The new, state-of-the-art machinery and equipment includes a Pietro Carnaghi AP 120 TM Vertical Turning Lathe (VTL) and a PAMA Speedram 3000 Horizontal Boring and Milling Machine (HBM). The machine upgrades will result in increased production capacity, improved product quality, increased energy efficiency, greater tool life, reduced downtime and waste, and enhanced worker safety.
Voith Hydro is making these investments as part of its continued commitment to serving customers in North America and around the world. The retooling of Voith Hydro’s facility is occurring during a period of historic investments in clean energy resulting from the enactment of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act.
“We can and should make the products that power America right here in America, in places like York, Pennsylvania,” said Stanley Kocon, president and CEO of Voith Hydro North America. “The latest investments in our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility will be instrumental in building the next generation of hydropower turbines and hydro pumped storage machines needed to meet our Nation’s ambitious climate and job-creation goals.”
The investments qualify as Advanced Energy Property under section 48C of the Internal Revenue Code, making them eligible for a potential tax credit to offset a portion of the costs of these investments in US renewable energy equipment manufacturing. As a US-based manufacturer, hydropower and pumped storage hydropower projects utilizing Voith technology manufactured in the US may also qualify for an additional 10% domestic content bonus, on top of other incentives and credits for building clean energy infrastructure.
Voith Hydro plans to place the new VTL and HBM into service by September 2024. The HBM adds new machining capabilities to an already diverse manufacturing footprint and the new VTL will be the second VTL deployed in York in the last five years. In 2019, Voith Hydro completed the installation of a VTL capable of machining turbines or runners weighing up to 200 tons.