Unico Mechanical Awarded Contract for US Army Corps of Engineers

Unico Mechanical Corp., a provider of turnkey overhaul and repair services for the hydroelectric power generation industry, announced that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded the company a contract for the refurbishment of two 216-in. diameter butterfly balves (BFVs) and associated components at the Fort Peck Dam located in Fort Peck, Mont. Unico was selected for the contract, worth more than $9.1 million, based on its prior experience with similar projects, offsite manufacturing capabilities for replacement valve parts and experienced project team.

Two similar butterfly valves at the Tenkiller Dam in Montana are riveted to the penstocks and cannot be readily removed to be refurbished in the shop. Both valves will be refurbished in-situ and upgraded to a replaceable resilient body seal that does not require adjustments.

Photo Credit: Unico Mechanical

Included in the refurbishment is the supply of new disk seals, upper and lower trunnion housings and bushings, the design build of new HPUs, hydraulic actuators, new actuator linkage with integral locking mechanisms, new bypass piping and associated valves, new working platforms, penstock inspection and coatings. Unico will perform all activities associated with the project in-house including manufacturing of new and replacement components for the valves, site refurbishment of the valves, installation of new equipment and plant commissioning. The estimated completion date of work is May 28, 2025.

“We are honored that Unico was selected to overhaul the 216-in. butterfly valves at Fort Peck, Mont. We are one of the few companies that specialize in valve refurbishment for the hydroelectric power generation industry and Unico brings decades of experience to this type of project,” said Randy Potter, president and CEO, Unico Mechanical. “We specialize in the repair and overhaul of large municipal water and hydropower machinery and have worked on many large butterfly valves that measure over 90-in. We understand butterfly valves inside and out, we have seen what works and what doesn’t. Our team has developed techniques and specialized equipment for refurbishing valves in the field or in our shop. Our expertise helps reduce the risk associated with large complex projects such as this one. The engineering team does an initial inspection to determine exactly what is worn or damaged and detailed findings are documented in an inspection report that includes CAD drawings. This report serves as the basis for the valve overhaul project plan and discussions with our customer.”