Alstom said it has been awarded a contract worth approximately €50 million ($64.2 million) by utility Hydro-Québec to update the Robert-Bourassa generating facility in Canada.

Consisting of 16 units with a total power generation capacity of 5,616 MW, Alstom said Centrale Robert-Bourassa is the world’s largest underground generating station.

Under the terms of the contract, Alstom will design, manufacture and deliver four new 333 MW Francis turbine runners for units 1-4 of the dam, and carry out the complete refurbishment and modernization of two turbine-generator groups. Alstom will also supply several new components - ring gate, distributor, servomotors and turbine shaft - for unit 1 of the power plant, while refurbishing some of the existing components for units 2 and 3, and replacing 16 electronic governor systems.

The contract also includes an option for the supply of four more runners for units 4-8 and the refurbishment and modernization of six more turbine-generator units.

Commissioning of the first upgraded unit is scheduled for autumn 2013.

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