In two separate contracts, Croatia-based Skoring d.o.o., Thordon’s authorized distributor for the region, supplied wicket gate bearings to the 36.8MW Hrvatska Elektroprivreda-operated plant in Rijeka, Croatia, in July. In August, they retrofitted new turbine guide bearings to turbines at the 1500kW Elektro Ljubljana-operated HPP Sava Brod plant, in Slovenia.

For Hrvatska Elektroprivreda (HEP Group), the decision to replace the original greased bronze wicket gate bearings on the Rijeka plant’s 18.4MW Turbine B was an easy one to make: Skoring has been supplying Thordon bearings to this operator for more than twenty years.

Skoring’s Technical Manager, Goran Orlic, provides more insight: “We have a great relationship with Hrvatska Elektroprivreda, an important customer for us. We have provided the utility supplier with numerous bearings over the years, with our first installation taking place at the Ozalj hydropower plant in 2002. Since then, we have retrofitted turbines at HEP plants in Fuzine, Zagreb, Lepenica, and more.”

In July 2021, ThorPlas-Blue wicket gate bearings were retrofitted to Turbine A of the Rijeka plant, and in May 2023 Turbine B was fitted out with the same.

For each turbine, the Thordon scope of supply comprised of twenty self-lubricating ThorPlas-Blue bearings, machined to fit outside shaft diameters of 105mm (4.13in), and twenty 135mm (5.31in) Thorseal polymer lip seals.