Key part of turbine from Litostroj Group is ready for hydro power plant in Alabama


Litostroj Group, the world leading producer of water turbines and other hydraulic machines has produced a runner for the Lay Hydropower Plant in the US state of Alabama. This renowned power plant with more than a hundred-year-long history is currently undergoing reconstruction. Four of its six Kaplan turbines with output of 30 MW will be upgraded in the near future. The new runner produced in the Slovenian capital city of Ljubljana is heading to one of the Lay Hydropower Plant’s units which will be the first to be upgraded. 

“We value the supply of the runner for the U.S. Southern Company as a significant reference contract for the whole North American market. This market is one of our main priorities,” CEO of the Litostroj Group Pavel Váňa said. The Litostroj Group values its strong cooperation with the delegation from the state of Alabama, as well as U.S. Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda C. Blanchard and the U.S. Embassy team, and is pleased to welcome them to our production plant in Ljubljana. “One of my primary goals is to strengthen trade and investment between our two countries.  Litostroj Group’s project in Alabama offers an excellent example of the numerous opportunities that the United States offers foreign businesses and investors,” Ambassador Blanchard said. 

The new hydraulic design of the runner with seven blades was produced by Litostroj Engineering in the city of Blansko, Czech Republic. The model of this runner successfully passed the tests in the modern hydraulic laboratory of Litostroj Engineering. The production took place at Litostroj Power in Ljubljana, Slovenia. 

“Litostroj Group has confirmed its reputation not only as a supplier of machines for newly built water sources, but increasingly as a provider of complete reconstruction of hydropower plants and their parts all over the world too,” Pavel Váňa stressed. 

Lay Dam Hydropower Plant

The Lay Hydropower Plant is part of the dam on the river Coosa. It is a run-of-river, not a storage type of plant – the level of the lake remains more or less constant year-round. The facility doesn’t generate power all the time, but only during the peak demand or when the market prices for electricity are favourable. The height of the Lay Dam reaches almost 130 feet (approx. 40 m), its length is 2,260 feet (almost 690 m), and it is a gravity concrete dam. 

The bill concerning the construction of the Lay Hydropower Plant was signed by former U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt already in 1907. The author of the original project was William Patrick Lay, who had long been a proponent of developing the navigation and electrical potential of the Coosa River. It was the first hydropower facility of the company Alabama Power, which is today a subsidiary of the Southern Company. In 1967, the hydropower plant underwent a significant renovation.

The lake is an important destination for recreation. It offers great opportunities for boating, swimming, fishing and other outdoor activities. 

Industry Pillar of ENERGO-PRO

Litostroj Group is part of the multinational group ENERGO-PRO headquartered in Prague in the Czech Republic. ENERGO-PRO is a leading operator of hydropower plants. Thanks to the activities of Litostroj Group, ENERGO-PRO has also strengthened its industry pillar in recent years. It continues the Central European tradition of research, development and production of hydraulic machines. The Kaplan turbine, which is also installed in the Lay Hydropower Plant in Alabama, was invented by the famous engineer Viktor Kaplan in the city of Brno located in the area of the today’s Czech Republic. 

Litostroj Group consists of the traditional producer of water turbines and other machines Litostroj Power in Ljubljana, Slovenia, the engineering company Litostroj Engineering in Blansko, Czech Republic, other producer of hydraulic machines Litostroj Turkey which operates the new factory in Ankara, and the company Litostroj Hydro headquartered in Quebec, Canada, which focuses on projects all over the North America.