Complete control system retrofit for hydro power plant

Energie Wasser Bern has chosen Metso to supply a complete control system retrofit for its Felsenau/Engehalde hydro power plant located in Bern, Switzerland. New automation with 99.9% availability will significantly increase the plant”s reliability and thus contribute to more efficient energy production. 

“The company made its decision in favor of Metso based on the evaluation of our technical solution and price,” comments Rene Neubert, Sales Director, Automation, Metso.

New automation will replace the existing control system that has reached the end of its life cycle. The delivery is scheduled for April 2014 and the startup for May-June 2014.

Metso DNA will be used for the turbine control, sluice gate control, excitation control, vibration monitoring as well as for a power plant/river training simulator. Metso will also supply an excitation system, synchronization equipment, generator and transformer protection. Metso”s delivery includes engineering, disassembly of the old equipment, installation, commissioning and testing.

Energie Wasser Bern is one of Switzerland”s largest municipal energy companies. It delivers electricity, heat, water and waste treatment, and operates a fiber optic network in Bern. The company produces energy at a waste-to-energy plant, a combined cycle power plant, and several hydro and photovoltaic power plants. It also is involved in hydro storage and nuclear power plants in Switzerland and France as well as in river hydro, wind, photovoltaic and solar thermal power plants in Germany, France, Italy and Spain.