Allen Gears has again demonstrated the powerful advantages of epicyclic technology by clinching a major order for three gearboxes for each of two big new hydropower projects in Turkey.

Three of the units will be rated at 8.4MW with input and output speeds of 160rpm and 600rpm respectively, for installation at the Oskan project. The second batch of three will be 13.1MW units with 179rpm input and 600rpm output speeds, destined for the Berkman hydro scheme. The main contractor for both hydropower plants is Alstom Hydro, which is in charge of the design, manufacturing and commissioning of all six turbine/generators.

"This will be the first Turkish project on which Allen Gears has worked with Alstom Hydro for the design and manufacture of horizontally-mounted epicyclic gearboxes for a hydropower application," reports Gerry Black, Original Equipment Sales and Tendering Manager.

Allen Gears focused on its epicyclic technology when bidding for the order, in direct competition with a major supplier of lower first-cost parallel shaft gearboxes. The customer decided that payback with the initially more expensive epicyclic design would be sooner and greater.

"Alstom Hydro quickly realised the Allen Gears design provides them with a real technical advantage over their hydropower competitors by using proven epicyclic technology with its greater efficiency, increasing revenue for the power producer," adds Gerry Black.

"This was a major factor for both Alstom Hydro and Allen Gears in securing this order. The power producer compared our epicyclic with other gearing technologies and decided epicyclic was by far the best option."

Allen Gears has a proven track-record with epicyclic units for the hydropower sector, which clearly demonstrates the higher efficiency and profitability of epicyclic technology to the end user.