Voith Hydro Canada and its consortium partner Stuart Olson have been awarded the contract for the supply of Synchronous Condensers to Manitoba Hydro`s Riel project. This project consists of the design, supply, installation and commissioning of four synchronous condensers each rated 250 MVAR complete with Balance of Plant equipment, civil foundations and buildings.

The Riel electrical station is located near the city of Winnipeg in Canada`s Province of Manitoba. It is sited at the junction of major high voltage power lines. The synchronous condensers are required to provide grid stability given the fact that major powerhouses are hundreds of kilometers away from major consumption centers. These Synchronous Condensers can basically be compared to horizontal generators, said Voith. In the Riel Project case, the Synchronous Condenser assemblies are sealed to allow for hydrogen cooling. They do not produce "real" energy, no turbines are attached, and will rather support the Manitoba Hydro grid in reactive power (MegaVar).

We are extremely proud and excited to work together with our consortium partner, Stuart Olson, on this innovative project. It represents an important new reference for Voith and will position our company well for new opportunities, not only in Canada, but also globally in the synchronous condensers market," said, President and CEO Voith Hydro Inc. (Canada). The civil work will begin in 2015 and the four units are set to be in-service in 2018. Voith is the consortium lead and has the majority of the supply scope and will be leading the commissioning activities while its consortium partner Stuart Olson is taking care of the civil, infrastructure work and mechanical & electrical Balance of Plant including the overall equipment installation work.