Saluda Hydro Plant Undergoes Modernization of GE Vernova Hydropower Units

GE Vernova is modernizing two of its hydropower units at the 100-year-old Saluda Hydropower plant near Columbia, South Carolina. The order from Dominion Energy includes installing an aerating turbine to replace turbine Units 1 and 3 and retrofitting Unit 3 generator. This upgrade will prolong the plant’s life and performance and boost the Saluda River’s water quality by implementing GE Vernova’s new aerating turbine technology.

“As one of the oldest sources of renewable energy in the country, the approximately 100 GW installed base is aging, and we see large opportunities for modernization projects to deliver even more renewable energy into the grid and help accelerate the energy transition in the country,” said Frederic Ribieras, Hydro Power CEO, GE Vernova. “Our team is delighted to bring its advanced solution to a site that has been serving the state for almost a century. This project shows that through both electricity generation and water management, hydropower can provide many benefits to communities for a very long time.”

Through the collaboration, GE Vernova is responsible for the engineering, procurement, and construction of its units. The first unit is expected to be retrofitted by 2027. The company will also implement its advanced aerating hydropower turbine technology that increases dissolved oxygen, which means it oxygenates the water to ensure a minimum level of oxygen to protect aquatic life and natural resources.

"Our current turbines at Saluda Hydro have performed safely and successfully for more than 90 years," said Dominion Energy Vice President of Generation Iris Griffin. "Investing in their replacement will help maintain the facility's long-term reliability and, most importantly, continue to safely serve our customers for many years to come.”

Saluda Hydropower Plant. Credit: Dominion Energy

Ontario Hydropower

Earlier this summer, the Ontario region, through a partnership between Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and GE Vernova, established a 15-year plan to refurbish up to five hydropower plant stations, including up to 25 units at the Sir Adam Beck Complex in Niagara Falls—increasing its capacity by up to 50 MW. The hydroelectric refurbishment plans will help secure up to 1,700 MW of clean electricity and extend their life by another 30 years.

Hydropower stations house complex rotating machinery that is exposed to environmental elements, varying elevations, and more, day in and day out. But there is no one-size-fits-all turbomachine used in hydropower plants.

Jean-Michel Milles, Hydro Power Head of Engineering at GE Vernova’s Hydro Business, explained how hydropower plants work and their upkeep and maintenance. “In a hydropower plant, the rotating machines—turbines and generators—convert the mechanical energy of flowing water through the units into electrical energy delivered to the grid. According to the site characteristics, mainly the differences in elevation between upstream and downstream reservoirs or river levels, different kinds of turbines [can be installed],” he said.

Milles reviewed the three most common hydro turbines:

• Pelton turbines are used for heads between 200 and 1,000 meters.
• Francis turbines are used for heads between 50 and 300 meters.
• Kaplan units are for heads lower than 50 meters.