Hydropower - Tractebel

Upgrade, Modernisation & Refurbishment of Hydropower Plants

Maximise the potential of your Hydropower Assets

Thibault Laube - Tractebel
Thibault Laube
Business Manager - Water
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Extending the life of hydropower—from inspection to implementation 

At Tractebel, we enable hydropower owners to unlock new performance from existing assets—safely, sustainably and cost-effectively.  

 

Our upgrade, modernisation and refurbishment service transforms ageing plants into high-efficiency, low-emission power sources that support today’s energy transition and tomorrow’s grid demands. 

 

Our solutions are built on nearly a century of hydropower leadership and innovation. Today, we work across the full asset lifecycle—from technical assessments and feasibility studies to design, procurement, construction supervision and commissioning.  

 

Whether replacing turbines, upgrading control systems, or re-engineering civil structures, our multidisciplinary experts deliver value at every step. 

 

Our teams leverage digital tools to your plant’s advantage with advanced simulations, BIM, digital twins and more. The results lead to optimised designs, reduced risk and accelerated delivery for our clients worldwide. 

Upgrade, Modernisation & Refurbishment of Hydropower Plants solutions

Your opportunities

  • Restore and improve the performance of aging hydropower plants 

  • Extend asset life and reduce O&M costs while improving reliability 

  • Modernise turbines, generators, automation and control systems as well as auxiliaries 

  • Increase installed capacity and optimise generation profiles 

  • Rehabilitate and reinforce civil works, dams, waterways and powerhouses 

     

  • Address safety concerns and ensure compliance with evolving regulatory frameworks 

  • Adapt existing assets to new grid requirements and environmental constraints 

     

  • Ensure constructability and reduce design-construction mismatches 

  • Targeted training programmes, operational manuals, and on-site support adapted to end-user teams 

Our value

  • Extensive expertise in refurbishment and upgrade strategies for legacy assets, grounded in decades of operational audits and system behaviour analysis 

  • Integrated engineering teams with industrial background and experience in long-term operational planning, renovation and performance monitoring of hydropower plants

  • Advanced capabilities in retrofit design, OEM-neutral technology integration, and flexible system reconfiguration for evolving operating modes 

  • Experience in hydropower upgrade projects, storage volume expansion, and turbine reconfiguration to meet new demand profiles and system service expectations 

  • In-house civil experts and dam engineers enabling integrated design and supervision of structural upgrades alongside electromechanical works

  • Recognised expertise in dam safety, risk analysis, and project documentation aligned with national and international regulations (PFMA, safety reviews, etc.) 

  • Ability to achieve network study, integrate flexibility requirements, system services, and environmental considerations into rehabilitation design 

  • BIM and 3D modelling for retrofit environments, and digital workflows ensuring consistency between design and on-site execution 

  • Use of advanced tools (SIMSEN, Flowmaster, ANSYS, CYME, DigSilent, etc.) for transients, stress, vibration and network integration studies 

  • Solid experience as Owner’s Engineer and EPC support in multi-package projects with diverse stakeholders and tight execution constraints 

  • Expertise in technical specifications, contract structuring, and tender assistance—including supplier technical document review and interface tracking 

Digital Solutions

Re-imagine your impact with our digital solutions

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