Operation & maintenance |
● Highlighting the need for revised O&M guidelines, tailored support for small-scale projects, and informed investment strategies that explicitly account for scheme-specific O&M costs in long-term planning. Future research, the authors add, can be centred
around the use of more comprehensive datasets that include detailed technical information. Additionally, expanding the analysis to involve a broader range of hydropower schemes in terms of region, size, energy output, etc would help validate and expand the findings of this study.
It would also be valuable to conduct similar analyses under the assumption that all schemes have identical lifespans and the same annual revenues, as this could provide more standardised insights into the financial impacts of O&M costs across projects with varying characteristics.
O&M contracts In other news, Voith subsidiary Green Highland has
secured a contract to operate and maintain Kinlochleven hydropower station, one of the UK’s oldest plants. Alex Reading, Managing Director at Green Highland, said it was an honour to be trusted with the agreement that will see Green Highland assume full responsibility for daily operations and long-term maintenance. The agreement brings together Voith Hydro’s
international resources and scale with the local, specialist expertise of Green Highland, which will enable a comprehensive and tailored approach to managing the unique requirements of this historic site. Commissioned in 1909, Kinlochleven initially
Below: View at the edge of the Blackwater Dam Wall. Photo by Voith Hydro
generated power for a major aluminium smelter. Today, it is a cornerstone of the UK’s renewable energy infrastructure and supplies reliable power to the national grid. Located in the Scottish Highlands, the hydropower plant features three 10MW Francis turbines, a dam, pipelines and the Blackwater Reservoir. Equitix acquired the Kinlochleven hydropower plant in 2019. Meanwhile in The Philippines, Voith recently completed proactive annual preventive maintenance, under a long-term service agreement, which covers
Lake Mainit’s hydropower plant in Jabonga Town. Commissioned in 2023, the plant includes three vertical Francis turbines that produce a total of 24.9MW of energy. The preventive maintenance schedule was programmed to be seven days, covering main inlet valve (MIV) repairs, electrical testing and annual inspection of the components supplied by Voith. Voith says the integration of its digital tools and services have helped to identify hidden issues and mitigate potential risks before they emerge. During a digital health assessment, a variation in the actuation time of the main inlet valve of Unit 1 was detected and it was advised that the MIV should be checked. This became a critical task during the preventive maintenance schedule and the U-1 MIV seals were replaced and the misalignment issue addressed, preventing unexpected shutdowns and maintaining safety standards. This demonstrates how effective O&M benefit can
lead to enhanced equipment reliability and reduced risk of unforeseen outages, ensuring continuous power generation. “The precision of Voith’s digital diagnostics identified a hidden issue,” says Angelo A. Panganiban, Plant Manager at Lake Mainit hydropower plant. “Their proactive approach and seamless execution during maintenance not only prevented a potential shutdown but also guaranteed the long-term reliability of our facility.”
O&M strategy Recent research by Marie Stenelo and Lisa Hedlund, from
Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, looks at a newly developed O&M strategy implemented at a large Nordic power utility with hydropower generation at the core of its business. To maintain confidentiality, the company was kept anonymous and referred to as NordKraft. In late 2020, NordKraft entered into a joint venture with another utility to explore synergies in areas such as Nordic hydropower and trading optimisation, and there was great potential for knowledge exchange and operational alignment. However, with the outbreak of the war in Ukraine leading to major shifts in the European
28 | February/March 2026 |
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