Voith Hydro to upgrade Priest Rapids Dam in Washington

Voith Hydro has secured a contract to upgrade the powerhouse at Priest Rapids Dam in the US state of Washington.

Under the contract, the company will upgrade the turbines in the 10-unit powerhouse at Grant County Public Utility District’s hydro power facility.

The company will install upgraded vertical Kaplan turbines at the facility over a decade, beginning 2016.

Each turbine will have an installed capacity of around 100MW.

Voith claims that cavitation free performance and stringent fish passage criteria were critical components for the final awarded design of the turbine.

Voith Hydro York president and CEO Kevin Frank said: "With these improvements, Priest Rapids will continue to serve Grant County PUD customers for many decades to come and continue the Pacific Northwest’s leadership in generating the abundant, clean, and low-cost hydropower that provides energy to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in the region."

The company recently completed the final turbine upgrade at the 10-unit Wanapum Dam in the country.

Earlier this month, Voith secured a contract by the utility ENDESA Chile to equip the Los Cóndores Hydropower Plant in Chile.

Voith will deliver two power units for the powerhouse with an approximate installed capacity of 150MW.

Voith Hydro Brazil president & CEO previously said: "Our excellent references in recent projects in Latin America, and Voith’s long-standing presence in Chile have been decisive factors in winning this new contract."