Successful start-up of two SAUER Passat WP66L units at a hydropower plant in Rwanda
Compressors play a central role in the operation of a hydropower plant. A recent success story shows how we went the extra mile to overcome a critical operating situation at the Rusumo Hydroelectric Power Station in Rwanda.
The power plant was commissioned in 2024 and equipped with compressors from a competitor. The run-of-the-river power plant has an installed capacity of 80 MW (110,000 hp) and the power generated will be shared equally among the countries of Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Compressors are used in hydroelectric power plants for braking air, for adjusting turbine blades and large valves, for venting and relieving pressure during start-up, and for preventing pulsation and cavitation.
The two initially installed compressors for braking air from a competitor failed at a pressure of 80 bar(g). This led to a shutdown of the entire plant and highlighted the central importance of the compressors. The hydropower plant operator turned to Sauer Compressors for a quick solution: with two machines in stock and two shortly available control units, a solution was offered swiftly.
Our scope of delivery consisted of:
- 2x SAUER Passat WP66L Basic
- 2x control units with Sauer ecc 3.0
- Condensate separator tanks
- Spare parts kits
Thanks to the rapid availability of the components and the smooth installation, the new compressors were successfully put into operation and the plant was restarted without any further delay. The new compressors now ensure stable operation of the hydroelectric power plant.
Conclusion:
The incident at the hydroelectric power plant demonstrates the central importance of the compressors for the availability of the entire hydropower plant. The rapid delivery and installation of the new Sauer Compressors compression solution prevented a longer shutdown. The SAUER Passat WP66L has proven itself many times over as a reliable and robust solution and is one of our bestsellers when it comes to applications in hydroelectric power plants. This reliability contributes to the sustainable operability of the power plant.
