News Release Archive

Reclamation Awards $25 Million Contract for Turbine Overhaul at Palisades Dam

Media Contact: John Redding, (208) 378-5212, 04/26/2011 10:54
Chris Ketchum, cketchum@usbr.gov

For Release: April 26, 2011

The Bureau of Reclamation awarded a $25 million contract to Andritz Hydro Corporation of Charlotte, NC, to overhaul all four power turbines at Palisades Dam, located on the Snake River about 70 miles east of Idaho Falls, Idaho.

The five-year project will rehabilitate all four of the dam's 54-year-old turbines with a new stainless steel runner and other components designed to increase efficiency and power production.

The powerplant, located on the downstream base of the dam on the west side of the river, has a generating capacity of 176,600 kilowatts or 44,150 kilowatts from each of the four units. The improvements will generate enough electricity for about 175,000 homes, which amounts to an increase electrical service to 35,000 additional homes.

"The runner is the heart of the turbine," says Larry Hieb, Supervisory Civil Engineer. "The new stainless steel runner will keep that heart beating well into the future since they are designed to resist cavitations and erosion."

Hieb also says the contractor will have to build a model of the runner for Reclamation engineers to test prior to installation to ensure that the design will function properly.

Reclamation expects to see a 30 percent increase in the efficiency during the winter season and about a 3.8 percent increase in efficiency in summer. Once the project is completed, Reclamation will only need to run one generator instead of two to produce power during the winter season.

Hieb says Reclamation estimates an additional income of $1.1 million in winter and $475,000 in the summer as a result of the new power turbines. After all work is completed the turbines should be operating like new and at higher efficiencies with increased generation capacity, and a service life expectancy of 50 years.

The overhaul is expected to be completed by May 1, 2016.

Palisades Dam was constructed by Reclamation in 1957 as part of the Palisades Project. It is a multipurpose facility that provides irrigation, flood control, hydropower, and recreation.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.