Case study of upgrading potential for a small hydro power station

Schemes for upgrading hydro power are formed in many parts of the world. Small hydro power (<15 MW) constitutes a fraction of all hydro power, but upgrading can still be worthwhile. In this article, a small generating station in Sweden, with two generators, is simulated with new generators. The voltage is increased by introducing a cable wound stator, thereby the transformers can be excluded, and more efficient generators are introduced with a higher power factor. These improvements lead to an active power increase from 8.9 to 9.4 MW per generator, which means an increased total annual production by 4.2 GW h.