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News Release
PUD board approves upgrade for second unit at Rock Island Dam
Chelan County PUD
News Release
6/15/2009
After a successful year of testing the first turbine-generator unit to be modernized in the original powerhouse at Rock Island Dam, Chelan County PUD commissioners agreed Monday to move forward with a second unit.
The board approved an order to proceed with VA Tech Hydro USA (now Andritz Hydro Corp.) of Charlotte, N.C., for modernizing the turbine and generator and related components of unit B9, one of the units added to Powerhouse No. 1 at Rock Island Dam in the early 1950s to provide power for the new Wenatchee Works Alcoa plant nearby.
Lessons learned in modernizing the first unit will improve power production even more than originally expected, the board was told by PUD staff. An increase of about 10 percent in production has been seen with the first modernized unit, B-10. Thanks to experience with that unit, B-9 is expected to double to about 20 percent more energy.
Cost of the upgrade for the second unit is estimated at about $18.5 million overall. The unit will go off line in June 2010, and is expected to be back in service in April 2011.
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The next regular commission meeting is at 1 p.m. on Monday, June 22, 2009, in the PUD boardroom at 327 N. Wenatchee Ave. The meeting scheduled for July 6 has been canceled.
Most PUD commission meetings are recorded, and a link to the audio is available on the PUD’s home page at www.chelanpud.org.
Steve Lachowicz
Communications director
509-661-4639, direct line
509-679-0148, cell
steve.lachowicz@chelanpud.org