At Xayaburi Hydro Power Plant (HPP), Laos, leading hydro engineering supplier Andritz is benefiting from the safety and efficiency of Konecranes heavy-duty open winch cranes to lift and accurately position the biggest hydropower turbines in Southeast Asia. Andritz is a globally leading supplier of plants, equipment, and services for hydropower stations, the pulp and paper industry, the metalworking and steel industries, and for solid/liquid separation in the municipal and industrial sectors. The company has over 250 sites worldwide.
Located on the Lower Mekong River, approximately 30 kilometers east of Xayaburi, a town in northern Laos, the Xayaburi HPP is one of the largest hydroelectric projects in the region. When the project is fully completed in 2019, the total installed capacity is expected to be 1,285 megawatts, with a total annual energy production of around 7,400 GWh.
Two 380/80-ton SM cranes are used to lift tailor-made turbine components weighing hundreds of tons and position them in the powerhouse, which is environmentally harmonious by design. It avoids harm to fish in the Mekong River, home to over a thousand fish species.
We chose Konecranes for the challenging task of lifting and accurately positioning turbines, generators and components because they have a world class reputation for safety and reliability and Xayaburi is one of the biggest hydro power projects."
Harald Taubenschmid, Project Manager – Xayaburi HPP, Andritz Hydro
Compact design and custom features
“The Konecranes units not only lift enormous weights very efficiently, but they can fit into confined spaces too, which is a major advantage when working on a project like Xayaburi,” Mr Taubenschmid adds.
The extremely compact design of our SM trolley leads to minimized approach dimensions and headroom. Compared to conventional trolley types, the SM crane gives a reduction in the structural requirements of rails, runway beams and columns, and in the overall height of the building. Its compact design and economy of space allow for streamlined production areas and smaller buildings with bigger cost savings.
We were able to draw upon our decades of global experience in producing cranes for the power industry when we provided recommendations for features for Xayaburi.
Both SM crane sets incorporate Smart Features such as Sway Control and Shock Load Prevention, as well as Extended Speed Range. These enable higher average hoist speeds and crane speed on the bridge to be attained with outstanding safety and operating efficiency – and without increasing motor size.
“The Smart Features are a big help to our operations, which require high levels of precision and safety. We use the 80-ton cranes to lift all our equipment from the powerhouse unloading bay to erection bay, where we assemble our turbines and generators. Then, in a tandem operation with a beam, we use both 380-ton cranes to lift our generator rotor with a weight of 632 tons into position,” states Taubenschmid.
A fish-friendly project
The turbines have been specially designed to safeguard fish from harm. Fish biodiversity would ordinarily be threatened by conventional hydro turbines used on projects of similar size to Xayaburi. However, on this project, Andritz worked closely with local and international authorities to custom-engineer turbines that wouldn’t disrupt the ecosystem or affect the biodiversity of the river.
“The turbines at Xayaburi HPP operate at a very low speed and with a reduced number of blades to safeguard the fish from any harm. Additionally, all turbines have an oil-free runner hub, so no oil will end up contaminating the river,” says Taubenschmid, who adds that he is confident in the reliability of Konecranes to handle these huge tailor-made parts.
On this project, Andritz worked closely with local and international authorities to custom-engineer turbines that wouldn’t disrupt the ecosystem or affect the biodiversity of the river.
“The cranes are absolutely critical to our operations. If the cranes fail, essential works are hindered and our project falls behind schedule. Konecranes has a reputation for outstanding reliability even in tough conditions, and this was a major consideration when choosing them for this project,” he says.
“Konecranes’ supervisors have also been working well. They have provided us with professional and prompt service, as well as expert advice wherever necessary. Projects like this require a meticulous level of accuracy, and we’ve always been able to rely on Konecranes to provide this for us.”
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