Skellefteå Kraft and Voith inaugurate StreamDiver unit at Swedish hydropower plant

Swedish utility Skellefteå Kraft and Voith have inaugurated the Bruksfors hydroelectric project in Sweden’s northeast.

Voith supplied a 250kW-StreamDiver unit, for which it secured a contract in 2014.

The project is an example of how to integrate ecology and economical aspects into the most reliable form of renewable energy generation – hydro power, the companies stated

The unit was manufactured at Voith’s small hydro competence center Kössler. It can either be completely submerged for a standalone operation or can be integrated into existing power facilities.

StreamDiver was developed in order to take advantage of the untapped high energetic potential at run-of-river power stations with low heads. It features a permanent-magnet generator, which is embedded in an oil free bulb unit and comes in sizes from 50KW up to 800KW.

Claimed to be a compact and eco-friendly turbine, it ensures low maintenance and operating costs.

A pilot project of StreamDiver has been operating for the last three years in Verbund, at its 5MW Nussdorf facility near Vienna, Austria.

The StreamDiver, which has a maximum output of 450KW, has more than 24,000 operating hours, and has exported over 7GWh of power.

Voith Hydro Canada and its consortium partner Stuart Olson secured a contract earlier this year from Manitoba Hydro for the delivery of synchronous condensers for the Riel Synchronous Condensers project.

This deal comprises design, supply, installation and commissioning of four synchronous condensers each rated 250 MVAR.