Toshiba Corporation announced that its subsidiary, Toshiba International Corporation, has signed a major contract with Consumers Energy and Detroit Edison for the major overhaul of hydroelectric power equipment at the Ludington pumped-storage hydro plant in Michigan, one of the world’s largest pumped-storage hydroelectric power plants.
The contract has a value of approximately US$500 million, a press release states.
The Ludington pumped-storage hydro plant was built between 1969 and 1973, and at that time was the world’s largest pumped-storage hydro plant. It was initially completed with hydro power equipment from other manufacturers, but Toshiba has been selected as supplier for this upgrade, the most comprehensive in the plant’s history.
The scope of work covers the replacement of six 312-MW pump turbines and upgrades of their motor generators and associated equipment and will boost output up to 50 MW per unit. Installation of the new equipment will start in June 2013, and all units are expected to be commissioned and on line by the end of 2019.
In other news, Gridflex Energy LLC, a developer of bulk energy-storage projects, is pursuing plans for five pumped-storage hydroelectric projects in Wyoming.
Four of the proposed hydropower projects would be located in Carbon County, within range of several planned transmission projects intended to ship Wyoming’s wind energy to Southwestern markets.
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