Olsson Industrial Electric is pleased to announce the on-schedule completion of work to almost completely replace the station service electrical distribution system at the McNary Lock and Dam that began in May 2014. The systems were replaced while maintaining full operational capability of the powerhouse and without any unplanned interruptions.

During the project, Olsson’s team replaced nearly all the existing 4160 V systems with new 13.8 kV systems. Additionally, all 480 V double ended substations, integrated unit switchboards, and motor control centers were replaced. On site construction included over 100,000 labor hours with no loss time injuries.

Construction began with two iso-phase bus taps feeding new 15 kV switchgear assemblies for redundant distribution to new 480 V substations. Twenty critical 4160 V governor oil pumps were rewound to 480 V for compatibility with the new station service distribution.

Since 1986, Olsson Industrial Electric has provided comprehensive electrical construction and engineering solutions to the public and private sectors. For more information about our current and past projects, visit olssonelec.com/client-solutions.

Olsson Industrial Electric (Olsson) proudly completed a Station Service Transformer Replacement project at the Little Goose Lock and Dam in 2018.

Charged with removing and replacing the two existing station service transformers, T01 and T02, the Olsson Team led both technical design and construction efforts in parallel. OS Engineering, Olsson’s in-house Professional Electrical Engineers, worked closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Niagara Transformer Corporation (Niagara) to design two new three-phase, oil-filled, Class I station service power transformers rated at 3750 kVA, 13.8 kV high-voltage, 4.16 kV low-voltage, with Class OFWF cooling. Meanwhile, Olsson’s Construction Team worked diligently to plan the removal, replacement, and commissioning of said units so as to maintain continuity of station service power throughout the entire project.

In addition to the new transformers, Olsson replaced several ancillary components to the station service system at the dam. On-load tap changer (OLTC) remote controls, transformer lock-out relays, 15 kV feeder cables, 5 kV feeder cables, new 480 V 30 A motor control center (MCC) buckets, and miscellaneous control wiring were all included in the project’s scope. From technical design to supply, installation, and testing, the Olsson team worked hard to provide the USACE with an exceptional product. Olsson was proud to have logged more than 4,000 man-hours to complete this project on-time without any recordable incidents.

Olsson is proud to partner with the USACE on some of their most critical infrastructure projects.