until and after the concession expires in 2048.The 340 MW hydropower plant will be equipped with two new state-of-the-art generators tailored to meet the customer's specific operational needs. They will replace the previous equipment which reached the end of its life. Consequently, the hydropower plant Bitsch will benefit from more flexible generators that will improve the power plant’s overall efficiency.HYDRO Exploitation SA, that operates the plant for Electra-Massa SA, will act as the project owner’s representative. Together with GE Hydro Solutions, the three partners are committed to deliver the highest engineering and design quality, to ensure continuity of operation, and to organize project integration and management. As the sixth largest hydropower plant in Switzerland, the hydropower plant Bitsch plays a major role in the Swiss energy supply. This upgrade of the power plant capacity underlines the role of hydropower as the major source of renewable energy in Switzerland.GE Hydro Solutions will be responsible for the design studies, the engineering, the manufacturing and the delivery of the two generators. Once the generators are delivered, GE Hydro Solutions will be in charge of the erection and the commissioning of the new equipment.The first modernized Bitsch unit is expected to be commissioned in August 2024, and the last one is expected to come online in 2025.
GE Hydro Solutions has signed a service contract with HYDRO Exploitation SA, acting on behalf of the asset owner Electra-Massa SA, to refurbish two 120 MVA vertical synchronous generators at the Bitsch power plant station in Wallis, Switzerland. The main objectives of the generators’ refurbishment are to extend the lifetime of the plant for several decades and increase the performance as well as reliability of the power station. In addition, Electra-Massa SA aims to maintain the plant fully operational until and after the concession expires in 2048.The 340 MW hydropower plant will be equipped with two new state-of-the-art generators tailored to meet the customer's specific operational needs. They will replace the previous equipment which reached the end of its life. Consequently, the hydropower plant Bitsch will benefit from more flexible generators that will improve the power plant’s overall efficiency.HYDRO Exploitation SA, that operates the plant for Electra-Massa SA, will act as the project owner’s representative. Together with GE Hydro Solutions, the three partners are committed to deliver the highest engineering and design quality, to ensure continuity of operation, and to organize project integration and management. As the sixth largest hydropower plant in Switzerland, the hydropower plant Bitsch plays a major role in the Swiss energy supply. This upgrade of the power plant capacity underlines the role of hydropower as the major source of renewable energy in Switzerland.GE Hydro Solutions will be responsible for the design studies, the engineering, the manufacturing and the delivery of the two generators. Once the generators are delivered, GE Hydro Solutions will be in charge of the erection and the commissioning of the new equipment.The first modernized Bitsch unit is expected to be commissioned in August 2024, and the last one is expected to come online in 2025.