PVO-Vesivoima Oy has approved an investment programme covering refurbishment work at the Isohaara, Kierikki and Raasakka hydropower plants. At the same time, safety at the plants will also be improved. The investment forms part of the company’s long-term investment and refurbishment programme aimed at strengthening the life cycle of its hydropower plants and securing electricity production.
Under the approved investment programme, the runners of units 3 and 4 at the Isohaara power plant on the River Kemijoki will be refurbished, along with the runners of unit 2 at the Kierikki and Raasakka plants on the River Iijoki. Refurbishment of the runner in unit 4 at Isohaara will begin in December this year, with unit 3 to follow a year later. The overhauls of unit 2 at Kierikki and Raasakka are scheduled to be carried out during 2028.
Refurbishing the runners is a major and multi-stage project
The refurbishment of the runners at the Raasakka, Isohaara and Kierikki plants is a major and multi-stage project. Approval for the investment was sought in one go for the refurbishment of four runners so that workshop capacity would be available when needed.
“The existing runner is lifted out and transported to a workshop for refurbishment, where the equipment is inspected, serviced and some parts are renewed. Test runs are then carried out. Other hydropower companies have similar refurbishment needs, and we wanted to make sure the expertise we require is available to us at the right time,” says Juha Kähkölä, Project and Investment Manager at PVO-Vesivoima.
As weather-dependent electricity generation such as wind power becomes more widespread, hydropower is used as balancing power to even out electricity consumption and production, allowing generation to be increased or reduced quickly when needed. This places growing demands on hydropower plant machinery. Planned refurbishment work helps ensure the equipment remains durable and that its life cycle stays long.
Investment will also be made in plant safety
Safety improvements will be carried out at the hydropower plants over the next couple of years. Measures at the plants will include enhanced camera surveillance and fire safety, as well as the construction of fencing.
“The investment in the safety projects is worth millions. These projects are important because we want to improve resilience to disruption at all of our power plants,” says Arttu-Pekka Alaperä, Project and Safety Manager at PVO-Vesivoima.
Further information:
Juha Kähkölä, Project and Investment Manager, PVO-Vesivoima Oy, juha.kahkola@pvo.fi, tel. +358 (0)50 303 8622
Arttu-Pekka Alaperä, Project and Safety Manager, PVO-Vesivoima Oy,
arttu-pekka.alapera@pvo.fi, tel. +358 (0)50 386 2614
PVO-Vesivoima Oy produces domestic, renewable and carbon dioxide-neutral electricity at its hydropower plants on the Rivers Iijoki, Kemijoki and Kokemäenjoki, generating on average 1.8 terawatt hours per year. It is part of the Pohjolan Voima Group. The excellent flexibility of hydropower makes it a key balancing resource for the electricity system. It enables the growth of weather-dependent generation and, together with new solutions such as energy storage, helps ensure the functionality and security of supply of the electricity system.