OREANDA-NEWS. October 23, 2009. Branch of “Engineering Center UES” – “Firm ORGRES” – concluded contracts for supply, during 2009 and 2010, of thrust bearing segments for hydroelectric generating unit with elastic metal and plastic coat (EMP-segments) for hydroelectric station Bhakra (India).

According to the contract, EMP-segments will be supplied for the hydroelectric power plant under construction. The segments were designed and manufactured with participation of engineers from “Firm ORGRES”. The Customer is “Andritz Hydro Pvt. Ltd.” – a joint Austrian-Indian venture. Earlier, in 2005 and 2008, “Firm ORGRES” already supplied EMP-segments to Austrian “Andritz Hydro GmbH” for the company’s foreign hydroelectric power plant construction projects.

EMP-segments make it possible to enhance the operation reliability of hydro set bearings and center plates; do without forced lubrication system, derestrict the number of set starts and time between shutdown and the subsequent start as well as expand the overhaul life span.

In addition to supply of EMP-segments to HEPP under construction, “Firm ORGRES” carries on work on upgrading the operating hydroelectric power stations with reconstruction of thrust bearings and guide bearings of hydroelectric units with the replacement of babbit-coated segments (obsolete technology) with EMP-segments.

“Firm ORGRES” counts almost thirty years of experience in such work. Starting from 1981, its specialists took part in application of EMP-segments and their installation on thrust bearings of hydroelectric units at the majority of hydroelectric power stations of the former Soviet Union. Thrust bearings of hydro units at all the major HEPPs in Russia are equipped with EMP-segments, including Krasnoyarskaya, Bratskaya HEPP, Zagorskaya Pump Storage Hydroelectric Plant and other power stations. Specialists from “Form PRGRES” modernized almost all the hydraulic power stations in Bulgaria. Currently, such work is underway at Chaira Pump Storage Hydroelectric Plant in Bulgaria.