Wood Group GTS bags $11.2m contract for Los Angeles plant’s turbine generator upgrade

Wood Group GTS was recently awarded a $11.2m contract to re-rate one of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s (LADWP’s) Hitachi hydro turbine generators at the Castaic Power Plant, a pumped storage facility 50 miles north of Los Angeles. This contract will complete the upgrade of the sixth and final turbine generator, undertaken as part of the Castaic Power Plant modernization program.

The work scope includes replacement of discharge and wear rings, extensive stay vane modification, turbine shut-off valve refurbishment and replacement of the generator stator. Over the last four years, Wood Group has helped modify three similar turbines, increasing generating output by 21MW per unit and boosting total plant capacity to approximately 1,260MW.

The modernization project also delivered increased unit efficiencies of approximately 2.7 percent in pump mode and 1.2 percent in generate mode. Work on the final turbine package commenced in late 2012 and is due for completion at the end of August this year.