Units 5-8 at the Vernon hydroelectric plant consisted of three 1.5 MW runner camel-back vertical Francis units. It was determined that the units were unsafe to maintain due to fall protection and confined space entry problems.
Studies confirmed the feasibility of upgrading the plant. Based on the turbine generator bids, 4.5 MW axial flow vertical Kaplan units were selected for the redevelopment. The redevelopment featured:
- Cofferdam design to accommodate existing upstream and downstream fishways
- Redesign of the 1906 powerhouse structure to accommodate the larger units, turbine gallery, and turbine removal shaft
- Expansion of the 13.8-kV switchgear to accommodate the new units, and
- Redesign of the 2.4-kV system and station service system.
Hatch provided engineering services for the design and construction of the 16-MW expansion of the Vernon hydroelectric project in Vermont, USA. Our scope includes:
- Prefeasibility study
- Feasibility study
- River basin hydrologic evaluation & energy studies
- Turbine generator specifications
- Cofferdam design and specification
- New crane specification
- Final design of powerhouse to accommodate the larger new equipment
- Engineering support during construction
- Engineering support during commissioning.
- Both plants were built on time and on budget
- Locks 1 and 2 will generate 25 GWh of green energy and offset 16,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
- Zero lost–time incidents.
