Redevelopment of the Proctor Hydroelectric Station A Technical Paper for HydroVision 2016

摘要

After purchasing the Proctor Hydroelectric Station in Proctor, Vermont, in 2011, Green Mountain Power (GMP) undertook a multi-year, phased approach to redevelop nearly all components of the station. Upgrades included reconfiguring and streamlining the intake; replacing a 9-foot-diameter penstock; removing two surge tanks; replacing three vertical turbines installed in 1905 with new, vertical-axis, Francis units; rewinding and restoring the generator of a vertical Francis unit installed in 1926; replacing electrical power and control systems; constructing an access bridge to the power station; and other modifications to improve generation, operation, and safety of the station. Since completion of the project in 2015, the station’s generation capacity has increased from 3 megawatts (MW) to more than 10.23 MW, and it is now the largest of GMP’s 32 hydroelectric generating facilities. This paper describes the redevelopment of an historic, deteriorated, and nearly obsolete project into a modern, reliable, and safe facility and discusses the challenges encountered during the design, permitting, and construction phases of the project.