Scottish Water’s £130m flagship investment set just outside the Edinburgh ring road is a 21st century replacement for two now decommissioned WTWs at Alnwickhill and Fairmilehead. Glencourse is fed by the Talla Aqueduct and the water comes from a variety of sources, primarily the Talla, Megget and Fruid Reservoirs.

Employing DAF pre-treatment, tertiary sand filtration and final disinfection, the works is able to provide up to 175Ml/d of potable water to the Scottish capital. As with any physical or biological treatment system maintaining a steady flow though the works is paramount to its stable and efficient operation.

Due to the varying head and flow characteristics, Black and Veatch (Scottish Waters delivery partner) approached Gilkes for a solution to pressure management at the inlet to the works. Two possibilities were considered including pressure reducing valves (PRV’s) and also a hydro turbine to manage the pressure and provide a steady flow to the DAF cells.

The Gilkes Turgo was selected as it is capable of continuously delivering pre-determined flows even in the event of a loss of grid situation. The Gilkes Turgo provides a proven and robust solution for pressure reduction and power generation in one box. Simply put the turbine is able to operate as a pressure reducing valve (PRV) whether it is functioning as a turbine or not. In a conventional reaction turbine, there is the risk that a grid trip would either require the turbine to shut down or for a complex by-pass arrangement to be in place. This Turgo turbine also avoids the possibility of pressure surge travelling back up the main.

The energy recovery turbine at Glencorse captures 30-35% of the energy needed to run the WTW. This helping to reduce the sites carbon footprint and dependence on external energy sources.

Due to the Turgo’s unique design, Gilkes engineers were able to achieve pressure reduction and power generation from a single machine without the use of hydraulics or additional valves.

The Turbine is fitted with deflectors that allow water to continue passing through the turbine while at the same time being deflected away from the runner. This allows the machine to achieve a rapid shutdown, regardless of the spear valve (flow regulation) setting. This means that the flow through the turbine is not effected should the unit be required to shut down. The top and bottom deflector plates are mounted on vertical shafts supported by flanged bushes inside the turbine case. The deflectors are independent of each other and each unit is operated by its own electrical actuator mounted on the turbine case. Each deflector actuator has an integrated position transducer which indicates the deflector’s position for the full range of travel to the control system.

The Turgo turbine is able to operate continuously as a pressure reducing valve (PRV). This is true whether the machine is operating as a PRV or as a PRV and turbine combined.

Gilkes has considerable, worldwide experience of replacing the break pressure valve with a Turgo Impulse Turbine. The use of a Turgo Impulse turbine does not result in the plant using losing any flow control. The turbine may be set so that is primary purpose is to provide the correct value of water at the correct pressure. One of the great advantages of a Turgo Impulse turbine is that it generates within a wide variety of flows.

KEY STATISTICS

• Turbine Type: Twin Jet Turgo
• Power: 253 kW
• Net head: 53 m
• Flow: 550 l/s
• Runner diameter: 20”
• Speed: 600 rpm

SCOPE OF SUPPLY

• Turbine and control system
• Installation
• Commissioning

Bryn Cowlyd Water Treatment Works is in the county of Conwy in Wales and is fed from Llyn Cowlyd, which is the deepest lake in north Wales. The new WTW was commissioned in 2019 and is Welsh Waters flagship Works.

Gilkes were approached by Skanska Construction for the detailed design, manufacture, testing and installation, commissioning and training of an energy recovery turbine suitable for flow control at the inlet to the works and to generate renewable energy which would contribute to the on site load required to operate the water treatment works.

Welsh Water, Skanska and Gilkes worked together to determine the most suitable turbine and generator. With a net head close to 200m and a flow rate of around 323l/sec the hydrology was suited a Pelton turbine. After monitoring the expected variations, a 750mm single jet Pelton turbine was selected for efficiency and maximum annual energy production.

It was an interesting project for Gilkes, as this was the first water treatment works where the entire project was done under BIM (Building Information Management) meaning a full 3D walk though of the treatment stages, energy recovery turbine and final treatment was available during the design stage and also for hazard awareness.

Although the turbine could have been offered in a compact, Streamline format, the machine was offered in a more heavily built design to ensure that noise from the turbine was kept to a minimum.

Gilkes are proud to have supplied further equipment for use on Welsh Water sites, having delivered three machines over the last 10 years.

KEY STATISTICS

• Turbine Type: Single Jet Pelton
• Power: 575kW
• Head: 217 m
• Flow: 323 l/s
• Runner Dia: 750 mm
• Speed: 750 rpm

SCOPE OF SUPPLY

• Reducing spool & inlet pipework
• Single Jet Pelton turbine
• Induction generator
• Turbine control & switchgear panels
• Operation & maintenance manuals
• Installation & commissioning
• Operator training
• Ongoing service & maintenance

Ross Priory Pumping station is a Scottish Water asset situated in West Dunbartonshire. The purpose of the station is to transfer water from Loch Lomond to the WTW at Balmore. The Balmore WTW has the capacity to contribute 360 Ml/d of potable water for the city off Glasgow.

The scheme is locally known as the Loch Lomond Water Supply scheme and is on a section of the Scottish Water network known as the cross connection between Strathblane and Balmore WTW.

The Gilkes turbine provides two essential roles, primarily to reduce the pressure in the main and at the same time generate renewable energy for the benefit of Scottish Water.

The Gilkes Turgo was selected as it is capable of continuously delivering pre-determined flows even in the event of a loss of grid situation. The Gilkes Turgo provides a proven and robust solution for pressure reduction and power generation in one box. Simply put the turbine is able to operate as a pressure reducing valve (PRV) whether it is functioning as a turbine or not. In a conventional reaction turbine, there is the risk that a grid trip would either require the turbine to shut down or for a complex by-pass arrangement to be in place. This Turgo turbine also avoids the possibility of pressure surge travelling back up the main.

Due to the Turgo’s unique design, Gilkes engineers were able to achieve pressure reduction and power generation from a single machine without the use of hydraulics or additional valves.

The Turbine is fitted with deflectors that allow water to continue passing through the turbine while at the same time being deflected away from the runner. This allows the machine to achieve a rapid shutdown, regardless of the spear valve (flow regulation) setting. This means that the flow through the turbine is not effected should the unit be required to shut down. The top and bottom deflector plates are mounted on vertical shafts supported by flanged bushes inside the turbine case. The deflectors are independent of each other and each unit is operated by its own electrical actuator mounted on the turbine case. Each deflector actuator has an integrated position transducer which indicates the deflector’s position for the full range of travel to the control system.

The Turgo turbine is able to operate continuously as a pressure reducing valve (PRV). This is true whether the machine is operating as a PRV or as a PRV and turbine combined.

Gilkes has considerable, worldwide experience of replacing the break pressure valve with a Turgo Impulse Turbine. The use of a Turgo Impulse turbine does not result in the plant using losing any flow control. The turbine may be set so that is primary purpose is to provide the correct value of water at the correct pressure. One of the great advantages of a Turgo Impulse turbine is that it generates within a wide variety of flows.

Gilkes' scope of supply was for the supply, installation and commissioning of a Twin Jet Turgo hydro-turbine

• Power: 735 kW
• Net Head: 80m
• Flow: 1000 l/s
• Runner Dia: 20”
• Speed: 750 rpm

KEY STATISTICS

• Customer: ISU Genel Mudurlugu
• Turbine type: Streamline Pelton
• Number of Turbines: 1
• Power: 170 kW
• Net Head: 107.80m
• Flow: 0.18m3/s
• Runner Dia: 550 mm
• Speed: 750 rpm

The Avluburun HEPP was installed by ISU Genel Mudurlugu (ISU) on their existing drinking water system. The turbine-generator unit acts as a power recovery break pressure device within the drinking water system. Rather than using energy dissipating valves to reduce the water pressure to the required value ISU decided to install a turbine-generator unit to recover the power available in the water at the entrance to the water storage tank.

A careful study of the whole pipework system associated with the hydroelectric installation was carried out which included transient modelling all possible scenarios that could affect the integrity of the drinking water pipework system as a result of the operation of the new and existing turbine-generator systems.

SCOPE OF SUPPLY

• Gilkes horizontal Streamline Pelton Turbine Model 550 P316 TJP
• Penstock connection pipe
• Turbine main inlet valve (MIV)
• MIV automatic pressure equalising bypass
• Synchronous generator 400V, 214.5 KVA, 0.9 PF
• Hydraulic pressure unit (HPU) for turbine, MIV and MIV bypass
• Turbine energy dissipating bypass valve
• Flowmeter
• Control and SCADA system
• Electrical balance of plant
• Delivery to the project site

The contract for the supply of the M&E equipment was awarded to Gilkes Elektromekanik San. Ve Tic. A.S., a joint venture company between Gilkes in the UK and Marbeyaz Makina Sanayi A.S. in Turkey.

The joint venture company was set up in January 2015 to focus on supplying hydroelectric equipment packages in Turkey and neighbouring countries with the aim of manufacturing and procuring all equipment in Turkey to take advantage of the Turkish government FIT incentives for products manufactured in Turkey. All tendering, design, supervision of assembly, installation, commissioning, start up and testing is provided by the UK team with Gilkes Elektromekanik overseeing the manufacture of the turbine by its partner Marbeyaz and the sourcing of ancillary plant defined by Gilkes from the Turkish market.

Gilkes Elektromekanik is one of the first companies in Turkey to have been accredited by the TSE with certification for local manufacture to allow the project owner to be eligible the FIT incentive.

When United Utilities needed to increase the throughput of Franklaw Water Treatment Works in Lancashire they considered energy recovery as part of the overall design. Water is abstracted from the Thirlmere aqueduct and conducted to the site through underground pipes. The water treatment process required that downstream of the energy recovery plant there should be a pressure of some 8m to drive the water through. Upstream however, there could be no possibility of pressure surge, due to the long pipeline.

It was also imperative that water should flow at all times. Lightening strikes could potentially cause the set to trip and with some machine types this would result in either complete or partial shut down of the main. Gilkes were consulted and together with United Utilities engineers arrived at the solution seen in these images. An inlet chamber was always going to be required, this was built above ground and the mains conducted to it.

A Gilkes Impulse Turbine could then be installed as the power recovery turbine as the plant now facilitated a free discharge machine. The turbine acts as both pressure and flow regulator for the intake works. In the event there is a loss of grid, the flow regulating needle valves, integral in the machines design, remain fixed until such time as mains power is recovered. Pressure continues to be broken by means of directing the needle jets at deflector plates inside the turbine case and the water falls to the intake chamber from where it continues in the normal way to the process plant.

Key statistics

• Head: 93 m
• Flow: 1.39 m³/s
• Power: 1000 kW

Operated in this way there is no pressure surge seen in the conduit on loss of grid. A controlled shut-down of the turbine inlet valves can then be initiated and an alternate water supply used on the works.

By designing in energy recovery, the engineers were able to justify the use of larger than normal conduit systems to maintain head at the point of delivery, rather than increase velocity and minimise head at the works, where any remaining head has to be destroyed.

Key Statistics

• Head: 120m
• Flow: 1200 l/s
• Turbine type: 2 x 500 G130 Francis
• Speed: 1000 rpm
• Output power: 1250kW

Inverlael is a run of river hydroelectric scheme which is located within the Lael Forest at the South end of Loch Broom, 10 miles from Ullapool in Wester Ross, Scotland. Gilkes was selected to supply the generating equipment for this scheme. Inverlael Hydro Scheme takes water from a catchment area of approximately 16km², including water flowing off Beinn Dearg and surrounding summits. Water is abstracted at two intake weirs on the River Lael and Allt Mor which feeds into 3.2km of buried pipelines to a powerhouse containing two turbines and generators as well as a transformer and associated equipment. The turbine discharges combine through a short buried tailrace pipe back to the River Lael before its discharge into the north side of Loch Broom. There is no reservoir storage so the turbines only use the water available in the rivers at the time.

The scheme was consented under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 by the Scottish Executive in July 2007, took 13 months to construct at a cost of just under £5M, and became operational in May 2009.

Generating Equipment:

The hydro generation equipment was designed, manufactured and installed by Gilkes. There are two horizontally shafted Francis type turbines directly coupled to two 415 volt, three phase synchronous electrical generators. The turbine is controlled by a et of 20 guide vanes mounted in the spiral casing which direct the water onto the runner, causing it to rotate at 1000rpm to drive the generator. After passing through the turbines the water is discharged down through the draft tube into the tailrace pipe and back into the river through a special fish friendly screen.

Control:

When in operation the turbines are controlled automatically via the control panels in the powerhouse using level sensing equipment at the intakes. The turbines have a gross head of 120m and use between 0.4 and 2.9 cubic meters per second of water between them, supplied roughly equally from each intake, and can generate between 300 and 2,500kW of power, depending on the water available in the river.

Grid Connection

A station transformer converts the output from the generators from 415 to 33,000 volts which is then delivered to Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution’s local electrical distribution 33kV network via a buried cable and short overhead line. As this is near to the end of a spur feeding Ullapool, the output from the plant is tightly controlled to prevent it from interfering with the stability of local supplies.

KEY STATISTICS

• Customer: Drummond Estate
• Turbine type: HCTI Twin Jet Turgo
• Number of turbines: 1
• Power output: 1MW
• Net head: 78m
• Flow: 1626 l/s
• Runner diameter: 25”
• Speed: 600 rpm

At over 1,800 sq km and as one of the UK’s largest National Nature Reserves, the Trossachs National Park attracts over 4 million visitors each year. There are currently 38 operational, run-of-river hydro schemes within the Park, of which Keltie Water is one of the larger, privately developed examples.

The 1MW Keltie Water hydro scheme, which is Gilkes second machine for the Drummond Estate, was granted planning permission in 2014 and construction started the following year. Gilkes worked closely with consultants, Allt Energy, and civil engineers, Campbell of Doune Ltd, throughout the early stages of the project - ultimately selecting a 25” twin-jet Turgo as the most suitable machine for the scheme.

The faster running nature of the Turgo, along with its broad efficiency characteristics and low profile, all fitted well with the scheme’s hydrology and planning constraints. The scheme has two intakes, the main intake being located on a dam formerly owned by Scottish Water, from which the scheme only abstracts when the dam spills. The second intake is a conventional run of river intake which highlights the importance of the Turgo’s flat efficiency curve.

The Turgo is particularly suited to this site with its ability to operate across a flow range of ~1.63m³/s to 0.15m³/s with a nett head of 78m, and while running at 600rpm. In contrast to a slower running vertical machine (which would require a considerably taller building) the simplicity, high speed and lower cost of the Turgo also allowed a lower profile stone built Powerhouse to be sited sensitively, resulting in a scheme that is nicely absorbed by the surrounding landscape.

Scope Of Supply

• 25” Twin Jet Impulse Turbine
• Main Inlet Valve
• Synchronous Generator
• Lube Oil System
• Control & Switchgear Panel
• Hydraulic Control Module
• Head Level Sensor
• Control & Power Cabling
• Building Services
• Transformer
• Installation & Commissioning
• Servicing for duration of warranty

Although large by UK standards, the Turgo turbine at Keltie Water shares its advantages with considerably higher output machines abroad. Gilkes has supplied over 1000 Turgos to over 40 countries, with some examples generating in in excess of 7.5MW from a single machine.

Gilkes provide a comprehensive service and maintenance package not only to the Keltie scheme but also schemes across the Trossachs from our recently opened Scottish service centre in Callander, dedicated to serving the Trossachs and surrounding areas.

Gilkes continues to make substantial investments in advancing the Turgo design today - more than 100 years after the company patented the design in 1919.

KEY STATISTICS

• Customer: Callander Community Hydro Ltd
• Net head: 146 m
• Flow: 348 litres/sec
• Turbine type: Gilkes Twin Jet Pelton
• Power (kW): 443 kW
• Dia: 650mm
• Date of commissioning: October 2014
• Speed: 750rpm

The Stank Burn hydro scheme is located in the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, just north of Callander. The project is situated on the Stank burn on Forestry Commission Scotland land that has been leased to Callander Community Hydro ltd, the company set up by the community trust to develop the hydro scheme.

The scheme was devised and developed by the community trust and after negotiating the permissioning and planning process, the scheme started construction in late 2013.

As a conventional run of river hydro scheme, there is no dam or water storage, just a low height intake weir. This feeds a buried HDPE pressure pipe that runs down the hill to a timber clad powerhouse.

Scope of Supply:

• 650mm Twin Jet Pelton, fitted with hydraulic actuators.
• Synchronous Generator.
• Main inlet valve.Hydraulic control module.
• Turbine control and switchgear panel, complete with remote monitoring facility and head level sensors.
• Control and power cabling within turbine powerhouse.
• Installation & commissioning of Gilkes supplied equipment.
• Servicing of Gilkes equipment for 2 years.

Inside the powerhouse is a Gilkes Twin Jet Pelton turbine complete with generator, weight to close main inlet valve, hydraulic power pack, and a Gilkes Control system. Gilkes provided a seamless Installation (mechanical and electrical) and commissioning package in order to effectively provide the customer with a turnkey package within the powerhouse. Thus reducing interface risks within the project and helping to provide surety to the investors.

Gilkes also provided full training to community volunteers and are providing on-going support and maintenance to ensure that the maximum generation is achieved from the scheme.

Connected directly into the national grid, the scheme generator enough power to offset over 300 homes.

KEY STATISTICS

• Head: 82.6 m
• Flow: 463 l/s
• Turbine type: Gilkes Turgo Impulse 15” HCTI Twin Jet
• Speed: 1000 rpm
• Output power: 318kW

This project was designed for Wellington Regional Council, with MWH Global NZ acting as consultants.

Scope of supply included:

• GILKES 15” HCTi_TJ
• LEROY SOMER 353kVA 415v Synchronous Generator
• CPS Turbine Control/MCCB panel (380kW 400v)

Supplies were shipped to Wellington Port ready to be transported to site. The turbine was installed and commissioned April / May 2011.

Raw water to the treatment plant is extracted from both the Orongorongo and Wainuiomata Rivers. The Orongorongo system comprises intake structures on the Orongorongo River, Big Huia and Little Huia Streams. This water is transported to the Wainuiomata treatment plant by means of a 5.6km long pipeline and tunnel. The Orongorongo intakes are at an elevation of 244m above NCD (New City Datum) and the treatment plant is at 142m above NCD, therefore a series of pressure reducing valves have been installed just upstream of the water treatment plant intake. The Wainuiomata and Lower George Creek intakes are at a much lower level and the supply from the Orongorongo source connects to them immediately downstream of the pressure reducing valves.

The turbine generator will be located in a purpose built structure adjacent to the existing pressure reducing valves. Under normal operation the turbine will take all of the water treatment plant flow, with the valves being retained for periods when the turbine is out of service for any reason.

Under favourable weather and water demand conditions the turbine could be expected to operate for as long a six months without any need to shutdown.

The plant operation will be entirely automatic with plant condition being monitored from the water treatment facility control room, which is located about 150m away from the turbine building. The control room is manned 8hrs a day, with a continuously manned call-out roster. Inspections of the turbine generator facility are envisaged to occur at most once per week.

The turbine generator works in parallel to the grid.

KEY STATISTICS

• Customer: Farmers Irrigation District
• Turbine type: Gilkes HCTI Twin Jet Turgo
• Number of Turbines: 1
• Power (kW): 2.6MW
• Net Head: 352ft
• Flow: 108cfs
• Diameter: 31”
• Speed: 600 rpm
• Date of Commissioning: August 2015

Gilkes were extremely honoured when the Farmers Irrigation District (FID) sourced them to completely upgrade their existing plant, and to change the turbine technology being employed. The plant’s original configuration consisted of two dissimilar sized Francis turbines of a mid-1980s vintage. The configuration made sense when looking at one aspect of the project, which was the peak energy production based on the head and flow conditions. With the Francis technology however, they were limited to certain flow ranges and were unable to recover some of the lower flows they experience during the irrigation months of April to October. There was one other key area that plagued the project for many years which was the sediment-laden water due to the minerals from their watershed which is delivered from the north east slope of Mount Hood.

Gilkes engineers quickly got to work to thoroughly evaluate every aspect of the project, and to openly discuss all of the available technologies with FID. Through our analysis, we determined that a Gilkes Turgo turbine would be the best-suited machine for the site conditions, as well as for the overall annual energy production.

SCOPE OF SUPPLY

• Gilkes 31” high capacity Twin Jet Turgo Impulse Turbine valve: 36” Ball Valve, PN16
• Generator: 3,310 KVA, 60hz, 3 Phase, 4160V, 600rpm, with hydrodynamic, babitted sleeve bearings.
• Generator controls & switchgear: PLC based fully automated controls, turbine governor, electrical protection system, station services, DCY, MCC and generator switchgear.
• Hydraulic control module: Installation and commissioning

The Gilkes Turgo, which was designed and patented in 1919 by our current Chairman’s grandfather, was the perfect match as it was able to capture the flows that FID were currently unable to use. More importantly the Turgo’s ability to efficiently and effectively handle ‘aggressive’ water would significantly reduce the owner’s annual operation and maintenance expenditures.

All of these factors combined made the decision for the turbine technology to be a Turgo turbine as opposed to Francis turbine technology. Each have their place for various site conditions, and in this case the Turgo was by far the logical choice.

The project deliverables consisted of a full water-to-wire package including a 36” ball valve to isolate the plant when needed, a Gilkes 31” twin-jet Turgo turbine, a hydraulic control module to operate the inlet valve, spear valves, and deflectors, a synchronous generator with sleeve-lined pedestal

bearings, and a fully automated turbine controls and switchgear package. Additionally, the existing trifurcation inlet pipework was removed and Gilkes engineers delivered a single inlet pipe section to match the existing penstock and new turbine.

The project was delivered on-time, on-budget, and ahead of schedule which allowed FID to begin generating earlier than planned and assisted them with their annual generation targets and project pay-back.

Jerry Bryan, FID’s former District Manager and Project Manager for this project comments;

“After our long struggle with an ancient, low-bid turbine-generator scheme that many times over the past thirty years threatened to drag the Farmers Irrigation District into bankruptcy, our new Gilkes Turgo turbine is music to our ears.

“Gilkes is the exact company it rightfully claims to be -- a collective group of highly professional, relationship-based, sophisticated, genuine, and friendly people dedicated to a common goal of excellence. Best of all, even though we set the bar very high, every single last one of you working at the Gilkes exceeded our expectations.”

“Our new Gilkes Turgo unit is producing green, renewable electrons in excess of the Gilkes’ guaranteed efficiencies, and we know that our new system will operate reliably and efficiently for decades to come.”

KEY STATISTICS

• Customer: SiBo Water & Sanitation Company
• Turbines: 5 (No.) Series C Francis Turbines
• Pumps: 7 (No.) Multi-stage pumps
• Total Power Output: 360 kW
• Runner Diameter: 7.5”
• Net Head: 27m
• Flow: 340 l/s
• Speed: 1250-1500 rpm
• Installed: 2016

The customer, the towns of Siaya & Bondo Water & Sanitation Company Limited (SiBo), required a water turbine and pump solution that would deliver clean water to their local population utilising the energy available within the existing local river. The project to upgrade and expand the existing SiBo WTW was financed by the African Development Bank and Government of Kenya to deliver a clean safe water supply to over 100,000 present population.

Gilkes solution proposed utilising 5 (No.) Series C Francis turbines directly driving 5 (No.) KSB Multitec multi-stage water pumps. The Series C Francis turbines were the chosen solution by Gilkes because of their robust design, ideally suited to the remote location. The turbines are also engineered to be simple to operate for semi-skilled operators.

The river off-take just above a waterfall provides both the raw water to power the turbines and the raw water supply to the water treatment works, which subsequently supply clean water to the pumps.

Scope of Supply:

• 5 ‘skid plate’ mounted turbine pump systems consisting of:
• 5 (No.) 7.5” Series C Francis Turbines.
• 5 (No.) multi stage pumps.
• Manual control and instrumentation system.
• 2 (No.) further electric motor driven pumps.
• Control and soft start motor panel.
• 5 (No.) turbine inlet valves, inlet pipes and draft tubes.
• 7 (No.) pump inlet valves and inlet pipes.
• 7 (No.) pump discharge pipe, non-return valve, gate valve.
• Full installation and commissioning.

Each turbine has an inlet pressure of approximately 27m net head, at a flow rate of 340 litres/second. The turbines drive through a flexible coupling to each pump which nominally develops 115m of head, at a flow rate of 145m3/hour.

The water pumps are gravity fed from the water treatment works, pumping the clean water over 4 kilometres to two reservoir tanks.

The design had to consider a number of scenarios and variables of having multiple turbines and pumps operating, sharing common pipework, and still operate effectively to meet the customers pumped clean water requirements and raw water head and flow available. Gilkes specifically matched the turbine and pump characteristics, to achieve a solution with the best efficiency.

Each turbine & pump unit was assembled at Gilkes manufacturing facility in the UK and transported to site fully assembled, just requiring anchoring and plumbing in once on site. The units were skid mounted, meaning the pump and turbine could be aligned in-house before being transported to site, resulting in less on site installation & commissioning time and providing a solution to the lack of on-site tooling.

Gilkes are very proud to have been involved in such a unique project. With a Chinese lead contractor, an Indian civil engineering consultant, a local Kenyan workforce and the customers own engineers, this was a truly multi-national contract. Working in close collaboration with all parties ensured the success of the SiBo project.

During their time on site, our engineers also took time out to teach children at the local school about hydropower.