Hydro Station Upgrade Begins with Large Turbine Deliveries
August 2, 2010
SALEM, SC – August 2, 2010 – Duke Energy’s Jocassee Pumped-Storage Hydroelectric Station will receive two new turbines for units 1 and 2 this fall, upgrading the station and increasing capacity by 50 megawatts.
The turbines, being manufactured by Voith Hydro in York, Pa., represent state-of-the-art design for greater efficiency. Following a seven-day trek, the first turbine will arrive near Salem on Aug. 9. The second turbine is expected to arrive at this location in early September.
Each turbine — about 23 feet in diameter and weighing nearly 150 tons — will be transported via interstate highways on 20-axle, dual-lane trailers about 250 feet long.
Guy M. Turner, Inc. will manage the delivery, and the units will travel with police escort to help manage traffic along the route. Once near the town of Salem on S.C. Hwy. 11, the first turbine will be parked temporarily until the second arrives. Then both will make the slow and winding seven-mile journey to the facility on a hydraulic platform trailer while escort personnel walk alongside. Duke Energy will notify residents and emergency personnel they may need an alternate route during daylight hours of the two days the turbines travel to the station.
“Essentially, we’re improving the output of the facility and making it more efficient with state-of-the-art design technology,” said Greg Lewis, technical manager – Hydro Fleet. “This extends the life of the station and helps our system respond to peak customer demands with a fast, flexible, clean and efficient energy resource.”
These will be the first upgrades to Jocassee units 1 and 2 since they began commercial operation in 1973. Replacing the turbines will enhance hydro generation from the current maximum capability of 170 megawatts to 195 megawatts each. Each also will increase pumping capacity by 37 megawatts. Units 3 and 4 were upgraded in 2006 and 2007. Lake Jocassee will be operated at least four feet below full pond during the upgrades to units 1 and 2, which are planned for September 2010 through May 2011.
When generating electricity, the Jocassee pumped-storage facility works as a conventional hydroelectric station. However, the facility also can reverse its turbines and pump back previously used water from Lake Keowee into Lake Jocassee. This allows Duke Energy to reuse the water to generate electricity for customers during periods of highest demand.
Duke Energy is one of the largest electric power holding companies in the United States. Its regulated utility operations serve approximately 4 million customers located in five states in the Southeast and Midwest, representing a population of approximately 11 million people. Its commercial power and international business segments own and operate diverse power generation assets in North America and Latin America. Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: www.duke-energy.com. To learn more and contribute to the discussion about the energy issues of today and the possibilities of tomorrow, see www.sheddingalight.org.
