The refurbishment of the turbines at the Melo hydropower plant, located in the Nokianvirta river in Nokia, part of the Kokemäenjoki water system, has begun ahead of schedule. The decision to start the refurbishment project was made in late 2024 due to a bearing failure in the plant's second turbine. The refurbishment of the damaged second turbine is currently underway and is expected to be completed in spring 2025. The goal is to start the refurbishment of the other, first turbine during the summer of 2025.
The refurbishment of the Melo hydropower plant’s turbines is part of PVO-Vesivoima’s long-term investment and renovation program. The investment decision for the refurbishment was made in 2024, and according to the original plan, both turbines were to be refurbished in 2025 and 2026. The plant’s equipment was last refurbished in the late 1990s.
– The planned refurbishment was timely, as the turbines were nearing the end of their lifecycle. However, after noticing the bearing failure in the autumn, we decided to start the project already in November 2024. The second turbine has now been dismantled and is at our partner’s workshop, where it will be inspected, serviced, and repaired. At the same time, parts will be replaced, and technical solutions will be modernized to better meet contemporary use, says Juha Kähkölä, Project and Investment Manager at PVO-Vesivoima.
The installation work of the turbine is expected to be completed by April. The goal is for the turbine to be in production use by the end of spring. The refurbishment of the first turbine is expected to start during the summer. The refurbishment work at Melo is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
– This project differs slightly from a typical refurbishment due to the schedule change. We have been doing planning and dismantling work simultaneously. Therefore, it is great that we have a well-coordinated team. The same team handles both generator and turbine-related work, says Kähkölä.
The refurbishment of the Melo turbines is being carried out by Andritz Hydro Oy, and Caverion Finland is responsible for the dismantling and installation work related to the generator.
PVO-Vesivoima has made significant investments in modernizing hydropower. The refurbishments of hydropower plants are part of the development work to ensure the production of balancing power increasingly needed by the domestic electricity grid.
For more information: Juha Kähkölä, Project and Investment Manager, PVO-Vesivoima Oy, juha.kahkola@pvo.fi, tel. +358 50 303 8622
Melo hydropower plant
- located in the Nokianvirta river in Nokia, part of the Kokemäenjoki water system
- completed in 1971
- an earlier refurbishment of the turbines in 1988 – 1999 and of the generators in 2014-2015
- capacity 67.9 megawatts
- 2 Kaplan turbines
PVO-Vesivoima Oy produces electricity with hydropower plants on the Iijoki, Kemijoki, and Kokemäenjoki rivers. The company’s electricity production averages 1.7 terawatt-hours per year. The company is part of the Pohjolan Voima Group. www.pohjolanvoima.fi.