Orkot® Pricing for Your Hydropower Plant

The existing hydropower fleet in the US is aging, with the majority of hydropower plants now more than 50 years old. Maintenance is imperative to keep these hydro facilities operating efficiently and producing power long into the future. 

Although greased bronze bearings were the industry standard, there are a few reasons why switching to Orkot® is more beneficial. Although CRC Distribution is not a low-cost provider, upgrading to Orkot® offers valuable performance, maintenance, and engineering savings. Learn about all the cost factors that affect Orkot® pricing in a scope of work and see how the savings justify choosing Orkot® for your hydropower plant.

Orkot® Pricing Elements

Orkot® is not an off-the-shelf product. Each piece is machined according to specific scopes of work which vary greatly. Because of this, there are no general pricing estimates. There are, however, common elements that impact overall pricing. 

Hydropower Equipment Focus

Are you considering a turbine overhaul? Is it just the generator or flood gate that needs attention? Turbines sometimes only require wicket gate bushings, while others may need a link pin, servomotor, wicket gate, vertical/horizontal/axial wear pads, thrust washer, and/or eccentric pin bushings. 

Hydropower Equipment Size

The amount of Orkot® necessary to machine a finished product depends on the equipment size. For example, a 65MW turbine's bearings are smaller than those for a 250MW turbine, which affects pricing. That’s why we offer quotes tailored to your specific needs for accuracy.

Hydropower Equipment Quantity

The volume of Orkot® products you need may unlock bulk cost savings. You can ask your account representative where the next break is to see if you can reach it. Also, consider whether you need spares on site, which adds to the total.

Unfinished vs Finished Orkot® Products

The party responsible for machining Orkot® parts absorbs some of the costs. Your project may require machining parts onsite, which transfers responsibility away from the provider.

Orkot® Cost Savings

It’s not enough to just look at the cost of the tangible Orkot® pieces you need when deciding to upgrade. Consider these long-term performance and engineering savings that also affect your bottom line.

Reducing Downtime Costs

Hydropower turbines are expected to generate and sell kilowatts 24/7. When the turbines are down, the cost of lost revenue can be steep. The primary point that matters most regarding a hydroelectric asset is extreme reliability. Orkot® withstands abrasives extremely well, which increases bearing life and reduces downtime, thus reducing lost revenue.

Reducing Maintenance Costs

Greased bronze bearings must be maintained consistently, equating to man-hours to perform the greasing, hours of downtime for maintenance, and purchasing the grease itself. None of these apply when using Orkot® since it’s self-lubricating. There’s no service interruption, and your team is free to dedicate their time to other activities.

Reducing Engineering and Testing Costs

Hydropower plants can save time, money, and energy by using Trelleborg Sealing Solutions (TSS) to validate material suitability rather than using their own engineering resources. Trelleborg offers unparalleled engineering capabilities that none can match.

Switching to Orkot® opens your project to these advantages designed to reduce costs in engineering and testing:

• Orkot® engineers run calculations before the project begins, based on the loads and speeds provided by the client. This ensures the material is suitable for the purpose for which it's intended well in advance of the project's start date.
• When requested, Trelleborg's engineers can run its proprietary service life program to give the client an accurate indication of the service life of an Orkot® product up to 25-30 years in the future. All Trelleborg needs are the estimated load, speeds, and cycling times. 
• Few industries can match the Orkot® industry-specific data, experience, and databases of over 35 years of empirical data to fall back on.

All of these factors add up to a higher return on investment by choosing Orkot®.

Reducing Energy Costs

Since Orkot® offers such an exceptionally low coefficient of friction at 0.05, the amount of energy the turbine expends to operate is less than with other types of materials. The same amount of power is generated but with a fraction of the effort.

Reducing Accident Costs

Slips, trips, and falls are the most common worksite accidents. Without grease on site, mishaps are kept to a minimum and your team is safer. Your facility also avoids the paperwork, stress, and legalities of being down a person.

Reducing Environmental Fines

Hydropower plants are responsible for operating safely within their surrounding environment and minimizing the impact on neighboring ecosystems. The government regulates this impact by enacting policies while other organizations, such as non-profit Columbia Riverkeeper, keep a close watch to ensure compliance. Without the need for grease, Orkot® reduces the risk of encountering any fines associated with excessive grease or oil leakage.

You Get What You Pay For

Projects will frequently call for "Orkot® or equivalent," demonstrating that it is the highest standard in the hydropower industry. Just see its superior performance to greased bronze bearings on a 300MW turbine over a two-year test. Performance, longevity, and reliability are necessities for mission-critical facilities like hydroelectric plants and dams, which is why upfront cost shouldn’t be a deterrent.

Get a free custom quote based on your scope of work by contacting our team!