Hydraulic Power Unit (HPU) system upgrade

The AZ Zour South power plant in Kuwait faced a critical issue with its outdated hydraulic power unit (HPU) system. The HPU provided pressurised oil to a hydraulic actuation system that controlled the dam valve for seawater intake.

This seawater is essential for the plant’s cooling process. Initially manufactured and installed by another vendor, the existing valve had become obsolete, which prompted concerns about performance and ongoing technical support. With rising maintenance costs and long lead times for replacement parts, the plant operators needed to find a more reliable, efficient, and cost-effective solution quickly.

During initial discussions with our experts, the facility’s engineering team outlined challenges with the hydraulic power unit. They emphasised the urgency of a reliable, efficient solution to avoid further costly maintenance and potential profit losses. Working together, the teams identified an upgrade to the entire hydraulic panel as the optimal approach. This directly addressed the plant’s operational needs while avoiding the expense of a complete system replacement and minimising plant downtime.

The successful collaboration between the IMI team and our partners' engineering experts played a crucial part in the success of this project. Rather than simply recommending a like-for-like replacement of the obsolete dam valve, our team partnered with the facility to comprehensively upgrade the entire hydraulic power unit system.

The newly designed HPU replaced the original system, which had been in service for over 30 years and showed signs of severe rust and obsolescence. We fully modernised the new powerpack using standard, readily available components to ensure long-term support and reliability and reduced spare part lead times from twelve weeks to just two. The design incorporated redundant pressure switches and relief valves to enhance safety and operational resilience, ensuring continued protection against overpressure conditions.

Our team helped deliver significant performance improvements by recommending that the power facility install a new 20 L/min hydraulic pump driven by a 7.5 Cv IE3 motor to enhance energy efficiency and flow control. We also recommended integrating a digital pressure switch (30–300 BAR) and a 4–20 mA pressure sensor for accurate pressure management and early fault detection. Real-time monitoring of temperature and oil levels further reduced the risk of overheating or fluid loss while eliminating the need for routine manual checks.

We wired all electrical components into a centralised cabinet with terminal blocks to streamline control and diagnostics, simplifying maintenance and troubleshooting. Our team designed and built the entire system to ensure seamless integration with the plant’s distributed control system (DCS), enabling remote monitoring, predictive maintenance, and improved operational efficiency.

We delivered the solution as a turnkey package, complete with schematics, 3D models, a full bill of materials, maintenance manuals, and certified factory test results. The fully tested and documented HPU arrived at the site in Kuwait ready for plug-and-play installation, ensuring minimal commissioning time and immediate performance gains.

We successfully delivered the HPU upgrade within two months, meeting the plant’s urgent time and cost requirements. The customer was impressed by the rapid turnaround time and the overall cost-effectiveness of the solution.

Our solution helped avoid the high expenditures and long lead times associated with obsolete components, saving the plant significant resources. The upgraded system’s integration with the distributed control system (DCS) now provides the power plant with real-time monitoring capabilities, reducing the need for manual interventions and enhancing operational efficiency.

Site visits undertaken by our experts and the local distributor ensured that the customer received ongoing support. We completed the project within two months and within the customer’s desired timeline.

We resolved the critical issues at the AZ Zour South power plant by providing a comprehensive upgrade to the outdated hydraulic system. We offered and delivered a cost-effective, future-proof technology solution that intelligently utilised available market components, significantly reducing lead times and costs for our customer.

Modernising the system with energy-efficient components, predictive maintenance capabilities, and detailed documentation has improved operational reliability and reduced lifecycle expenditures. The upgraded HPU is scalable for future automation enhancements, enabling the facility to align more comprehensively with its long-term digitalisation goals.

For more details on IMI’s HPU technology, please visit: HPU - Hydraulic Power Unit