What does a hydro turbine cost estimate include? A scope checklist for small hydro
Alberto Santolin··3 min read
Two quotes for the same turbine can be a factor of three apart and both be right. The gap usually comes from what each price includes, much more than from the market. So before you compare a hydro turbine price, whether it comes from a supplier, a paper or a software tool, check its scope.
Four scopes you will meet
Most published figures and supplier quotes fall into one of these four scopes. Each row contains everything in the row above it.
| Scope | What it typically includes |
|---|---|
| Turbine only | Runner, casing, distributor or nozzles, sometimes the governor |
| Turbine-generator set | Turbine, inlet valve, governor and regulation, generator |
| Complete electromechanical package | The set above plus control system, switchgear, transformer, cabling, often transport and installation |
| Total installed cost | Everything above plus civil works, penstock, powerhouse, grid connection, engineering, permits |
For an order of magnitude, the electromechanical equipment is often put at about 30–40% of a small hydro budget (Ogayar & Vidal, Renewable Energy, 2009; Lipiński & Olkowski, 2017). In the Norwegian cost basis for small plants (NVE, 2010), turbine and generator alone are roughly two thirds of the complete electromechanical package. Control, switchgear, transformer and installation make up the rest.
Ten questions to ask before comparing two prices
- Does it include the generator, or the turbine only?
- Is the inlet valve included (butterfly or spherical)?
- Is the governor or regulation system included, and is it hydraulic or electric?
- Are control system, protections and switchgear included?
- Is the transformer included?
- Is the price ex-works, or does it include transport to site?
- Are installation, commissioning and supervision included?
- How many units does it cover?
- Which year are the prices from, and in which currency?
- Is it an indicative offer, a contract price or a final cost?
Questions 9 and 10 are easy to overlook. Producer prices for engines and turbines in Europe have risen substantially over the last decade (Eurostat producer price index, NACE C28.11), so an older figure needs updating. And an indicative offer usually comes in lower than the contract that follows it.
How HPP-Design defines its estimate
The cost estimate in an HPP-Design sizing covers the turbine-generator set at ex-works price: turbine, inlet valve (not on Kaplan units), governor and regulation, generator, for one unit, in current euros. It does not include control system, switchgear, transformer, transport, installation, civil works or grid connection. Next to it, the report also shows an indicative range for the complete electromechanical package, about 1.4–1.6 times the turbine-generator set, based on Norwegian cost data for small plants (NVE, 2010).
Each estimate comes with a cost range and a confidence label. We explain how the model was built, and on which data, in How much does a hydro turbine cost? Rebuilding our cost model.
Comparing your quote with the estimate
If you have a supplier quote, first bring it to the same scope: take out what the estimate does not cover, then convert it to euros and to current prices. Compare the result with the whole range in your sizing report rather than with the central value alone.
If you have a real quote or final cost you can share, even just the figures, send it to us. Each validated contribution earns free credits and helps us improve the next revision of the model.
Alberto Santolin
Founder of HPP-Design, PhD in turbomachinery; hydropower engineer since 2008.
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